text:
FRONTLINE SUPPORT

Marine Corps Veteran, and FDNY first responder; Christian Zamora, discusses his dual roles on the frontline as an Emergency Medical Technician, and VRL member supplying PPE to essential personnel at the epicenter of the COVID-19 Pandemic, in New York City.

[Registered veterans nonprofit organization in New York City, founded 2011]

WHO WE ARE

Veterans Rebuilding Life is a registered nonprofit focused on providing support services to veterans and children that were harmed in the crossfire of war. Instead of replicating services already available, VRL targets areas that lack support, and provides alternative solutions that have a proven record of success.

These solutions are implemented by volunteers from all walks of life. We are soldiers, social workers, firefighters, and first-responders. Click below to learn more:

[Veterans Rebuilding Life is comprised of veterans from all branches of service, cultures, and creed.]

WHAT WE DO

VRL provides evidence based, holistic solutions through: Project 360º. The program is derived from empirical analysis of the combat experiences shared by veterans suffering from chronic PTSD. This data established the basis for extensive clinical research on the efficacy of holistic integration as an effective treatment alternative for PTSD.

Project 360º participants are paired with a fellow vet and mentor who is trained to implement holistic treatment modalities. This unique combination of military experience and professional training, allows participants to establish trust with their mentor, so together, they can set tangible goals, and achieve measurable outcomes.

[Seen centered is VRL supporter: Jim Nekos, of Edge Technologies, accompanied by the VRL Vixens, and the US Marines.]

HOW WE DO IT

To ensure the integrity of the mission remains intact, Veterans Rebuilding Life does not accept financial support from Government agencies, or special-interest groups. Our volunteer members carry out a mission that’s made possible through the continued support of our donors:

[Centered: VRL Director Marikay Satryano accompanied by the NYPD Community Affairs Division.]

MEASURED RESULTS

This year alone, Veterans Rebuilding Life successfully conducted more than 400 humanitarian missions, resulting in the provision of over 1,840 support services, all at no-cost to those we serve. Click the links below to learn more:

Helping families facing hardship in quarantine

VRL volunteers mobilized to deliver healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. VRL collaborated with local organizations including Hello Fresh, who donated food supplies, packaged by volunteers from the Division of Veteran Services.

VRL transported the donated meals to the Salvation Army Astoria Corps, who distributed them to local families in need. Each meal contains fresh ingredients, organic produce. The humanitarian initiative is part of the ongoing mission VRL feeds NYC.

[Manhattan Veterans Affairs Hospital received 950 medical face shields and 2,000 pairs of latex gloves.]

Supplying PPE to essential workers

In response to essential workers critical need for Personal Protective Equipment, Veterans Rebuilding Life partnered with 3D Brooklyn, a locally-owned, small business focused on 3D printing technology, in order to develop-and-deliver medical face shields to essential personnel on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. VRL members volunteered to transport the Brooklyn-made PPE to emergency personnel across the tristate area, including:

-   _NY Harbor Healthcare System_
-   _Dept. of Veterans Affairs Hospitals_
-   _North Amityville Fire Company_
-   _NYPD Community Affairs Outreach Division_
-   _FDNY Emergency Medical Services_
-   _Ryker’s Island Dept. of Corrections_

-   _Salvation Army Astoria Corps_
-   _Queens Community Centers_
-   _Nassau Inter-County Bus Services_
-   _FDNY Bronx Borough Command_
-   _Pedestrian Traffic Mgmt. Staff_
-   _Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9592_

[VA Hospital Nurses on the frontline, wearing medical face shields donated by Veterans Rebuilding Life]

The following donors helped save essential lives on the frontline:

Louis Thorne

Genny Popow

Tyler Bitterman
Laura Barbieri
Kaya Ceci
Lou Costa
Ana Marie Cruz
Paula Damasceno
Kelly Davis
Desiree Delia
Allen DeWitt
Rosalie Dudek
Paul Englert
Kristy Englert
Ellis Eisner
Virginia Frazzitta
Lauren Forbes
David Forbes

Frontstream

Fidelity Charitable

Matvei Brodski

Bill Russo
Lisa Redmond
Tom Deirlien

Kerry Gallager
Stephan Ginochio
Joe Goldsmith
Ysette Guevara
Shanice Harris
Chris Hancock
George Hlynsky
David Hornback
Dana Humphrey
Deb Kaplan
Jaclyn Kiernan
Gerald Koval
John Koval
Charles Kramer

Rubin Frost Trust

Marlene Marban
Quincy Krull
Nick Yagoda

Felicia Raidl
Natasha Ryder
Jason Sagebiel
Marikay Medina
Zoe Scurletis
Joshua Seidman
Jen Sherman
Mike Sherman
Persis Sopariwala
David Swift
Regina Thorne
Chris Valencia

Kevin Vargas-colon
Claudyne Vielot
Lindsay Walker

Enterprise Rentals

Jim Nekos
Joe Quadara
Jissel Ravelo
Mini Zhang

Nicole Kung
Kayla Krstyen
Mehron Kugler
Maeve Lenahan
Tashi Lhamu
Sasha Lynn
Saury Martinez
Irwin Medina
Jocelyn Mendez
Kyle Moored
Brian O’Conachtaigh
Jeff Pedersen
Jenna Pereg
Kathy Plumhoff

National Grid
VERG Program

RECORD OF INTEGRITY

Veterans Rebuilding Life is the only registered nonprofit organization in the U.S. to commit 100% of all donations directly toward the humanitarian mission. No profit is made by the all-volunteer staff. Even basic operating expenses are paid for by VRL’s board of directors, to ensure our donors that every contribution counts:

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

What does the text say about pursuing a career in the military?

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

answer: There is no mention of military career.

answer: No answer

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

What does the text say about Veterans Rebuilding Life?

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life with a mission to support veterans and those harmed by war. The program starts off with a similar Google drive. The metrics of their success so far shows their success in workshops and how many support services they have provided. They also provide information as to how they conduct their work only accepting funds from donors and no special interest groups or government agencies.

text:
-The first sentence is incomplete and should be rewritten.
-The second sentence is extraneous and unnecessary and should be removed.
-The first line of the third sentence can be partially rewritten for clarity.

refinement: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a registered non-profit with a mission to support veterans and those harmed by war. Their success metrics so far show their success in workshops and how many support services they have provided. They also provide information about how they conduct their work, only accepting funds from donors and no special interest groups or government agencies.

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a registered nonprofit focused on providing support services to veterans and children that were harmed in the crossfire of war. They target areas that lack support and provide alternative solutions. The solutions are implemented by volunteers.

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a registered nonprofit focused on providing support services to veterans and children that were harmed in the crossfire of war. They target areas that lack support and provide alternative solutions that have a proven record of success. VRL is comprised of veterans from all branches of service, cultures, and creed. VRL does not accept financial support from Government agencies or special-interest groups.

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a nonprofit organization in New York City founded in 2011. It focuses on supporting veterans and their children who were harmed in war, providing services that are not replicable. They are comprised of veterans and others (firefighters, social workers, and first-responders) and recruit volunteers who engage in humanitarian missions to provide support and services to those who need it. They have become financially stable because their all-volunteer staff does not make a profit, and even its basic operating expenses are paid by the board of directors. They did have financial issues at first when there was an increased demand for relief efforts, but thanks to individual donors who sponsored them, they were able to free themselves from financial limitations.

text: The last sentence of the answer is extraneous and should be removed.

refinement: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a nonprofit organization in New York City founded in 2011. It focuses on supporting veterans and their children who were harmed in war, providing services that are not replicable. They are comprised of veterans and others (firefighters, social workers, and first-responders) and recruit volunteers who engage in humanitarian missions to provide support and services to those who need it. They have become financially stable because their all-volunteer staff does not make a profit, and even its basic operating expenses are paid by the board of directors.

