text:
For school we have to write a short story. I started writing but now I don't know what direction to take it in! Any ideas would be great!

The men gathered around the table were yelling at each other. They all dressed in the finest suits and each had an air of self-entitlement. The room was barren except for a large oak wood table the stood elegantly in the center. Chairs circled the table and a few had been knocked over when the men had stood up to yell. The room was well lit with a large window that nearly took up an entire wall. The large window provided the room with natural light so there were no lights in the room. There were three doors in the room, two of them led to a different tower of the hotel. The third was a large decorative door with intricate gold plated designs carved in the door. This conference room was on the last floor of the hotel before the hotel split into two different towers. The hotel itself was a large hotel in Chicago, one of the best. Known for its extreme luxury and quality service, many major corporations and business meetings of the extremely wealthy were held here because of its top-notch service. The room was painted a light yellow with a mirror that hung over a fireplace. There were old paintings from the 1600’s that covered the walls and gave the room an elegant museum-like feel.
	The men were in the middle of yelling when the large door swung open and the room went quite. The men who weren’t already standing quickly stood up a man walked slowly towards the head of the table. The man stood at the head of the table, looking around the room at who was presented before him.
“Take a seat.” The man said and the men in front of him quickly sat down again. “I would like to introduce myself. My name is Anthony Kane.”
	The alarm went off on the clock and the rooms lights dimmed on. Stephen sat up and turned off his alarm clock. He sat upright on his bed for a minute with his hair disheveled before he swung his legs out from under the comforters and put his feet in his slippers. His apartment was in downtown Chicago on the top floor penthouse. His blinds opened automatically every morning to wake him up. His room was very spacious and modernly designed with grey walls and white carpet. On the wall opposite his bed there was a walk in closet that he used to keep his expensive suits. As he stood up and walked out of the room, he picked up the robe that was lying on the armchair by the door. He walked down the corridor into the kitchen. He cooked and left food for his wife and kids to have when they woke up.
Stephen’s phone rang as he took the elevator down. He didn’t recognize the number and when he picked up, he didn’t recognize the voice. The caller told him to go to a very important meeting that was taking place at one of the nicest hotels in the area. The caller assured him that it was just a regular business meeting. The caller then told Stephen a serious of numbers that he scribbled on a post it. He was confused on what the meeting was about and when he asked any of his coworkers at the firm he worked at what the meeting was, none of them knew.
	Stephen showed at the hotel at exactly 2 pm just like that caller had said. He went to the front desk and told the receptionist the series of numbers.
“Follow me,” the receptionist walked around the counter and went to the elevator. They took the elevator up to the 5th floor. “This is as far as I can go. Go down the hall, take a right and go into the room at the end.” The receptionist closed the elevator door and left him alone in the corridor.
	In the room, people were already seated around the large table and were quiet. As he picked the only empty seat in the room, he realized he didn’t recognize a single person in the room. The people in the room were all men with really expensive, luxurious suits. Everyone in the room looked extremely wealthy. They sat quietly and after a few minutes of silence people started to talk and soon people were arguing about baseball. They argued and stood up and yelled at each other. The yelling ceased when the large doors swung open. A man walked in slowly and stood at the head of the table. He looked around the room at all the faces and people. The man wore a black suit with a gold tie. He had numerous large, extravagant rings on his fingers.
“I would like to introduce myself. My name is Anthony Kane.” He spoke softly yet powerfully.

title: Help me with this short story!

question: Who is the figure who silences the meeting?

answer: Anthony Kane is the figure who silences the meeting.

critique: The answer should be a complete sentence.

critique: "Anthony Kane is the figure who silences the meeting." - Anthony Kane is not a figure of authority. He's just a businessman who happens to own the hotel where the meeting is being held. The figure who silences the meeting is the receptionist.

critique: The answer should clarify that Kane is the one who silences the meeting.

critique: I added "introduces himself" to the answer.

critique: The answer should include the fact that Anthony Kane is the man who silences the meeting.

critique: The answer could be phrased as a complete sentence.

question: What are the people arguing about before Anthony Kane enters?

answer: Stephen comes to the meeting place at 12 P.M and after waiting for a long time, leaves. He gets a call from an unknown number directing him to the work place. It seems the person did not give him the correct directions to the place as he was sitting there for some time not knowing what to do. When the time mentioned in the person's call comes, he leaves after not seeing anyone. However, he goes to a place nearby where some business owners are having a look at baseball players and their squads. He does not know it but the place has nothing to do with the conference hall. There is an addition argument before the meeting was called, this time there was an introduction to the guy who forms the kicker to the issue - Anthony Kane.

critique: The story does not mention that Stephen comes to the meeting place at 12 P.M and after waiting for a long time, leaves. He gets a call from an unknown number directing him to the work place. It seems the person did not give him the correct directions to the place as he was sitting there for some time not knowing what to do. When the time mentioned in the person's call comes, he leaves after not seeing anyone. However, he goes to a place nearby where some business owners are having a look at baseball players and their squads. He does not know it but the place has nothing to do with the conference hall. There is an addition argument before the meeting was called, this time there was an introduction to the guy who forms the kicker to the issue - Anthony Kane.

text: The answer is wrong in almost all possible ways.

question: Who is the protagonist of this story?

answer: Stephen, a man who works at a firm in Chicago.

critique: This confuses the protagonist of the story with another not quite clear roleplayer. Stephen is only a co-protagonist at best, as he does little beyond getting there.

critique: Stephen is a character in the story, not the protagonist.


split: test

text:
I turned my palms so that they were face down. I was wrapped from the waist down in the white sheets of a bed. I felt like a twig. I looked at the smiling doc. My vision was surprisingly clear. Beyond the doc, the room boasted blue curtains, white walls and bright lights - as one should expect, I assume at least, from a hospital room.

The doc sported black hair, two lovely pearly earrings and a pair of eyes. I smiled back. I was definitely on something. I can’t tell what, but my mouth crinkles seemed to buzz as muscles contracted. It was a weird feeling. My mind wondered easily. Almost as easily as my eyes. I remember looking at the wall clock and following the ticking motion of the hands. At the time, they had a nice movement to them. I likened that motion to the sway of smoke or the flapping of a flame.

I was told by the lovely doc to embrace my new heart in a language comprised of factoids and the occasional medical vignette.

“It’s a technologically sound device and very new indeed”.

“135 beats per minute and far more efficient than the real thing. Breath taking, really”.

After the doc’s description about how terrific my new heart is, I had a little coughing fit. I can only put the cough down to the dustiness of the room’s air. The odd thing was that my heart rate stayed exactly the same. Now, not having experienced this before, I must say it is a feeling of peculiarity. It was at this moment that I realised my case was quite luxurious. I would never have to worry again about becoming light headed from lying down too long and nor would I have to worry about attending anymore of Minnie’s god awful Pilates classes. A minor miracle.