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a nonprofit organization in New York City founded in 2011. It focuses on supporting veterans and their children who were harmed in war, providing services that are not replicable. They are comprised of veterans and others (firefighters, social workers, and first-responders) and recruit volunteers who engage in humanitarian missions to provide support and services to those who need it. They did have financial issues at first when there was an increased demand for relief efforts, but thanks to individual donors who sponsored them, they were able to free themselves from financial limitations.

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life with a mission to support veterans and those harmed by war. The program starts off with a similar Google drive, and then addresses the unique characteristics of all its volunteers. The metrics of their success so far shows their success in workshops and how many support services they have provided. They also provide information as to how they conduct their work only accepting funds from donors and no special interest groups or government agencies.

answer: Veterans Rebuilding Life is a registered nonprofit focused on providing support services to veterans and children that were harmed in the crossfire of war. They target areas that lack support and provide alternative solutions that have a proven record of success. VRL is comprised of veterans from all branches of service, cultures, and creed.

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

What does the text say about Project 360º?

answer: It is a project designed by VRL to help combat PTSD through holistic therapy. Project 360º participants are paired with a fellow vet and a trained mentor to help individually establish goals and achieve measurable results. The purpose of the program is to implement holistic treatment modalities.

answer: Project 360º is a program that is derived from empirical analysis of the combat experiences shared by veterans suffering from chronic PTSD. The program is an evidence-based treatment alternative for PTSD. Project 360º participants are paired with a fellow vet and mentor who is trained to implement holistic treatment modalities.

answer: Project 360º is a program that is derived from empirical analysis of the combat experiences shared by veterans suffering from chronic PTSD. The program is an evidence-based treatment alternative for PTSD. Project 360º participants are paired with a fellow vet and mentor who is trained to implement holistic treatment modalities.

answer: Project 360º is a unique program developed by VRL that is based on the empirical study of veteran combat experiences. The program, which includes holistic treatment modalities pairing fellow vets with current participants, has been proven to have high success on recovering from PTSD.

text: The second sentence needs to be rewritten for clarity.

refinement: Project 360º is a unique program developed by VRL based on the empirical study of veteran combat experiences. The program, which includes holistic treatment modalities, and pairs fellow vets with current participants, has been proven to succeed in recovering participants from PTSD.

answer: It is a project designed by VRL to help combat PTSD through holistic therapy. Project 360º participants are paired with a fellow vet and a trained mentor to help individually establish goals and achieve measurable results.

answer: Project 360º is a program from Veterans Rebuilding Life that is derived from empirical analysis of the combat experiences shared by veterans suffering from chronic PTSD. The program is based on extensive clinical research on the efficacy of holistic integration as an effective treatment alternative for PTSD. Project 360º participants are paired with a fellow vet and mentor who is trained to implement holistic treatment modalities. The unique combination of military experience and professional training allows participants to establish trust with their mentor, so together, they can set tangible goals, and achieve measurable outcomes.

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

What does the text say about how the VRL helped families in quarantine?

answer: VRL volunteers delivered healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. They collaborated with local organizations including "hello fresh" who donated food and packaged it by volunteers from the VRL.

text: 'hello fresh' should begin with capital letters because it's a brand name.

refinement: VRL volunteers delivered healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. They collaborated with local organizations, including "Hello Fresh", who donated food and packaged it by volunteers from the VRL.

answer: VRL volunteers delivered healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. They collaborated with local organizations including "hello fresh" who donated food and packaged it by volunteers from the NY Department of Veteran Services.

answer: The VRL volunteers mobilized to deliver healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. VRL collaborated with local organizations including Hello Fresh, who donated food supplies, packaged by volunteers from the Division of Veteran Services. VRL transported the donated meals to the Salvation Army Astoria Corps, who distributed them to local families in need. Each meal contains fresh ingredients, organic produce.

text: The answer omitted 'and' in the last sentence. It should include this.

refinement: The VRL volunteers mobilized to deliver healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. VRL collaborated with local organizations, including Hello Fresh, who donated food supplies packaged by volunteers from the Division of Veteran Services. VRL transported the donated meals to the Salvation Army Astoria Corps, distributing them to local families in need. Each meal contains fresh ingredients and organic produce.

answer:
VRL volunteers mobilized to deliver healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. VRL collaborated with local organizations including Hello Fresh, who donated food supplies, packaged by volunteers from the Division of Veteran Services.

VRL transported the donated meals to the Salvation Army Astoria Corps, who distributed them to local families in need. Each meal contains fresh ingredients, organic produce. The humanitarian initiative is part of the ongoing mission VRL feeds NYC.

answer: In 2017, VRL volunteers moved to deliver fresh meals to families suffering from the COVID-19 Pandemic who were in quarantine. They collaborated with organizing like Hello Fresh to support the families. This was done to ensure the integrity of the mission remains intact, especially in a medical emergency. VRL is a humanitarian mission that offers support and aid to those who suffered from natural disasters or wars.

text:
-'organizing' is grammatically awkward in the second sentence and should be corrected.
-The last sentence is not necessary for this question and should be removed.
-'...who were...' is redundant in the first sentence and should be removed.

refinement: In 2017, VRL volunteers moved to deliver fresh meals to families suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic in quarantine. They collaborated with organisations like Hello Fresh to support the families. This was done to ensure the integrity of the mission remains intact, especially in a medical emergency.

answer:
VRL volunteers mobilized to deliver healthy meals to local families suffering hardships in quarantine. VRL collaborated with local organizations including Hello Fresh, who donated food supplies, packaged by volunteers from the Division of Veteran Services.

VRL transported the donated meals to the Salvation Army Astoria Corps, who distributed them to local families in need. Each meal contains fresh ingredients, organic produce. The humanitarian initiative is part of the ongoing mission VRL feeds NYC.


split: train

text:
- Roman Reigns recently spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard to promote WWE's WrestleMania 32. The full interview is at this link. Below are highlights:

COMING UP ON HIS SECOND WRESTLEMANIA MAIN EVENT ALREADY, WHAT HE'S ACCOMPLISHED:

"Sometimes it doesn't even feel real. I try not to look on the accolades or the things that I've done. I try to focus on, 'What can you control?' 'What's the next step?' 'What's going to help you out for tomorrow?' But it is really cool to be able to look back and think, 'Wow man.' ... (There have been) so many great opportunities, I've met so many cool people, built so many great relationships, I've been able to see damn near the whole world."

HIS LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH FANS:

"It's a tough one because there is no one answer. There is no one reason why someone would want to boo me. Maybe they don't like what I wear, how I sound, maybe I did something to offend them, but for me, it's hard because I'm under the microscope and I'm dealing with a lot of different things and there's a lot of things flying my way. For me, I can only continue to stay within myself and worry about the things I can control and the things I can control are, Am I healthy?; Am I showing up to where I need to be on time?; Am I here to perform and do my job? If I do that, then our fans, they can cheer me, they can boo me, as long as we all show up to the arena, everything will be fine. We'll be able to create that awesome experience, create that energy."

"As for the reasons why these things happen, I don't know. I do know I have a lot of supporters. These people have my back. There's nothing that anybody can say negatively to me that will make me believe you are correct. It's just your opinions," he said, adding that his football background comes in handy with crowd reactions and reception. "I'm an ex-football player, so I've been in a home environment, I've played in an away environment. As long as I know the supporters are still by me, even if they're not in the arena, I hear them on social media and I know they're out there. If you're riding with me, it's going to be a good ride. If you're going against me, we're sorry for what's going to happen next."

FACING WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TRIPLE H:

"Nobody's molded and had a bigger impact on the business, I don't think, than Triple H in the past 10 to 15 years. He's pretty much done all of the hard work, the nitpicking, day in, day out. He's been in the ring, he's been travelling, being the face of the company essentially � always promoting, always working, always thinking about the business, always thinking about the future, building _NXT_ and on top of that, playing the whole suit role and the whole office role, but still getting in the gym, still looking great, still can go, still a great athlete, still a competitor."

_Check out the full interview with WWE's #1 contender at this link._

_Source: TheWhig.com_

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

Who is Roman Reigns?

answer: WWE's #1 contender.

text: "full interview with WWE's #1 contender" is evidence that Roman Reigns is WWE's #1 contender.

answer: He is WWE's #1 contender. He is also being interviewed by the Kingston Whig-Standard to promote WWE's WrestleMania 32.

text: "interview with WWE's #1 contender  -- spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard to promote WWE's WrestleMania 32" is evidence of who Roman Reigns is.

answer: WWE's #1 contender.

text: "full interview with WWE's #1 contender" is evidence that Roman Reigns is WWE's #1 contender.

answer: Roman Reigns is a professional wrestler for the WWE who is the current #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

text: "full interview with WWE's #1 contender" is evidence that Roman Reigns is WWE's #1 contender.

answer: Roman Reigns is a professional wrestler currently competing in WWE. He is the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

text: "full interview with WWE's #1 contender" is evidence that Roman Reigns is WWE's #1 contender.

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

Who is Roman Reigns facing in the upcoming WWE Wrestlemania 32?

answer: Roman Reigns is slated to wrestle WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H.

text: "FACING WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TRIPLE H" is evidence that Roman Reigns is facing Triple H

answer: He is facing World Heavyweight champion, Triple H.

text: "FACING WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TRIPLE H" is evidence that Roman Reigns is facing Triple H

answer: Roman Reigns is facing Triple H at Wrestlemania 32.

text: "FACING WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TRIPLE H" is evidence that Roman Reigns is facing Triple H

answer: Roman Reigns is facing Triple H at WWE Wrestlemania 32.

text: "FACING WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TRIPLE H" is evidence that Roman Reigns is facing Triple H

answer: Triple H

text: "FACING WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TRIPLE H" is evidence that Roman Reigns is facing Triple H

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

What kind of relationship does Roman Reigns have with fans?

answer: It's a difficult relationship to maintain. Fans are rooting for him one minute and booing him the next. Roman wants to meet their expectations.

text: "HIS LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH FANS: 'It's a tough one because there is no one answer. There is no one reason why someone would want to boo me'" is evidence that it is a difficult relationship to manage.

answer: His love-hate relationship is unclear. He also wants to make a clear boundary of what he controls.

text: A series of reasons make up for his love-hate relationship.

refinement: His love-hate relationship has no one answer. He says "Maybe they don't like what I wear, how I sound, maybe I did something to offend them, but for me, it's hard because I'm under the microscope and I'm dealing with a lot of different things and there's a lot of things flying my way".

answer: Reigns' relationship with fans is largely a mixture of love and hate. Some fans may not like his fashion, the sound of his voice, or something he may have done to offend them. Reigns has said that he can only focus on doing his job well and letting the fans cheer or boo as they please. Triple H, however, he regards as a longtime veteran of the business and someone he has a lot of respect for.

text: The Triple H comments distract from the main question.

refinement: Reigns' relationship with fans is largely a mixture of love and hate. Some fans may not like his fashion, the sound of his voice, or something he may have done to offend them. Reigns has said that he can only focus on doing his job well and letting the fans cheer or boo as they please.

answer: Reigns has a love-hate relationship with fans. Some boo him out of dislike for certain aspects of his appearance or personality; others cheer for him as they appreciate the opportunities he has been given. Reigns himself has acknowledged the difficulty of managing fan reactions, but he remains focused on doing his job to the best of his ability.

answer: Love-Hate relationship.

text: "HIS LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH FANS" is evidence of the relationship he has with his fans.

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

Who is conducting the interview?

answer: The Kingston Whig-Standard

text: "recently spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard" is evidence that it is conducting the interview.

answer: The interview is conducted by The Kingston Whig-Standard with Roman Reigns.

text: "recently spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard" is evidence that it is conducting the interview.

answer: The Kingston Whig-Standard

text: "recently spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard" is evidence that it is conducting the interview.

answer: The Kingston Whig-Standard

text: "recently spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard" is evidence that it is conducting the interview.

answer: The interview was conducted by The Kingston Whig-Standard with Roman Reigns.

text: "recently spoke with The Kingston Whig-Standard" is evidence that it is conducting the interview.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Roman Reigns hadn't received any artistic or musical training. He'd been a football player, and it's been this part of his career that's been the foundation of his success as a main-event wrestler in the WWE. Roman Reigns has been working with Triple H, but he does note that Triple H has has an impact on the wrestling business for the past 10-15 years.

text: There's no evidence to suggest any of Roman Reigns' artistic/musical trainings.

refinement: Roman Reigns had been a football player, and it's been this part of his career that's been the foundation of his success as a main-event wrestler in the WWE. Roman Reigns has been working with Triple H, but he does note that Triple H has has an impact on the wrestling business for the past 10-15 years.

text: It misses to mention that Roman Reigns is being interviewed ahead of WWE's Wrestlemania 32 as #1 contender and facing Heavyweight champion Triple H.

refinement: In an interview with The Kingston Whig-Standard, Roman Reigns explains he had been a football player, and it's been this part of his career that's been the foundation of his success as a main-event wrestler in the WWE. Roman Reigns is #1 contender and facing heavyweight champion Triple H in WWE's Wrestlemania 32. He does note that Triple H has has an impact on the wrestling business for the past 10-15 years.

answer: Roman Reigns chats with the Whig Standard to promote WWE WrestleMania 32. He talks about his love-hate relationship with fans and his plans for the future. He also discusses his relationship with Triple H.

answer: Roman Reigns talked about his early success and the mixed reactions he receives from fans. He noted that he respects Triple H, saying he has achieved a great deal within the WWE for many years. Reigns also discussed preparing for his WrestleMania match against Triple H, and his love-hate relationship with fans.

text: It misses to mention that Reigns is being interviewed by The Kingston Whig-Standard

refinement: Roman Reigns talks to The Kingston Whig-Standard in an interview about his early success and the mixed reactions he receives from fans. He noted that he respects Triple H, saying he has achieved a great deal within the WWE for many years. Reigns also discussed preparing for his WrestleMania match against Triple H, and his love-hate relationship with fans.

answer: Roman Reigns spoke to The Kingston Whig-Standard about his upcoming second WWE Wrestlemania main event, fan reception, and facing Triple H at Wrestlemania 32. Reigns explained that his rivalry with fans is tough to understand, but he focuses on doing his job well. Reigns also praised Triple H as a hard-working competitor and says he looks forward to facing him at Wrestlemania.

answer:
The Kingston Whig-Standard interviews WWE's Roman Reigns ahead of his second Wrestlemania Main Event.
He describes what he has accomplished until now. He also describes his love-hate relationship with fans.

text: It misses to mention that Reigns is #1 contender against heavyweight champion Triple H.

refinement: The Kingston Whig-Standard interviews WWE's Roman Reigns ahead of his second Wrestlemania Main Event. He is the #1 contender facing the world heavyweight champion Triple H. He describes what he has accomplished until now. He also describes his love-hate relationship with fans.


text:
In little over 30 years the leading professional firms have grown from cottage industries to global, multimillion-pound businesses. What has driven this change? In this article I look back to chart the 6 ages of transformation.

AGE 1 – EXPANSION INTO NEW MARKETS

Market deregulation allowed growth and internationalism in a way that had not been possible before. The use of the Swiss Verein structure allowed more international collaborations and the arrival of the LLP in the early 2000s gave a further boost by allowing partners to control their exposure to risk to a greater degree.