I remember having a little lapse form my bliss. How would Minnie respond? And the kids? Joseph had only just managed to graduate and, well, Kayla’s kids now have to deal with an even less capable Gramps. Fantastic. Thinking about all this was all fine and dandy, but I soon realised that the most pressing issue was to work out how I was going to navigate Minnie’s “I told you so” moment.

“Listen to me, you’re too old for this”.

“40 years. It’s going to kill you”.

Minnie’s concerns are always the same. I never take them to heart. I know she means well. But, my god, that woman can complain and she now had a fair point. I looked back at the doctor still mumbling away. I concluded apologising was the best bet. I needed to play the victim card to my advantage. Minnie isn’t that heartless. She’s come around.

I tuned back to the doc. I was told that there are two battery packs built into my chest. All externally rechargeable, of course. When one pack dies out, the second pack kicks in and it becomes paramount that the previous one is recharged. If I fail this procedure, I die; with both battery packs empty there is simply nothing to power the circulation of my blood, to transport my oxygen and to keep me alive.

The doctor smiled again. I must say, by now, I remember beginning to feel a little restless. I was starting to come around. My eyes darted down towards the doctor’s blouse, to the chest pocket of her white coat and then to the little white pen that popped out.

It was then that I realised I now had no heart and all I really wanted was a cigarette.

title: Heart.

question: Explain what the narrator is and has become.

answer: The narrator has removed his heart, and has acquired a technological upgrade to what he was born with. He can no longer be sedentary and will avoid Minnie's gym classes. He can also afford to behave in a sassy manner come what may. Assuming the tech are external batteries, he apparently can be running for some time with minimal supervision. A doctor was interested in his condition and suggested several things he could do to extend his lifespan. He will gladly smoke more, woohoo!

critique: There is no information to suggest that the narrator has removed his own heart.

critique: The narrator has not removed his heart. He has received a new one.

critique: It is not stated that the narrator has removed his heart.

critique: The narrator did not remove his heart. He received a new one.

critique: It is incorrectly stated that the narrator has removed his heart.

critique: The answer states that the machine has "an external batteries" but the story does not suggest this.

critique: The narrator does not have external batteries.

critique: The answer is very inaccurate, and needs to be rewritten.

critique: Damage to the original heart is not mentioned.

critique: The last sentence is a bit out of context and should be omitted.

critique: The narrator hasn't removed his heart; he has received a new one.

critique: The second to last sentence is a bit misleading. The doctor wants him to be careful about smoking.

question: Summarize the plot twist.

answer: The plot twist happens when the narrator realizes that they don't have a heart. This is due to the fact that they are a cyborg as a result of getting a heart from a technological means.

critique: They don't get a cyborg heart, they get an artificial one.

critique: The "plot twist" is that the narrator is in a hospital recovering from heart surgery.

critique: The narrator doesn't realize they don't have a heart because they are a cyborg.

critique: "The plot twist happens when the narrator realizes that they don't have a heart. This is due to the fact that they are a cyborg as a result of getting a heart from a technological means." - this is inaccurate. The narrator is human and didn't have a heart because they have a new one. This is a point of confusion in the story.

critique: "The plot twist happens when the narrator realizes that they don't have a heart." - this is incorrect. The narrator isn't a cyborg. They have a new heart. They just want a cigarette.

critique: There is no evidence that the narrator is a cyborg.

critique: "This is due to the fact that they are a cyborg as a result of getting a heart from a technological means." - this is incorrect. The narrator is not a cyborg. He is a human who has received a new heart.

critique: It is not mentioned that the narrator is a cyborg, or that he got a heart from a technological means.

critique: There is no indication that the narrator is a cyborg.

critique: This summary misses the point and should be more in tune with the text.

question: Summarize the narrator's relationship with Minnie.

answer: We do not learn about their relationship with Minnie.

critique: It is stated that Minnie is the narrator's wife, and the narrator is upset that she will have to deal with Minnie's complaints that he is too old for the new heart.

critique: A relationship can be implied between Minnie and the narrator

critique: The narrator does have a relationship with Minnie.

critique: We do learn about the narrator's relationship with Minnie.

critique: The relationship is described in the passage.

critique: The narrator says that Minnie is a friend of his

critique: The question is about the narrator's relationship with Minnie, not the reader's relationship with Minnie.

critique: This is false. The narrator is in a relationship with Minnie.

critique: It is suggested that they have a good relationship, not a great relationship.

critique: The answer is not accurate. The narrator is grateful for Minnie's concern, but also thinks she is going to be a pain about it.

critique: It is stated that Minnie is the narrator's wife.

question: Summarize the plus side of the narrator's situation, and the negative side.

answer: The positive side is that he's got a great new heart that's not only survived 40 and counting, but is technologically "sound" to the extent no problems are expected. On the other hand, he's now so old his wife barely recognizes him, and will have to start attending her recently-purchased Pilates classes.

critique: Minnie's age isn't mentioned in the story.

critique: It is omitted that his wife is angry at him for getting a new heart.

critique: The narrator's age/age problem was irrelevant and did not have to be included in the response.

critique: "40 and counting" is a complete sentence that needs to be a fragment.

critique: The fact that he's so old that his wife is upset that he has to attend her recently-purchased Pilates classes is completely unnecessary to the story and it would be better to simply not mention it at all.

critique: "He's now so old his wife barely recognizes him, and will have to start attending her recently-purchased Pilates classes." - this is incorrect. The narrator is worried about how his wife will respond to his new heart. He's not worried about attending Pilates classes.

critique: The answer omits that the narrator was told that there are two battery packs built into his chest to help power his circulation.

critique: "On the other hand, he's now so old his wife barely recognizes him, and will have to start attending her recently-purchased Pilates classes." - this was never mentioned in the story.

critique: "and counting" - missing a "the" before "and".

critique: Has his heart replace his physical heart - write it clearly.

critique: "and will have to start attending her recently-purchased Pilates classes." - this part is not in the story.


text:
GIOVANNI BATTISTA SALUCCI (born 1 July 1769 in Florence; died 18 July 1845 in Florence) was an Italian architect.

Life and work

In 1783 Giovanni Salucci began studying architecture at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. He received his first commissions during study trips to Rome and the Veneto.

In 1797, during a stay in Bologna, he moved in political circles close to the ideas of the French Revolution. Salucci thereby aroused the mistrust of the government of the Habsburg Grand Duchy of Tuscany and was sentenced to death in absentia in 1798. Thereupon he joined the French Italian Army.

In 1801 he was employed as topographer for the Cisalpine Republic, a daughter republic under Napoleon in northern Italy, and in 1802 he worked on the fortifications of Alessandria, Mantua, and Verona.