As firms grew in size and developed more diverse services for their clients, they adopted governance structures with a stronger corporate flavour. This provided greater management oversight to ensure greater consistency and better financial management.

[]

Six Ages of Innovation

AGE 2 – SECTOR FOCUS

The next innovation wave was the development of the matrix structure that married together technical disciplines with a focus on industry sectors. This created a change in the way that professionals took their expertise to clients, including physically sitting together in sector groups.

AGE 3 – REDUCING COST OF SERVICE DELIVERY THROUGH ‘UN-BUNDLING’

The global financial crisis was the catalyst for more change. As clients became increasingly cost conscious, firms looked for ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Most tightened up on their project management and pricing. Others took more radical steps such as off-shoring routine work to low cost centres and utilising different types of resource such as freelancers and non-qualified staff.  They ‘un-bundled’ typical client processes such as an M&A deal to work out the best resourcing model for each component part. Although some firms feared these innovations would be seen as commoditizing the traditional work of professionals, they actually helped to deliver better outcomes for clients without damaging brand value.

AGE 4 – INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO SERVICE DELIVERY

The fourth wave of innovation occurred around the mid-2000s when technology became much better integrated into service delivery. Firms began to use technology to speed up and automate the sifting and management of large amount of documents and data. Electronic deal rooms and client portals are now the norm, and project management software gives clients greater visibility of the progress of work.

Another tipping point was reached in the early 2010s. Firms leading this wave of innovation realized that to maintain margins they had to devise ways of providing smarter, not just cheaper, solutions for their clients. We refer to this as ‘re-bundling’ because it involves combining different disciplines and business models into an integrated, holistic service. Examples of this wave of innovation include law firms offering consultancy advice, and management consultancy firms blending consultancy with data analytics and artificial intelligence.

AGE 6 – THE TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED PROFESSIONAL

We are now entering a new wave of innovation: the technology-supported professional. In this new age technology and innovation are bringing about fundamental changes in how professional work and the tasks they undertake. Technology will not just speed up work, but will mean professionals work in completely new ways.

Many professionals recognize that the market has changed. Altman Weil, a US-based consultancy, has undertaken research with managing partners at US law firms, asking whether various trends are temporary or permanent. 83% of the managing partners surveyed believed that competition from non-traditional providers is a permanent trend. Nearly three-quarters (73%) believe that the pace of change in the professions will increase (Altman Weil, 2016).

It seems clear that one result of this wave of innovation is a more complex professional services ecosystem. Different types of competitors have already emerged to challenge the dominance of incumbents. Professional services solutions are being delivered by technology businesses, publishers, start-ups, retailers and in-house departments at large corporates. Here are just three examples of successful disruptors from a variety of professional disciplines:

-   Narrative Science, founded in 2010, has an artificial intelligence system, Quill, that analyses raw data and generates reports in seconds. Its use of natural language processing produces outputs that readers would assume were written by a human author. This work would historically have been undertaken by consultancy firms.
-   Crunch, founded in 2008, provides self-service online accountancy services to SMEs for a much lower price than high street accountancy firms.
-   Eden McCullum, founded in 2000, works with experienced, freelance consultants to deliver high-end consulting engagements for its clients. Its delivery model draws in alumni from Bain, BCG and McKinsey to deliver premium quality work at a fraction of the cost of traditional competitors.

The disruptors are not simply reducing the cost of delivery, they are also delivering a simpler, more consistent client experience. Their impact should not be underestimated: they are both taking market share and recalibrating what clients come to expect for their professional advisers. As a leader your colleagues will look to you for leadership and direction on these difficult strategic issues: you need to understand how innovation will impact your firm, and how to tweak your strategy to grasp the innovation opportunities and avoid the threats.

_Ben Kent 2016_

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

Summarize everything relating to cost.

answer: As clients became increasingly cost conscious, firms looked for ways to reduce the cost of service delivery. This caused firms to seek out different and more cost-effective project management and pricing methods. Ways in which firms managed to reduce costs included off-shoring routine work, utilizing freelancers for certain tasks, and un-bundling typical client processes. Technology has also played a role in making cost reduction possible by speeding up work and enabling a simpler, more consistent client experience. Overall, firms have been proactive and innovative in making cost reduction a legitimate part of their strategy.

answer: Firms became cost conscious in the wake of the global financial crisis and turned toward cutting the cost of service delivery, tightening up project management and pricing, and off-shoring routine work to low cost centers. They also utilized resources like freelancers, non qualified staff, and they unbundled typical client processes. This reduction in cost turned out to be beneficial and didn't devalue the brand. Nowadays, certain firms are competition due to their reduced cost of delivery service and of self-service online accountancy.

text: Doesn't mention the leveraging of new technology.

refinement: Firms became cost conscious in the wake of the global financial crisis and turned toward cutting the cost of service delivery, tightening up project management and pricing, and off-shoring routine work to low cost centers. They also utilized resources like freelancers, non qualified staff, and they unbundled typical client processes. This reduction in cost turned out to be beneficial and didn't devalue the brand. Nowadays, certain firms are competition due to their reduced cost of delivery service and of self-service online accountancy. Furthermore, firms are leveraging technology to speed up work and branch into working in completely new ways.

answer: The global financial crisis caused firms to seek ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Some firms off-shored routine work to low-cost centres and utilized different types of resources to reduce cost of service delivery. Technology has allowed firms to automate and speed up the sorting and management of large amounts of documents and data. Irrespective of cost concerns, technology has also enabled new forms of competitors to emerge which challenge incumbents. These disruptors deliver a simpler, more consistent client experience at a fraction of the cost traditional competitors. Firms must understand how innovation will impact their business while staying cognizant of possible threats.

answer: The technological improvements in the late 2000s aimed to use technology more efficiently through algorithms to sort through the data. The development of this technology made being a firm cheaper. This is also confirmed when firms begin to make use of freelancers and non-qualified projects.

text: Doesn't mention cutting of cost of service delivery.

refinement: The technological improvements in the late 2000s aimed to use technology more efficiently through algorithms to sort through the data. The development of this technology made being a firm cheaper. This is also confirmed when firms begin to make use of freelancers and non-qualified projects. As clients became increasingly cost conscious, firms looked for ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Most tightened up on their project management pricing. Others took more radical steps such as off-shoring routine work to low cost centers and utilizing different types of resources such as freelancers and non-qualified staff. They 'un-bundled' typical client processes such as an M&A deal to work out the best resourcing model for each component part.

text: Incorrectly states they used non-qualified projects, should be staff.

refinement: The technological improvements in the late 2000s aimed to use technology more efficiently through algorithms to sort through the data. The development of this technology made being a firm cheaper. As clients became increasingly cost conscious, firms looked for ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Most tightened up on their project management pricing. Others took more radical steps such as off-shoring routine work to low cost centers and utilizing different types of resources such as freelancers and non-qualified staff. They 'un-bundled' typical client processes such as an M&A deal to work out the best resourcing model for each component part.

answer: As clients became increasingly cost conscious, firms looked for ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Issues included off-shoring routine work to low-cost centers and utilising non-qualified staff. Off-shoring did not commodify jobs because it answered a demand for getting simpler, more consistent results for clients at a low cost. Disparative disruptions were also important for driving clients’ costs down.

text: Doesn't mention the role of technology in bringing cost down.

refinement: As clients became increasingly cost conscious, firms looked for ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Issues included off-shoring routine work to low-cost centers and utilising non-qualified staff. Off-shoring did not commodify jobs because it answered a demand for getting simpler, more consistent results for clients at a low cost. Disparative disruptions were also important for driving clients’ costs down. The fourth wave of innovation occurred around the mid-2000s when technology became much better integrated into service delivery. Firms began to use technology to speed up and automate the sifting and management of large amount of documents and data. Electronic deal rooms and client portals are now the norm, and project management software gives clients greater visibility of the progress of work. Technology will not just speed up work, but will mean professionals work in completely new ways.