Afterwards he took part in the French invasion of Russia. He survived and managed to escape to Danzig. After the Battle of Waterloo he fell into English captivity, from which he was released in 1816.

After his release, he initially worked for the Geneva banker Jean Gabriel Eynard, from whom he received a recommendation for King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. The latter appointed him court architect in 1818.

In Württemberg, the Royal Pavilion in Weil near Esslingen was initially built in collaboration with the Queen Catherine of Württemberg, who was a passionate lover of architecture. In 1819, after her death, he built her Württemberg Mausoleum. From 1823 to 1829 the Schloss Rosenstein was built according to the plans of Salucci. Other buildings designed by him are the Wilhelmspalais and the Alte Reithalle (royal riding hall), both in Stuttgart.

Since the planned costs for the Royal Pavilion in Weil were exceeded, he soon had to have everything approved by the Building and Garden Directorate. In 1828, after a dispute with a superior, he applied for his dismissal. Four days later, however, he asked to be reinstated. In 1839 dry rot was discovered in Rosenstein Castle, for which Salucci was made responsible; this led to his final dismissal.

In 1840 Salucci returned to Florence almost penniless. He died there in 1845 and was buried in the cloister of the St Mark’s, Florence.

Gallery

File:Esslingen am Neckar Weil Koeniglicher Pavillon.jpg|Royal pavilion in Esslingen-Weil File:S-wilhelmspalais.jpg|Wilhelmspalais at Charlottenplatz in Stuttgart File:Schloss Rosenstein südwestliche Hauptfassade.jpg|Castle Rosenstein in Stuttgart File:Grabkapelle Württemberg Eingang (2009).jpg|Württemberg Mausoleum in Stuttgart

Works in Public Collections

-   Salucci's estate, consisting of 142 drafts of buildings, is located in the Stuttgart University Library (Inv. No. Salu001-Salu142) and in the Digital Collections of the Stuttgart University Library.
-   Photographic collection “Giovanni Salucci's classicist buildings in Württemberg” by Rotraud Harling in the Map and Plan Collection of the Stuttgart University Library: Map and Plan Collection.

Literature

-   Georg Leisten: _Das zeitlos Schöne überlebt. Ausstellung: Die Stuttgarter Fotografin Rotraud Harling huldigt dem Werk des Architekten Giovanni Salucci._ In: _Stuttgarter Zeitung_ Nr. 289, 13. December 2013, page 29.
-   Giuseppe Ponsi: _Memorie della vita e delle opere di Giovanni Salucci Fiorentino / Erinnerungen, Leben und Werk des Giovanni Salucci Fiorentino._ Florence 1850.
-   Giuseppe Ponsi; Bruno Zoratto (editor): _Giovanni Salucci in den Beschreibungen eines Freundes / Giovanni Salucci nelle descrizioni di un amico._ Stuttgart 1998. Reprint of Ponsi 1850.

title: Giovanni Salucci

question: Why was Salucci often persecuted in his life?

answer: He was politically active and was sentenced to death in absentia in 1798. He joined the French Italian Army, and was later employed as a topographer for the Cisalpine Republic. He took part in the French invasion of Russia and was made responsible for the dry rot found in Rosenstein Castle.

critique: The response does not answer the question.

critique: Does not mention that he also worked for King Wilhelm I of Wurttemberg.

critique: The response does not mention that he was persecuted for his political beliefs.

critique: The response does not mention that he was persecuted for his political activity.

critique: The question is not asking for the reasons why he was persecuted, but why he was often persecuted.

critique: It's omitted that he was persecuted for his political activity.

critique: The response is missing the part about Salucci's political activity.

text: The answer omits Salucci's imprisonment at Waterloo while he was serving in the French army.

category: coverage

question: What were Salucci's twenty years as court architect of Wurttemberg like?

answer: He was initially seen as the Queen's favorite due to his architectural talent. He was seen as a competent architect, but not necessarily as the best in Italy. Soon he was accused of exceeding his budget and having a falling out with his superiors. This led to his demotion, but not before he asked to be reinstated and was granted his request. Soon they found dry rot in his work, and Salucci was blamed and fired. The Queen died soon after, and he soon left the castle, returning to Florence penniless.

critique: The response contains inaccurate information.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions Salucci was fired. He was dismissed.

critique: None of this is elucidated in the passage.

text: Every claim in the answer is wrong except for Salucci being blamed for a dry rot infestation.

category: accuracy


text:
Science

Black Dog Syndrome

Why do people discriminate against dark pets?

[cute black dog.]

Would you adopt this dog?
Photo by Stockfotografie/Shutterstock

Just when you were hoping there were no new ways to be racist, it turns out people may be racist against dogs. Black Dog Syndrome is the name shelter workers have given to the tendency of dark-furred pups to languish in kennels while their lighter-furred brethren get adopted. “The effect is very real,” says Mirah Horowitz, executive director and founder of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. “We recently had a litter of five very cute, very fluffy puppies, two yellow and three black. And the yellow ones all went immediately, but for the black ones it took weeks.”

Black dogs get euthanized at higher rates. They linger at pounds and adoption agencies for longer than light-colored dogs, and they are less likely to find a home. Marika Bell, director of behavior and rehoming for the Humane Society of Washington, D.C., says the organization has been tracking animals that have stayed at their shelters the longest since March 2013. They found that three characteristics put a pet at risk of becoming one of these so-called “hidden gems”: medium size, an age of 2-3 years, and an ebony coat.

What kind of nefarious psychological quirk would prevent someone from adopting a dog based on fur color?

Animal welfare experts believe the discrimination arises from a pack of factors. The mythology around black dogs is grim. (The Grim, from _Harry Potter_, is a “large, black, spectral dog that haunts churchyards” and augurs death.) A 2013 study by Penn State psychologists revealed that people find images of black dogs scarier than photos of yellow or brown dogs—respondents rated the dark-furred animals less adoptable, less friendly, and more intimidating. And while the association between obsidian and evil is more explicit for cats, dogs have to contend with a culture, post-Samuel Johnson and Winston Churchill, that symbolizes depression as a coal-colored hound.

It’s not all superstition, though. With the ascent of image-based sites like Petfinder and Petango, much of the adoption process takes place before you even arrive at the shelter. And glamour shots of black animals are harder to imbue with the requisite sparkle. “Their faces look less expressive, and their eyes get lost,” says Fred Levy, a photographer whose Black Dog Projectattempts to give jet-hued canines the star treatment they deserve. (Photography lighting problems can also drive fashion glossies to subtle racism.) Because of the way the camera averages out exposure levels over the entire scene, Levy explains, “often all you’ll see of the dog is a black silhouette and a big tongue.” He solves the problem by arranging his models against a charcoal background. And Horowitz has found that videos work better than photographs at capturing a dog’s lovable personality. But for adoption programs without video equipment or access to professional photographers, shots of black animals remain harder to sell than those of lighter-colored pets.

The drama of the black dog doesn’t get much easier once you arrive at the shelter. While bright white and yellow pooches catch people’s eye, Horowitz tells me, darker-haired pups tend to get lost in a crate’s shadows. (For this reason, some rescue organizations now train inky dogs to sit in front of their kennels during visiting hours.) And though black may not actually be the most common canine color, says Bell, it is sometimes perceived as such, which means prospective owners looking to stand out from the crowd will sometimes DQ a black dog.

Bell has her own pet theory: “I think it comes down to facial expressions,” she tells me. “People attach to dogs when they can read their facial expressions, and on black dogs those are harder to make out. You can barely see their eyebrows, and it becomes harder to humanize them and connect on an emotional level.”

Other hypotheses floating around the trade: Would-be owners worry that a black dog will shed too noticeably on the furniture; black dogs get overheated more easily at adoption events and don’t introduce themselves; black dogs look older; black dogs strike people as boring. And one chow jowl-wrinkle that no one mentions: Studies suggest that people tend to choose pooches that bear some resemblance to them, whether that manifests in a lady with flowing tresses selecting a long-eared retriever or a saggy-faced man opting for a bulldog. Could the link between an owner’s and a dog’s appearance factor into the phenomenon? According to a Pew survey, 45 percent of white people own a dog, compared to 20 percent of black people. (Looking at presidential pets, Bo Obama is black, but then so was George W. Bush’s Miss Beazley.)

Some dismiss Black Dog Syndrome as an urban legend, noting a paucity of hard data supporting the effect. As a measure of how common raven-haired pups are, the Los Angeles Animal Services Department reported in 2008 that 27 percent of the 30,046 dogs it had picked up in the previous 12 months had predominantly sable coats. That prevalence was mirrored in the year’s adoption statistics: 28 percent of the animals that eventually found homes were also predominantly black. And in a 2012 study, researchers asked volunteers to rank four hypothetical pooches—a big white poodle, a small white poodle, a big black poodle, and a small black poodle—on perceived friendliness and aggressiveness. They discovered that the imaginary white dogs were seen as significantly meaner and more combative than the imaginary black ones, perhaps due to stereotypes about yappy white lap-dog terrors. (Do we subconsciously transfer Paris Hilton’s character traits to the pampered pale teacups she favors?) In any case, the study raised questions about whether what spooks us about black pups is their color or the association between dark fur and several of dogdom’s more reputedly vicious breeds: Rottweilers, Dobermans, and some pit bull mixes.

“There are lots of compounding factors,” Julie Morris, the senior vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told _ABC_. “Are there just more black dogs in shelters, or is the real problem because most black dogs are also big dogs?” (The prevailing wisdom goes that big dogs have a harder time finding homes, perhaps because they seem less manageable. As the Washington Humane Society data suggests, though, it may be medium dogs that scrape together the worst of both worlds: not tiny enough to fit in a purse, not huge enough to be a sexy statement.)

Whatever the precise mix of bias and bad luck, some white knights are riding to black dogs’ defense. Many shelters have discounts on dark-furred animals, and D.C.’s Lucky Dog Animal Rescue recently held a Back in Black Fashion Show, in which a select group of eight adoptable pooches flaunted their ebony coats. (Tagline: “Adopt in glimmering black!”) There are photography Tumblrs and online rescue projects dedicated to the plight of the canine noir. There are tip sheets on how to “bedazzle your black dog.” (“Sew sequins or appliques on bandanas for the dogs to wear.”) There are black pet adoption GIFs. Even Emmylou Harris has joined the cause.

 “It’s just so irrational that people would think the color of a dog’s fur has anything to do with its character,” says Levy, the photographer.

“The effect is baffling,” says Bell. “I just want to tell people sometimes, ‘This is an amazing dog. You’ve got to look at this dog.’ ”

So, prospective pet owners, consider the gauntlet thrown. Black dogs need your yelp (help). Society needs all of our heightened awareness. We have come too far in combatting bias and ignorance to keep penalizing animals for the color of their fur.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

question: What does the text say about dark pets?

answer: The text talks about how people discriminate against dark pets. The name given to this is Black Dog Syndrome. The text also talks about how dark pets are discriminated against.

critique: The answer should mention the reasons for the discrimination.

critique: It's omitted that dark-furred pets are discriminated against and are less likely to find a home.

critique: The text doesn't talk about how dark pets are discriminated against.

critique: The text does not talk about how dark pets are discriminated against.

critique: The highlighted text is redundant and should be removed.

critique: The text doesn't say "dark pets" it says "dark-furred pups"

question: What does the text say about black dogs?

answer: Black dogs get euthanized at higher rates. They linger at pounds and adoption agencies for longer than light-colored dogs, and they are less likely to find a home. Animal welfare experts believe the discrimination arises from a pack of factors. The mythology around black dogs is grim. A 2013 study by Penn State psychologists revealed that people find images of black dogs scarier than photos of yellow or brown dogs.

critique: The answer should mention the other reasons people give for not adopting black dogs.

critique: The answer should mention some of the reasons that people give for not wanting to adopt black dogs.

critique: The answer should mention the other factors that contribute to the discrimination.

critique: The answer should mention the biases against black dogs.

critique: The answer should mention the discrimination against black dogs.

critique: The response misses to mention that black dogs get discriminated against.

critique: Doesn't show the research that went into the concerns of dark-furred pups.

question: What does the text say about white dogs?

answer: No answer

critique: The text states that white dogs are less likely to be adopted than other dogs, despite very nice stereotypes about them being sweet and fluffy.

text: The answer can state that white dogs usually catch the eye.

question: What does the text say about the adoption process of pets?

answer: While obedience and breed are important factors when pondering about purchasing a pet, it must also be emphasized that love of animals is not limited by breed or color as some people may see it. The myth of these dark-colored dogs is prejudice against their looks and the blank fear they evoke makes them unappealing-that is why they are euthanized because they cannot get a new home and are therefore not getting proper treatment.

critique: The response contains extraneous information not relevant to the adoption process.

critique: The answer is irrelevant to the question.

critique: The text does not say anything about the adoption process of pets.

critique: The second sentence is not relevant to the question.

critique: The answer is a mess. It's hard to understand what it's trying to say.

critique: The text does not say anything about obedience and breed.


text:
Voices from the television, white noise to *his* vacant mind. Two men were talking to each other and *he* didn't see their faces. *He* saw moving lips. The stench of the apartment did not bother *him*. Half eaten food rotted on the floor. The most recent of this food was a bowl of somewhat eaten jello. It sat still on the table next to the couch where a mindless *man* sat.