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

Summarize the advancements before the 2010s.

answer: The advancements before the 2010s consisted of the market deregulation allowing growth and internationalism, the Swiss Verein structure allowing more international collaborations, the arrival of the LLP allowing partners to control their exposure to risk to a greater degree, and larger firms forming governance structures with a stronger corporate flavour providing greater management oversight. There was also the development of the matrix structure which brought about the change in the way the professionals took their expertise to clients, including sitting together in industry groups.

text: Doesn't mention some of the steps firms took to lower cost or the role of technological advancements.

refinement: The advancements before the 2010s consisted of the market deregulation allowing growth and internationalism, the Swiss Verein structure allowing more international collaborations, the arrival of the LLP allowing partners to control their exposure to risk to a greater degree, and larger firms forming governance structures with a stronger corporate flavour providing greater management oversight. There was also the development of the matrix structure which brought about the change in the way the professionals took their expertise to clients, including sitting together in industry groups. The global financial crisis was also a catalyst for more change. Clients became increasingly cost conscious, so firms looked for ways to cut the cost of service delivery. Most tightened up on their project management and pricing. Others too more radical steps such as off-shoring routine work to low cost centers and utilizing different types of resources such as freelancers and non-qualified staff. They 'un-bundled' typical client processes. The fourth wave of innovation occurred around the mid 2000s when technology became much better at integrating service delivery. Firms used technology to speed up and automate the sifting and management of large amounts of documents and ata. Electronic deal rooms and client portals became the norm, and project management software gave clients greater visibility of the progress of work.

answer: Prior to 2010, new waves of innovation resulted in market deregulation, increased internationalism, strengthened corporate governance, increased sector focus and cost reduction through 'un-bundling'. Starting in the mid-2000s, technology became much better integrated into service delivery and firms began to integrate technology into service delivery. This led to successful disruptors that produce smarter, not just cheaper, solutions. Leading professionals recognize that the market has changed, and predict an increase in rate of change.

answer: In the early 2000s, the arrival of the LLP gave a boost alongside the Swiss Verein structure in allowing partners to control their exposure to risk to a greater degree. There was also a development of the matrix structure, which changed how professionals took their expertise to clients. The global financial crisis brought change in the form of cost consciousness. In the mid-2000s, technology began to be used in delivery service, management of large data, and with electronic client portals and deal rooms.

answer: The advancement of the professional services sector in the 2000s was driven by the greater integration of technology into service delivery, a focus on sector-specific service, reducing cost of service delivery, and integrating technology into work.

answer: Before the 2010s, changes were major such as developing sectors, a discount through off-shifting work to low-cost centers, the incorporation of technology, collapsing professional knowledge into varying professions, the blending of disciplines, etc. One dimensional talent and capability became the value in the industry. Innovation slowed, however, in the 2010s.

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

What does the text say about disruptors?

answer: Certain type of competitors to incumbents firms are known as disruptors, due to their new emergence that's challenged their dominance. They offer professional services solutions and can come in the form of technology businesses, publishers, start-ups, retailers and in-house departments at large corporates. Narrative Sciences, founded in 2010, offers an AI system that could take work from a consultancy firm. Crunch, founded in 2008, and Eden McCullum, founded in 2000, offer cheaper services with service as premium as their traditional competitors. Disruptors offer cheaper, simpler, and more consistent client experience that takes market share and recalibrates what clients come to expect from professional advisors.

answer: The fourth wave of innovation was the integration of technology into service delivery. Another "tipping point was reached" in the early 2010s, where firms realized to maintain margins, they had to devise ways to deliver smarter or just cheaper solution for their clients. The author says there is a new age of technology-supported professionals, who will work in completely new ways. Note that the article says 83% of managing partners think the competition will not be temporary. 73% believe the change will only happen faster. The author guesses these disruptions will lead to more complex professional services ecosystems. Examples of disruption are Narrative Science, Crunch, and Eden McCullum. These all disrupt traditional professions (accounting, law, consulting) by making it simpler, faster, and competitive.

answer: Data science start-up, Narrative Science, has a program called Quill, which creates artificial intelligence-powered data products. Incumbent players in the sector now have to contend with the new AI provider in the market because the AI company can produce outputs that seem like human-written prescriptions.

text: Doesn't elaborate on how the disruption is taking place.

refinement: As many professionals recognize, the market has changed. Altman Weil, a US based consultancy firm, has undertaken research and concluded that 83% of managing partners believe competition from non-traditional providers is a permanent trend. 73% believe the pace of change will increase. A result of the technological wave of innovation is a more complex professional services ecosystem. Data science start-up, Narrative Science, has a program called Quill, which creates artificial intelligence-powered data products. Incumbent players in the sector now have to contend with the new AI provider in the market because the AI company can produce outputs that seem like human-written prescriptions. Crunch provides self-service online accountancy services at a much lower price than high street accountancy firms. Eden McCullum works with experienced, freelance consultants to deliver high-end consulting engagements for its clients. Disruptors are not simply reducing cost of delivery, they are delivering simpler, more consistent client experiences. They are both taking market share and recalibrating what clients come to expect from their professional advisers.

answer: The text argues that disruptions in the professional services market are becoming increasingly common and significant. The disruptors deliver simpler, more consistent client experiences and threaten the dominance of incumbents. These entrepreneurs are delivering both cheaper and better service solutions, and it is imperative for leaders to anticipate and respond to these changes.

answer: The text indicates that disruption has been happening in the professional services space, with new types of competitors emerging to challenge the dominance of incumbents. These disruptors, whether they are technology businesses, start-ups, retailers, or in-house departments at large corporations, provide simplier, more consistent client experiences for a fraction of the cost of traditional competitors. The innovation in the space is changing the way professionals work and the tasks they undertake.


text:
You’d be lucky if you knew how to write with the thin air like magicians do with a smile. I know how that felt to be king for one day in the eyes of the ignorant and it was glorious and it was sad. I felt so lonely like a typewriter on ashes made from burning pages it had created all on its own. Do you think about that when you’re alone? I like to think that people see the world like I do, but I know there are none, at least that’s what I tell myself just to feel alright, because hope is the worst form of torture there is.

	I would always walk along the highways late at night with the sun still blazing in the back of my head. The neural synapses have been cut from my pathway since I met tongue to tongue with the beast of my own sanity. It ripped apart on the day I became that own monster inside myself, it ceased to exist as I became more corporal in my own head. Do you see me in the hallways and think, “he’s so sad, that little man of a boy?” Do you see the reasons my pupils turn to coal when I place the paper to miniscule little bursts of wet skin placed centimeters from teeth that could rip that same skin? I’m happy to be free of noise but the sound was a constant lullaby to the darkness in my fingers. They drew little lines all brazen and bolded in a pattern of chaos. I loved myself then, when I could feel the intelligence like a friend knocking on my senses. The feeling of deep connection to the earth was heavy in my ears. That’s who I am when no one is watching. I am that ghost on the side of a close to empty highway. Life’s ironies are most potent when no one’s around to witness.

	I loved myself then, and I loved myself when I was younger too, like a fresh winter sprout on the tip of a tornado. I saw the humble beginnings of a failing thing and unhinged it from its desperate purchase on the parched ground. I sometimes wonder if plants are silently screaming in the cells of their water veins. Did you become so full just to wilt? Your swollen vacuoles become the dirt you were born from. I am lost, I am lost, I am lost, I am lost. I am dead and gone and not coming back, dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone. How can you love yourself if you don’t recognize yourself inside your head? Are we dead, are we dead. Is life merely a suspended reality where we hate each other just to get rid of insecurities?