Who is this man? Most would say he's a brilliant writer of a dozen famous short stories; each translated into a dozen languages and read by much more than a dozen people. The characters in his stories have been analyzed time and time again. They are the best creations of his writing. His characters *are* the story. Their complexities are deeper than most imagine. This writer is a genius.

But at this moment, he isn't a famous writer. He is Alfred Jones, the newest of his characters. You see, when the writer writes, he locks himself in his apartment for many months. He eats, but he doesn't finish. He turns on the TV and enters his imagination, unaware of reality, to build his characters for hours. He writes it all down when he awakes at midnight. He becomes his characters during these trances.

He jolted wide awake. *Is it midnight?* He checked the time through a TV and found it was 9:00. Two men were talking on a screen. *Who are these two men, Sally?* He looked around. Sally was not there. *This isn't my place. Did I get drunk today? No, I couldn't have. So how did I get here?*

The man stood up, puzzled by what was happening. *The jello will stink, the jello will stink.* He was startled by this incoherent thought. It wasn't his. *Who was that?! WHO said that?!* He grabbed a couch, trying for a grip of the demented reality. *WHERE AM I?!* The man ran to a bathroom. *The jello will stink, the jello will-*

He screamed. He wanted to vomit. Was he going crazy? Water rushed through the man's fingers as he washed his face. *This will wake me up! It will, it will, it will, IT WILL.*

He looked up to a mirror. Screams echoed in a bathroom. This isn't him! This isn't him! *WHO IS THIS FACE?! WHO IS THIS?!* He screamed and screamed. He clawed at the face. *Is it a mask?* He pulled but it wouldn't come off. *Stink jello stink.* The man smashed the face into a mirror. He's just dreaming right now! *This can't be real.* Blood trickled down the mangled face. Shards of mirror were dug into skin. They were deep.

*Where's your wallet?* I don't know.

*Go find it.* Who are you?

The man walked of a bathroom. Blood dripped onto a floor. *Why is my face on fire?* The man went towards a room. My face hurts. Sally? *Help me. Jello stink.*

I opened a door. Where is the wallet? *Put out the fire.* A wallet was on a bed. *Whose wallet is that?* It's mine. It's his. *Put out the fire.*

He picked up a wallet. I opened it up. I read a name on a license. *Stephen King.*

Who am I?

title: The Writer

question: Why is the protagonist behaving in such a self-destructive way?

answer: The protagonist's identity isn't established. However, we can infer that something has got them in a very dark place.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: It is established. The protagonist is Stephen King.

critique: The response misses to mention that the protagonist is a writer who has locked himself in his apartment for months, not eating or socializing, and when he wakes up, he doesn't know who he is.

critique: The protagonist's identity is established.

critique: The story explains why the protagonist behaves this way.

text: The answer should mention that the protagonist has placed themselves in the head of their character and isolated themselves in their apartment, which has likely contributed to their confused state of mind.

question: Why does the protagonist want to wake up?

answer: He thinks he's having a nightmare.

critique: He doesn't want to wake up, he wants to wake up from the nightmare.

critique: "I think he's having a nightmare..." - is inaccurate. It's not Stephen King, Alfred Jones, or the guy from the short story that wants to wake up. Change this answer to "tbc"

critique: The answer is not fully accurate. The protagonist is having a nightmare, but he also wants to wake up because he is in pain.

critique: The answer should be more specific about what the nightmare is about.

question: Who and where is Sally?

answer: That information can't be found.

critique: The answer is in the passage, but it's not a direct quote.

critique: It can be inferred that she is a woman, based on the pronoun 'her'.

critique: It is incorrectly stated that the information can't be found.

critique: It is implied that Sally is the name of the man's wife.

critique: This is a lie as it is known who Sally is-the man's girlfriend.

text: The answer should mention that Sally is implied to be a romantic partner of the narrator.


text:
LOUISE MAGDALENE TEOWAINA WALLSCOTT (25 December 1898 – 17 February 1999) was a Māori activist, teacher and weaver.

Early life

Magda Wallscott was born at Pipikaretu Beach, Ōtākou, the daughter of Ema Karetai, Kāti Māmoe and Ngāi Tahu, and Frederick Wallscott, a professional soldier from Saxony, Germany.[1] Her great-grandfather was John Karetai, known as Chief Karetai, one of the signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.[2][3] Karetai's mere pounamu _Kahutai_ was passed through the family to Wallscott, who then loaned it to Otago Museum in the 1970s where museum kaitiaki continue to guide its care.[4]

Wallscott attended Te Waipounamu Māori Girls' College in Christchurch, and then in 1918 entered Christchurch Training College and boarded at Bishopscourt Hostel until 1921. Wallscott was taught to weave flax in Taieri by her aunt Ripeka Martin (formerly Karetai).[5] For several years, she taught at small schools in Stewart Island, Bluff, Wyndham, Clifton, Invercargill and Dunedin.[6]

From 1944-1948 Wallscott taught at the Ōtākou Native School, and during this time she began an active role at the Ōtākou Marae which continued for 30 years. Although Wallscott never married or had children, she raised a whāngai, her niece Iri Wallscott.[7] After retiring from teaching in 1953, Wallscott began a new career in community service that she maintained into her 90s.[8]

Māori Women's Welfare League

Wallscott was a founding member of the Māori Women's Welfare League, and was the Ōtepoti Representative of the league for many years.[9][10] Other Ōtepoti branch members included Victoria Potiki, Taka Moss, Rumatiki Wright and Jean Robinson.[11] Wallscott made significant contributions to the league over many years.[12] She relished the achievements of the Ōtepoti branch – “We have made our voice heard ... we are listened to ... we have just simply been so sincere that people have taken notice of us.”[13] In 1968, Wallscott accepted the McEwen trophy on behalf of the Te Waipounamu branch of the Māori Women's Welfare League, awarded to the area showing the greatest yearly increase in membership.[14]

Other community work

-   Foundation member of the Āraiteuru Cultural Club and helped establish its marae in Dunedin
-   Ōtākou Marae (secretary)
-   Ōtākou Māori Committee
-   Ōtākou Māori Executive
-   Te Wai Pounamu District Council
-   Māori Mission Committee
-   Dunedin Branch of National Council of Women
-   Old Peoples' Welfare Council
-   Board of Directors of YWCA
-   In 1960 she became the first Māori women in Dunedin to be a Justice of the Peace.[15]
-   In the 1980s Wallscott helped lead opposition to the Aramoana aluminum smelter.[16]

Notable achievements

-   In 1976, Wallscott was awarded the Queens Service Medal in the Queen's Birthday honours list for services to the community.[17]
-   Wallscott was chosen as one of five people to accompany _Te Maori_ exhibition to San Francisco and attend the opening ceremonies in 1984.[18]
-   In 1990 Wallscott received an award from the Māori and South Pacific Arts Council for her contribution to weaving.[19]

Death and legacy

During the early 1990s, Wallscott contributed audio recordings of her local place names to _Ngā Ingoa o Aotearoa: An Oral Dictionary of Māori Placenames._[20] In 1999, she donated many of her personal papers and archives to the Hocken Manuscripts and Archives Collection.[21] These included letters from friends and family, papers relating to land issues, the Māori Women's Welfare League, appointment diaries, notebooks, music and songs.[22]

Wallscott passed away on 17 February 1999, two months after her 100th birthday[23] At the time of her death, Wallscott was the oldest surviving member on Ngāi Tahu's tribal roll.[24][25]

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[10]  Items {{!}} National Library of New Zealand {{!}} National Library of New Zealand|language=English|access-date=2020-04-05}}

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[12]  NZHistory, New Zealand history online|website=nzhistory.govt.nz|access-date=2020-04-05}}

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title: Magda Wallscott

question: Summarize the conditions into which Magda Wallscott was born and grew up.

answer: She was born at Pipikaretu Beach, Otakou, and grew up in a family of mixed ancestry. Her mother was Kati Mamoe and Ngai Tahu, and her father was Frederick Wallscott, a professional soldier from Saxony, Germany. Wallscott attended Te Waipounamu Maori Girls' College in Christchurch, and then in 1918 entered Christchurch Training College and boarded at Bishopscourt Hostel until 1921. She was taught to weave flax in Taieri by her aunt Ripeka Martin. She taught at small schools in Stewart Island, Bluff, Wyndham, Clifton, Invercargill and Dunedin.

critique: The answer is a summary of Wallscott's life, not her childhood.

critique: Wallscott's early life is irrelevant to the question.

critique: The answer should mention that she was a weaver.

critique: She also has Maori ancestry and numerous Maori family members.

critique: Wallscott was taught to weave flax by her aunt Ripeka Martin, not by her mother.

critique: The answer omits that Wallscott was born into the Karetai Ngāi Tahu tribe.

critique: Wallscott's family is irrelevant to the question.

question: Summarize what motivated Wallscott to commit to a lifetime of service.

answer: No answer

critique: "No answer" is inaccurate as this summary is intentionally barren-it is not an extraneous space filler to evoke clarity. The reason behind this summary is not to explain or provide clarity to a particularly concise summary, but to indicate the fact that the question does not have an answer.

question: Summarize Wallscott's legacy.

answer: She was the oldest surviving member of the Ngāi Tahu tribe when she died in 1999. She donated her personal archives to the Hocken Manuscripts and Archives Collection. In 1976, she was awarded the Queen Service Medal for services to the community.

critique: The passage does not contain a list of campaignsWallscott organized, participated in, or supported. Since this is omitted, spefically mentioning only 'services to the community' does not suffice.

critique: Wallscott's legacy is not only her age and archives, but her community services as well.

critique: The answer omits the fact that she was a weaver and an activist.

critique: The answer omits Wallscott's contributions to the Māori Women's Welfare League.

critique: The text doesn't say anything about being the oldest member of the Ngāi Tahu tribe.

critique: The answer omits her activism and community work.

critique: Wallscott's legacy is not limited to her being the oldest surviving member of the Ngāi Tahu tribe.

critique: The answer omits her activism and community service.


text:
CASSANDRA KIRKLAND (13 October 1984 – 30 April 2017) was a French professional golfer. She played on the Ladies European Tour and won the Sanya Ladies Open in 2012.

Biography

Born in Paris to an American father and French mother,[1] Kirkland studied at the University of Arizona from 2002–2006.[2] She was related to American racing car driver Eddie Cheever.[3]

Amateur career

Kirkland played golf from the age of seven and was semi-finalist in the Girls Amateur Championship in 2001. As a member of the Arizona Wildcats women's golfers at University of Arizona, she won the UNLV Invitational and was a member of the NGCA All American Team in 2005. She was All-PAC 10 Team and won the Golfstat award for par-five scoring leader in 2004 and 2005.[4]

Professional career

Kirkland turned professional in 2006 and won twice: the 2012 Sanya Ladies Open in China on the Ladies European Tour and the 2013 Fourqueux Ladies Open near Paris on the LET Access Series.[5]

Death

Kirkland died in 2017 at the age of 32, following a two-year fight against cancer. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2015, despite never having smoked and having led the lifestyle of a healthy, professional athlete.[6][7]

Professional wins (2)

Ladies European Tour (1)

+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| No.     | Date    | Tournam | Winning | To par  | Margin  | Runners |
|         |         | ent     | score   |         | of      | -up     |
|         |         |         |         |         | victory |         |
+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+
| 1       | 4 Nov   | Sanya   | 73-67-7 | −6      | 2       | Jade    |
|         | 2012    | Ladies  | 0=210   |         | strokes | Schaeff |
|         |         | Open¹   |         |         |         | er      |
|         |         |         |         |         |         |  Holly  |
|         |         |         |         |         |         | Aitchis |
|         |         |         |         |         |         | on      |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

¹Co-sanctioned by the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.

LET Access Series (1)

-   2013 Fourqueux Ladies Open[8]

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title: Cassandra Kirkland

question: What does the text say about the qualities that make a good golfer?

answer: No answer

critique: The general qualities needed for a good golfer would include diligence, attention to detail, and physical fitness.

critique: The answer should mention that the text does not say anything about the qualities that make a good golfer.

question: What does the text say about Cassandra Kirkland?

answer: Cassandra Kirkland was a French professional golfer who played on the Ladies European Tour. She was born in Paris to an American father and French mother, studied at the University of Arizona, and turned professional in 2006. She won the 2012 Sanya Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour, 2013 Fourqueux Ladies Open on the LET Access Series, and had a two-year fight against cancer.

critique: The answer should mention that Kirkland died in 2017.

question: What does the text say about Kirkland's amateur career?

answer: Kirkland played golf when she was seven and was semi-finalist in the Girls Amateur Championship in 2001. She was a member of the Arizona Wildcats in the University of Arizona. She was All-PAC 10 Team and won the Golfstat award for par-five scoring leader in 2004 and 2005.

critique: The response should include that Kirkland won the UNLV Invitational.

critique: The answer should mention that Kirkland won the UNLV Invitational.

critique: The answer omits that Kirkland won the UNLV Invitational.