	 I am so guilty; I hated you all so much. I took that hate deep within me and I turned it into oil. It spurted from my mouth and got into all my muscles tensing them up. It made my face ugly with anger and pity. It made my eyes shine with the light of a false ideology. I am the author of cow sewn jacket full of fleas and chemicals. I am the beef within the external heart ripped by the hand of a brother who craved the feeling of organs and tissue in his head. It’s a chemical imbalance and it’s a way of living without guilt. I took the time to hug you when I was too tired to understand I needed comfort until it was too late. I laid within your warmth and I felt the lining of your smile on my skin where it touched my body. It was strange how I loved you in that moment and then grew steadily wearier the longer I let myself crave my own head over the world. I killed myself in the eve of that waking solitude.

	That’s what we are all wanting, we want to be known and recognized. That’s why we shy away from those who are different, that’s why we go so far as to hate those people to. To shun those people and tell them they are so very wrong. They must change and they are evil and freaks and ugly, ugly shame. Have you ever looked at a picture so long that it blurred inside itself and became so meaningless that nothing seemed real anymore? Have you ever seen something ugly and thought it was the most precious thing in the world? It represented the hurt and yourself and your mind and our life so well, that it became beautiful? Is that what this is? Have you ever looked at something that others found ugly and thought it was beautiful?
	I wound up lifting my hand to the sun when I walked outside for the first time in a week. I holed myself up just to fix my panic. My panic inside, was raging against the walls of my skin and I was shaking and stuttering. Please let me go home, please let me be alone. Please, please, please don’t stand with your skin on me. I fled, I fled, I fled away from you.

title: Synecdoche

question: Who did the narrator flee from?

answer: Unclear.

answer: The narrator fled from the sun.

answer: The narrator fled from other people.

answer: The narrator fled from people.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author is struggling with depression and anxiety, and has contemplated suicide. He feels alone and disconnected from the world, and sees beauty in things that others might find ugly.

answer: The narrator is a man who is struggling with his own sanity. He is also struggling with his own emotions and the emotions of others.

answer: The speaker is a man who is struggling with his mental health. He is lonely and feels like he is the only one who understands the world the way he does. He is also struggling with his identity and how he sees himself.

answer: The narrator thinks about life and their existence. They think about the fact that people want to be known and recognized which is why it is so easy to hate those who are different.


text:
The hikers had left a map of the area which gave us a vast layout of the land. It wasn't good. There were woods, woods, and  more woods. No place was safe, the dead had already begun to infest the forest as we knew, and hunting became harder and harder. The animals were nearly all gone and we were dangerously low on food, but no one wanted to get that conversation started. Our only option was to look for shelter in one of the surrounding towns. That's when I first heard Ryan's voice. I don't think he'd used it in about a month. He had to give it a couple of tries before the words came out smooth.
“My high-school's in the next town over, it's right at the edge of forest. There's a broken lock on a second story window, the chemistry lab. The cafeteria's full of cans and stuff.”
“There's probably people there already.” I said.
“Gotta try.” Spencer replied, “Ain't nuttin' else to do.”
	And again, he was right. The forest wasn't an option anymore and our food supply would only last another day or two. Soon, we would barely have the energy to stay awake much less trek through the woods hunting for squirrels. I'll skip the journey. It wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty.
	We got there two days after we started walking and had the last bit of rations about ten minutes before we saw the school. The possibility of food almost hurt- and I realized that the point I had made earlier was moot, even if there were people here, we were going to take whatever was inside, anything else would mean our deaths. Spencer and Ryan reached the clearing first. Emily and I fell behind when she had to stop to use the bathroom. I stood guard while the others walked on, I would have told Spencer he should stay with his girlfriend but I would rather have him as far from her as possible. When she came out she thanked me for staying with her, “...You took off your bow tie?” She asked. I had almost forgotten I was wearing a tuxedo. The white shirt had turned yellow and I’d long since ripped off the cummerbund. I took the tie out of my pocket, “I was going to throw it away but thought it might be useful some day. Don't know why I thought that.”
“You should keep it.”
“Why?”
“No reason, I just like it.” She said with a weak smile and walked ahead of me. I had never seen her smile before. It was nicest thing to happen in weeks.
	The school sat quiet. We stayed by the treeline for a few minutes before Spencer passed out the weapons. “Ryan'll go in through the broken window and open the back door for us, Emily, you can be the look out in case any wal-” Spencer stopped himself when he saw her. A girl of no more than sixteen, behind her another girl a couple of years younger. They were both in dirty white dresses, their eyes had sunk and they walked on slow frail legs. It took a minute of watching to see that they were not walkers but starving. The eldest girl bent down and picked up two pale yellow flowers from the ground. She put one behind her ear and the other in her sister's hair. They started to walk back, hand in hand but the youngest stopped- they stood for a moment and looked up a the sky. I looked at Spencer, at Emily, no one seemed quite sure of themselves anymore. The girls disappeared into the school.
	I gave Ryan a boost- he climbed the rest of the way up himself, he was gone a minute before the door clicked open. “See anything?” I asked him. He shook his head. We went in slow and quiet. We had learned the silent walk technique in the woods. Dry twigs were death traps. We were almost to the cafeteria when we heard the shots.
	All weapons went up- the gunfire came from the gymnasium Ryan told us. Five shots, four in quick succession and a space of about ten seconds until the last one. We had to move fast now, walkers would have heard the shots, we kept the doors unlocked behind us in case we had to run. And if there were walkers in the building- either way we had to know what happened. Ryan had to show Spencer the way and Emily was outside on watch. So I went to the gym alone, I was given five minutes before they would be out of there with or without me. I see it now like I saw it then.
	Walking into that gym, that was when I knew. The hope I had for a military rescue, that spark in the middle of your heart that tells you things will be okay eventually- that things are bad now but a day would come when everything would be like it was before, that was the moment my light went out. Five sisters had come to this school for safety. They'd made it as long as they could, they'd eaten all the food but the world outside hadn't changed. They had no one to take care of them. No parents, no policemen. All they had was a gun with five shots left inside. The younger ones had lines up, that ten seconds before the last shot- that was the oldest looking at her family and turning the gun on herself. I've thought about that day every day since. I've thought about running from the clearing and telling that sixteen year old that things would be okay- that she could come with us. And I've had dreams when she did, and Spencer was excepting and Emily was like a mother to the littlest of them. In my dreams we were all alive, we all belonged to the each other and when one of us was sick or hungry the others would take care of them. And those girls would play the games that children play.
	As I stood there and watched their blood spread out and pool together- I prayed for something to happen, anything that could change what I was feeling. I didn't care if it was a bomb going off or a military parade outside, I just needed to feel something other than that hopelessness. And then something did happen. The youngest of the girls stood up. Her sister had aimed for the heart. We thought only a bite could turn someone, but now I saw that that wasn't true. This wasn't an infection, this wasn't a disease. This was Hell, and it was coming for me in a white cotton dress and flowers in its hair.

title:
The Walking Dead: Winter Chronicles
Chapter Four: Five Sisters

question: Does the narrator have feelings for Emily?

answer: It is unclear from the passage whether the narrator has romantic feelings for Emily, however he is touched by her bravery and protective nature. He admires her for being caring and competent during difficult times.

answer: Unclear.

answer: Although the narrator never explicitly states that she has romantic feelings for Emily, it is heavily suggested throughout the passage. Supporting evidence includes her watching out for her whilst walking in the woods, her reaction to Emily's smile and the excitement she gets when she hears her voice. It seems that the feelings are also reciprocated as Emily thanks her when they find the school and the two walk together when the others go into the school gym.

question: Write a ~13 sentence summary.

answer:
The hikers are low on food and knowing nowhere is safe, the group decides to look for shelter in the town they can see from the edge of the woods. Ryan’s high-school is not far from the forest. He is familiar with the area and knows his school would have shelter- a chemistry lab on the second floor is filled with cans and other food. Hungry, they decide to take it.
That same day, they set off to try and reach the school. Emily falls behind due to needing to make a pit stop. Jason, the male narrator, offers to wait while she does her business. She smiles at him and this is the first time he has seen her smile.
They make it to the school, weapons up. Spencer says he will take a look through the broken window, but before he can, more shots are heard from the gym.
Entering the school the narrator sees five sisters shot dead by a gun. He watches in horror as one of them comes back to life. It is not the bite that turns a person into a zombie, it’s hell, he thinks. He just watched a family kill themselves. The youngest sister gets back on her feet; she’s not a zombie because she was shot in the heart. She is not undead like everyone else because she has not accepted her surroundings. She is hungry and wants his flesh. The narrator shoots her in the head.