critique: There are a few errors on this response such as the inclusion of dates for qualifying championships. Dates were never mentioned about the Girls Amateur Championship, but the response does say she was semi-finalist in the Girls Amateur Championship in 2001, then, she won the UNLV Invitational alongside being a member of the Golfstat award for par-five scoring leader in 2004 and 2005.

question: What does the text say about Kirkland's professional career?

answer: Kirkland turned professional in 2006 and won twice: the 2012 Sanya Ladies Open in China on the Ladies European Tour and the 2013 Fourqueux Ladies Open near Paris on the LET Access Series.

critique: The answer should mention that Kirkland won the Sanya Ladies Open in 2012.


text:
FERNANDO ALFONSO YZNAGA DEL VALLE (October 16, 1850 – March 6, 1901) was a Cuban American banker who was one of the best-known men of New York and foreign society and club life. Described as “one of the most entertaining of men, very clever at epigram and repartee, and famous for quaint sayings. His life had been adventurous and, from a domestic point of view, somewhat of a stormy nature.”[1]

Early life

Yznaga was born in New York on October 16, 1850. He was the oldest of four children, and only son, born to merchant diplomat Antonio Modesto Yznaga del Valle (1823–1892) and Ellen Maria (née Clements) Yznaga (1833–1908).[2] His father was from an old Cuban family who owned a large plantation (Torre Iznaga)[3] and sugar mills in the vicinity of Trinidad, Cuba; they had connections to several Spanish aristocratic families.[4] In addition to plantations in Cuba and Louisiana, his parents owned properties in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Among his siblings was Consuelo Yznaga (who married George Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester in 1876)[5] Naticia Yznaga (who married Sir John Lister-Kaye, 3rd Baronet in 1881),[6] and Emily Yznaga (who never married).[7][8]

His maternal grandfather, Samuel Clements, was a steamboat captain who owned Ravenswood Place, a plantation in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, which his mother inherited upon their death.[9] Through his sister Consuelo, he was uncle to William Montagu, 9th Duke of Manchester and two nieces, known as May and Nell, who both died of consumption before marrying.[10] He was with his sister in Davos when her youngest daughter, Lady Alice (Nell), died. Reportedly, he “never seemed a very strong man since then,” and it was said that “his constitution had never recovered from the long, nervous strain which he went through at that time.”[11]

He was graduated from the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard,[12] before returning south and earning an LL.D. degree from Louisiana Law School while at his families plantation near Lake Concordia in Louisiana, where they were all well known in New Orleans society.[13]

Career

After his eldest sister's marriage to the Duke of Manchester, he came to New York City.[14] After his first marriage to a sister-in-law of William Kissam Vanderbilt, he was reportedly gifted a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and entered the firm of H. B. Hollins & Co. at 15 Wall Street, a close friend of Vanderbilt's and J. Pierpont Morgan. Yznaga was “an excelled businessman” and made his fortune at the firm, working there for twenty years until his death in 1901.[15] The firm, which was organized in 1878, went bankrupt on November 13, 1913.[16]

Even after his divorce from Jennie, he remained close friends with Vanderbilt and was frequently aboard his yacht, the _Valiant_. Yznaga, Vanderbilt and Winfield Hoyt were referred to as the “Three Vanderbilt Musketeers” as they were always seen together.[17] He was a member of the Union Club, the Tuxedo Club, the County Club, the Manhattan Club, the Athletic Club, the Meadow Brook Hunt Club, and one of the original members of the Metropolitan Club in 1891, where he lived.[18][19]

Personal life

[Mrs. Fernando Yznaga, née Miss Mabel Wright, of New York, .] On September 22, 1880, Yznaga was married to Mobile, Alabama born Mary Virginia “Jennie” Smith (1856–1926), sister of Alva (née Smith) Vanderbilt at the Vanderbilt home in Oakdale on Long Island.[20] They were daughters of Murray Forbes Smith, a commission merchant, and Phoebe Ann (née Desha) Smith (daughter of US Representative Robert Desha).[21] After their divorce in 1886, Jennie remarried to William George Tiffany of Baltimore (a nephew of Mrs. August Belmont and first cousin of Charles Lewis Tiffany)[22] in 1888 and moved to Maisons-Laffitte near Paris (before their eventual divorce in 1903).[23][24]

Fernando's engagement to Mabel Elizabeth Wright (1869–1926)[25] was announced in what was described as an astonishment to society. At the time, she was living with her father, a designer of carpets for Higgins Mills, in a boarding house and “her face was her fortune.” The wedding took place a week later on March 4, 1890 at the boarding house and they set sail for Europe the following day. Upon their return, they lived in New York and at Tuxedo Park. Mabel later went to South Dakota where she divorced Fernando in 1895 and,[26] soon after, married the Hungarian Count Bela Zichy (nephew of Mihály Zichy) and became the mother of Count Theodore Zichy.[27] There were rumors of his engagement to be married a third time, including to Constance Biddle a few weeks before his death, but they were all denied.

Yznaga died of diphtheria at the Minturn Hospital in New York City on March 6, 1901.[28] After a funeral at the Little Church Around The Corner, he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx.[29] Upon his death, his estate worth about $2,000,000,[30] was left primarily to his sister, then the Dowager Duchess of Manchester.[31]

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[21] Patterson, Jerry E. _The Vanderbilts._, pages 120-121. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1989.

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title: Fernando Yznaga

question: What does the article say about Fernando Yznaga's career?

answer: Fernando Yznaga was a Cuban American banker who was known for his business career through the 1920s and entered the firm of H. B. Hollins & Company in 1878. He worked there for twenty years until his death. He often had lunch with Alexander H. Everett, Edward Cheney, and other banking executives in his club at One West Fifty 2nd St. By 1892, he had married Mary Virginia, earning his LL.D. degree from the Louisiana Law School while at his families plantation near Lake Concordia in Louisiana. After his divorce in 1886, Yznaga tried to marry again to Constance - however, they never married.

critique: The answer omits Yznaga's career before becoming a banker.

critique: The first sentence is inaccurate - the firm was organized in 1878 but Yznaga worked there for only 20 years.

critique: The response contains irrelevant information.

critique: Fernando Yznaga was not a banker in the 1920s but during the 1880s and 1890s. The date range of Yznaga's career is not clear from the text.

critique: There's no evidence that Yznaga tried marrying to Constance.

critique: The response does not include all the information provided in the article about Yznaga's career.

critique: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

critique: The response contains some inaccurate information.

critique: There is no evidence to suggest that Fernando Yznaga was known for his business career in the 1920s.

critique: The response contains inaccurate information.

critique: The answer should clarify that One West Fifty 2nd St. refers to the address of the firm.

critique: Incorrectly mentions that he tried to marry Constance.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

question: What does the story say about Fernando Yznaga's early life?

answer: Fernando was the oldest of four kids and only son born to Antonio Modesto Ygnzaa del Valle and Ellen Maria Clements in New York.