He feels his hope for a military rescue is gone. The spark in his heart that tells him things will be okay one day is extinguished. Then these thoughts are replaced by the hope of a military rescue lifting again as the girl stands back up.

After he shoots her in the head again, the narrator realizes it’s hopeless.

text: The chemistry lab has a broken window lock they can use to enter, the food is in the cafeteria.

refinement:
The hikers are low on food and knowing nowhere is safe, the group decides to look for shelter in the town they can see from the edge of the woods. Ryan’s high-school is not far from the forest. He is familiar with the area and knows his school would have shelter- a chemistry lab on the second floor with a broken window lock to enter, the cafeteria is filled with cans and other food. Hungry, they decide to take it.
That same day, they set off to try and reach the school. Emily falls behind due to needing to make a pit stop. Jason, the male narrator, offers to wait while she does her business. She smiles at him and this is the first time he has seen her smile.
They make it to the school, weapons up. Spencer says he will take a look through the broken window, but before he can, more shots are heard from the gym.
Entering the school the narrator sees five sisters shot dead by a gun. He watches in horror as one of them comes back to life. It is not the bite that turns a person into a zombie, it’s hell, he thinks. He just watched a family kill themselves. The youngest sister gets back on her feet; she’s not a zombie because she was shot in the heart. She is not undead like everyone else because she has not accepted her surroundings. She is hungry and wants his flesh. The narrator shoots her in the head.

He feels his hope for a military rescue is gone. The spark in his heart that tells him things will be okay one day is extinguished. Then these thoughts are replaced by the hope of a military rescue lifting again as the girl stands back up.

After he shoots her in the head again, the narrator realizes it’s hopeless.

text: The excerpt says the little girl IS a walker, and it doesn't say anything about shooting her.

refinement:
The hikers are low on food and knowing nowhere is safe, the group decides to look for shelter in the town they can see from the edge of the woods. Ryan’s high-school is not far from the forest. He is familiar with the area and knows his school would have shelter- a chemistry lab on the second floor with a broken window lock to enter, the cafeteria is filled with cans and other food. Hungry, they decide to take it.
That same day, they set off to try and reach the school. Emily falls behind due to needing to make a pit stop. Jason, the male narrator, offers to wait while she does her business. She smiles at him and this is the first time he has seen her smile.
They make it to the school, weapons up. Spencer says he will take a look through the broken window, but before he can, more shots are heard from the gym.
Entering the school the narrator sees five sisters shot dead by a gun. He feels his hope for a military rescue is gone. The spark in his heart that tells him things will be okay one day is extinguished. He watches in horror as one of them comes back to life. It is not the bite that turns a person into a zombie, it’s hell, he thinks. He just watched a family kill themselves. The youngest sister gets back on her feet; she’s a zombie and she's coming for him.

answer:
The hikers have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

They try to head to their high-school which is in the next town. Spencer broaches the suggestion and he needs to give it two tries in order for the words come out smooth. Just like Spencer, they agree it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily says he kept his bow tie. He’s used to it by now.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. Ryan goes to open the door. He opens the door after picking the lock and goes to the cafeteria.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily outside to the gym. He protects her and waits for the chance to go to protect her.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: They're not leisurely hikers, they're survivors.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

They try to head to their high-school which is in the next town. Spencer broaches the suggestion and he needs to give it two tries in order for the words come out smooth. Just like Spencer, they agree it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily says he kept his bow tie. He’s used to it by now.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. Ryan goes to open the door. He opens the door after picking the lock and goes to the cafeteria.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily outside to the gym. He protects her and waits for the chance to go to protect her.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: Spencer originates the idea, no one else went to that high school or thought of it.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

Spencer broaches the suggestion of going to his old high school, but he stutters. Everyone agrees it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily says he kept his bow tie. He’s used to it by now.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. Ryan goes to open the door. He opens the door after picking the lock and goes to the cafeteria.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily outside to the gym. He protects her and waits for the chance to go to protect her.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: Emily asks the protagonist where his bow tie is, she's used to it and thinks he should keep it. She smiles at him.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

Spencer broaches the suggestion of going to his old high school, but he stutters. Everyone agrees it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily asks the protagonist where his bow tie is. She’s used to it and thinks he should keep it. She smiles at him.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. Ryan goes to open the door. He opens the door after picking the lock and goes to the cafeteria.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily outside to the gym. He protects her and waits for the chance to go to protect her.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: Ryan doesn't pick the lock, he gets inside through a window with a broken lock on the second floor into the chemistry lab.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

Spencer broaches the suggestion of going to his old high school, but he stutters. Everyone agrees it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily asks the protagonist where his bow tie is. She’s used to it and thinks he should keep it. She smiles at him.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. Ryan is boosted up to the window and it's only a second before he opens the door.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily outside to the gym. He protects her and waits for the chance to go to protect her.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: They see two emaciated girls outside the school go in.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

Spencer broaches the suggestion of going to his old high school, but he stutters. Everyone agrees it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily asks the protagonist where his bow tie is. She’s used to it and thinks he should keep it. She smiles at him.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. They see two emaciated girls outside the school go in. Ryan is boosted up to the window and it's only a second before he opens the door.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily outside to the gym. He protects her and waits for the chance to go to protect her.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: Ryan leads Spencer and Emily is outside, the protagonist goes on to the gym alone.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

Spencer broaches the suggestion of going to his old high school, but he stutters. Everyone agrees it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily asks the protagonist where his bow tie is. She’s used to it and thinks he should keep it. She smiles at him.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. They see two emaciated girls outside the school go in. Ryan is boosted up to the window and it's only a second before he opens the door.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily was outside, so the protagonist heads on to the gym alone.

He sees a bunch of walkers killed by the people in the school. The victims were their sisters. He tries to think of a time in his life when he was more hopeless than he was then.

text: He sees that the family of the two girls have shot themselves. However, the little girl gets up, she's a walker, and she's after the protagonist's flesh.

refinement:
The survivors have drawn a map of the area which has a vast layout of the land. So, there are woods, more woods, and nothing is safe. Hunting has become a hard job for everyone. Everyone is dangerously low on food so they need to plan on going to the next town.

Spencer broaches the suggestion of going to his old high school, but he stutters. Everyone agrees it is their only option.

Spencer offers a phrase of encouragement, saying they can’t stay in the forest anymore. They run into Emily and Ryan. Emily asks the protagonist where his bow tie is. She’s used to it and thinks he should keep it. She smiles at him.

Spencer, Ryan and Dale reach the school. They linger there for a little before approaching. They see two emaciated girls outside the school go in. Ryan is boosted up to the window and it's only a second before he opens the door.

A minute later, he signals everyone that it’s safe. They go in quietly.

The school’s been quiet. Ryan peers through the window to check. Nothing. Ignorance is bliss.

They’re almost to the cafeteria when Ryan hears shots. The three move quickly.

Ryan leads Spencer and Emily was outside, so the protagonist heads on to the gym alone.

He sees that the family of the two girls have shot themselves. However, the dead little girl gets up, she's a walker, and she's after the protagonist's flesh.

answer: The hard walkers are running out of food, some of their shotguns are empty. They hear about a high school that might be full of supplies. They make their way to a high school that Ryan suggests might be only waiting them. As they continue, Emily whines that they should have eaten before setting out. Ryan gets to the window and tells the others to wait before entering the school. Inside, they find some girls. Spencer and Emily are taken back by how starved they were, they looked like walkers. They give a few minutes to Jill, Ryan, and Spencer to look around the facilities, as the zombies do not want food, only flesh. Spencer and Ryan were not expecting to find zombies that looked like harmless children. The big sister shoots herself with her last bullet leaving her last two sisters alive.

text: They're not walkers, walkers are zombies; they're survivors.

refinement: The survivors are running out of food, some of their shotguns are empty. They hear about a high school that might be full of supplies. They make their way to a high school that Ryan suggests might be only waiting them. As they continue, Emily whines that they should have eaten before setting out. Ryan gets to the window and tells the others to wait before entering the school. Inside, they find some girls. Spencer and Emily are taken back by how starved they were, they looked like walkers. They give a few minutes to Jill, Ryan, and Spencer to look around the facilities, as the zombies do not want food, only flesh. Spencer and Ryan were not expecting to find zombies that looked like harmless children. The big sister shoots herself with her last bullet leaving her last two sisters alive.

text: The eldest kills her sisters before turning the gun on herself. The little one rises from the dead, a walker, and is after the protagonist's flesh.

refinement: The survivors are running out of food, some of their shotguns are empty. They hear about a high school that might be full of supplies. They make their way to a high school that Ryan suggests might be only waiting them. As they continue, Emily whines that they should have eaten before setting out. Ryan gets to the window and tells the others to wait before entering the school. Inside, they find some girls. Spencer and Emily are taken back by how starved they were, they looked like walkers. They give a few minutes to Jill, Ryan, and Spencer to look around the facilities, as the zombies do not want food, only flesh. Spencer and Ryan were not expecting to find zombies that looked like harmless children. The eldest kills her sisters before turning the gun on herself. The little one rises from the dead, a walker, and is after the protagonist's flesh.

answer: The narrator and a group of survivors know they must leave the forest as they have all but run out of food and supplies. Ryan suggests his old high school and the others agree since they don't have any other options. When they see a 16 year old girl and a younger girl outside. They weren't walkers, just starving. The group doesn't approach them. The oldest girl picks up flowers to put in her and the younger girl's hair. When they go back inside the school the group begins their mission to get inside. As Ryan gets inside they all hear gunfire, 5 shots. The narrator makes his way to the gym where the shots were heard. Inside he is devastated to see five girls dead, the two they had seen outside included. The girls had finished all the supplies and death seemed like to only viable option. The narrator has immense regret over not calling out to the girls they'd seen pick flowers. As he stands there praying that something changes the young girl they'd seen outside starts to get up- she's now a walker and heads straight for the narrator.

answer:
At the end of the war against the dead, the narrator joins a band of survivors on a long journey back to civilization. One of the survivors, Spencer, proposes that the group tries to find a school they passed once before. It supposedly has a cafeteria stocked with at least some food and most importantly, would have some supplies useful to them.

The narrator, Spencer, and Ryan sneak into the school quietly and find it's occupied by five girls who starved to death hiding together. The eldest shoots her siblings and commits suicide. The narrator later learns that in a world where this kind of hunger and death is commonplace, you stay alive by staying numb to that reality.

text: The little girl rises from the dead a walker and is after the protagonist's flesh.

refinement:
At the end of the war against the dead, the narrator joins a band of survivors on a long journey back to civilization. One of the survivors, Spencer, proposes that the group tries to find a school they passed once before. It supposedly has a cafeteria stocked with at least some food and most importantly, would have some supplies useful to them.

The narrator, Spencer, and Ryan sneak into the school quietly and find it's occupied by five girls who starved to death hiding together. The eldest shoots her siblings and commits suicide. The little girl rises from the dead a walker and begins to come after the protagonist's flesh. The narrator later learns that in a world where this kind of hunger and death is commonplace, you stay alive by staying numb to that reality.

answer: The story is about our protagonist, who was on a hiking group with four other survivors in a zombie-infested forest. The group was trying to find shelter from the dead in the nearby town. The town they decided to head to was where Ryan's high school was located. Ryan still had an idea of what the town was like at that time; he knew that there would be survivors and shelter there. As usual a journey was not easy and this journey was more difficult than any that the narrator faced. The narrator and Emily tended to become slower than the others because Emily has to stop to pee - so the two were separated from the group. Ryan and Emily spotted three girls foraging for food; it soon became clear that one of the girls was trying to commit suicide. The narrator took a look around the school and on being back, discovered that Ryan and Emily had tried to warn the three survivors about the suicide but the two were gone - a blood splatter on the wardrobes indicated that one of them took her life and shot the other three who had peered out. The youngest, though appeared to be very hungry and was about to eat

text: The protagonist is in a group of survivors, not hikers.

refinement: The story is about our protagonist, who was in a group of survivors in a zombie-infested forest. The group was trying to find shelter from the dead in the nearby town. The town they decided to head to was where Ryan's high school was located. Ryan still had an idea of what the town was like at that time; he knew that there would be survivors and shelter there. As usual a journey was not easy and this journey was more difficult than any that the narrator faced. The narrator and Emily tended to become slower than the others because Emily has to stop to pee - so the two were separated from the group. Ryan and Emily spotted three girls foraging for food; it soon became clear that one of the girls was trying to commit suicide. The narrator took a look around the school and on being back, discovered that Ryan and Emily had tried to warn the three survivors about the suicide but the two were gone - a blood splatter on the wardrobes indicated that one of them took her life and shot the other three who had peered out. The youngest, though appeared to be very hungry and was about to eat

text: The story says nothing about Emily having to pee, the whole group saw the TWO girls, they weren't obviously suicidal.

refinement: The story is about our protagonist, who was in a group of survivors in a zombie-infested forest. The group was trying to find shelter from the dead in the nearby town. The town they decided to head to was where Ryan's high school was located. Ryan still had an idea of what the town was like at that time; he knew that there would be survivors and shelter there. As usual a journey was not easy and this journey was more difficult than any that the narrator faced. Upon arriving at the school, the group surveils outside. When they were about to send Ryan in to open the door, they spotted two girls foraging for food; they picked flowers to put in their hair and headed back inside the school. The narrator took a look around the school and on being back, discovered that Ryan and Emily had tried to warn the three survivors about the suicide but the two were gone - a blood splatter on the wardrobes indicated that one of them took her life and shot the other three who had peered out. The youngest, though appeared to be very hungry and was about to eat

text: The narrator didn't take a look around alone, Ryan and Emily did not try to warn the survivors, no blood splatter indicated anything. The youngest was hungry because she was now a zombie back from the dead.

refinement: The story is about our protagonist, who was in a group of survivors in a zombie-infested forest. The group was trying to find shelter from the dead in the nearby town. The town they decided to head to was where Ryan's high school was located. Ryan still had an idea of what the town was like at that time; he knew that there would be survivors and shelter there. As usual a journey was not easy and this journey was more difficult than any that the narrator faced. Upon arriving at the school, the group surveils outside. When they were about to send Ryan in to open the door, they spotted two girls foraging for food; they picked flowers to put in their hair and headed back inside the school. The narrator went into the school with the others, walking carefully and quietly. They were almost at the cafeteria when they heard gunshots. Ryan indicated it was in the direction of the gymnasium so they hurried toward it. Upon entering they saw that the two girls had been shot by the eldest sister, who then turned the gun on herself. The youngest sister rose from the dead a zombie and began to come after the protagonist's flesh.