critique: One could mention that he was born in New York.

critique: Add how he was born in New York and graduated from Harvard.

critique: The answer should mention his education.

critique: The answer can include more details from his early life.

critique: The answer should mention that Yznaga was born in 1850.

critique: The response omits some of the information provided about Fernando's early life. His parents owned plantations in Cuba, Louisiana, New York, and Rhode Island, he was graduated from law school, and he came to New York City after his sister's marriage to the Duke of Manchester.

critique: The answer should include mention of Yznaga's connection to the Yznaga family plantation.

critique: The answer should include more details about Fernando's early life.

critique: The answer should mention that Fernando was born in New York.

critique: The response should include the other siblings of Fernando.

critique: It is omitted that his father was from an old Cuban family who owned a large plantation in Cuba and sugar mills in the vicinity of Trinidad, Cuba.

critique: The answer misses mentioning that his parents had plantation and sugar mills in Trinidad, Cuba and owned properties in New York and New Orleans.

critique: It is omitted that he was graduated from the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard.

critique: The answer should include more details about his family.

question: What does the story say about the art?

answer: No answer

critique: There is no answer because the text does not discuss art.

critique: There was no mention of art in the passage, hence no answer can be written.

critique: The information about the art is incorrect

critique: There is no reference to art in the passage.

critique: This response is incorrect because there is nothing in the text about art.


text:
ELIZABETH BENEDICT is an American author best known for her fiction, her personal essays, as the editor of three anthologies, and for _The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers_. Her novels are: _Slow Dancing, The Beginner’s Book of Dreams, Safe Conduct, Almost_, and _The Practice of Deceit_. She lives in New York City and works as a college admissions consultant.[1][2][3][4][5]

Work

Fiction

Her first published short story, “Feasting,” was selected for the 1983 O. Henry Prize Short Story collection.[6] Her second story, “A Fifty Percent Chance,” published in _Seventeen_ magazine in 1982, earned a National Magazine Award.[7] Her first novel, _Slow Dancing_ (Alfred A. Knopf), was a finalist for the 1985 National Book Award[8] and the _LA Times_ Fiction Prize.[9] Her novel _Almost_, a _New York Times_ Notable Book of the Year, was selected as one of _Newsweek_{{'}}s Best Fiction of 2001.

Nonfiction

Benedict's _Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers_ (Story Press) was first published in 1996. A second edition, published in 2002, was updated to include the new role of the Internet and the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal in writing about sex in fiction The book was also published in the U.K., Germany and Australia[10][11][12][13]

Benedict teaches workshops on writing about sex in fiction at writers’ conferences and has appeared on radio shows discussing the issue in the U.S., UK, and Australia.[14][15][16]

_The Joy of Writing Sex_ led the _New York Observer_ to include Benedict on its panel on the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, described in Francine Prose’s article, “New York Supergals Love That Naughty Prez” Benedict defended then-President Clinton's conduct, saying “Nobody is aggrieved here. Monica's not complaining, Hillary's not complaining. The only person who cares is Ken Starr.”[17][18][19] Benedict reaffirmed her defense of Clinton in a retrospective of the scandal on the _Slate_ podcast “Slow Burn,” in 2018.[20]

Benedict's book reviews, personal essays, and articles have appeared in _The New York Times_, _Los Angeles Times_, _Boston Globe_, _Salmagundi_, _Tin House_, _Daedalus_, _Harper's Bazaar_, _Esquire_, _Real Simple_, _Allure_, _The American Prospect_, and _The Rumpus_. Her short fiction has appeared in _Narrative Magazine_.[21]

Anthologies

Benedict is the editor of three anthologies. The first, _Mentors, Muses and Monsters: 30 Writers on the People who Changed Their Lives_ (2009, Free Press, Simon & Schuster), was inspired by an essay she wrote for _Tin House_ about her mentor at Barnard, Elizabeth Hardwick.[22] It includes essays by other Barnard alumnae Mary Gordon and Sigrid Nunez. Nunez's essay on Susan Sontag was the inspiration for her 2011 memoir about Sontag, _Sempre Susan_.[23]

Her second anthology, _What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts that Mattered Most_ (2013 Algonquin Books), was a _New York Times_ Bestseller.[24] Her third, _Me, My Hair and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession_ (2015, Algonquin Books) includes essays by Maria Hinojosa, Marita Golden, and Jane Smiley.

Themes

Growing up in New York City has been a noted theme of Benedict's fiction and nonfiction. About her second novel, _The Beginner's Book of Dreams_, _Kirkus Reviews_ wrote: “Benedict handles Manhattan life, in this case a young girl's exploration of semi-fraudulent Manhattan life, superbly—with the vibrancy of The World of Henry Orient (that underappreciated book by Nora Johnson) or with the emotional dislocations of the better work of John O'Hara and Richard Yates.”[25][Benedict at the 2019 Islander's Write Festival in Marthas Vineyard]

Benedict's personal essay, “Murder One: Mad Dog Taborsky and Me” was published in _Daedalus_ in 2008[26] and explored the effect of the murder of her mother's brother on her parents’ marriage and her own life. In 1960, Joseph "Mad Dog" Taborsky was the last man executed in the state of Connecticut until 2005, after being released from death row for the murder of Benedict's uncle. Once released, he committed a series of murders that terrorized central Connecticut in 1956 and 1957.

College essay coaching and teaching

Benedict is the founder and president of Don't Sweat the Essay, Inc., which focuses on coaching students for college and graduate school application essays. She has written frequently on the subject for _Huffington Post_.[27][28]

Benedict has been on the fiction faculty of the New York State Summer Writers Institute, at Skidmore College, since 1997[29]

Bibliography

-   _Slow Dancing_ (1985)
-   _The Beginner's Book of Dreams_ (1988)
-   _Safe Conduct_ (1993)
-   _The Joy of Writing Sex_ (1996, revised 2002)
-   _Almost_ (2001)
-   _The Practice of Deceit_ (2005)
-   _Mentors, Muses and Monsters: 30 Writers on the People Who Changed Their Lives_ (Editor) (2009)
-   _What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Writers on the Gifts that Mattered Most_ (Editor) (2013)
-   '' Me, My Hair and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession'' (Editor) (2015)

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title: Elizabeth Benedict

question: What does the text say about education?

answer: No answer

critique: The response misses to provide an answer to the task.

critique: The text states that Benedict is a college admissions consultant.

critique: The article talks about Elizabeth Benedict's education as well as her work as a college admissions consultant. Include this information in the response.

critique: The text mentions that Benedict teaches workshops on writing about sex in fiction at writers’ conferences and has appeared on radio shows discussing the issue in the U.S., UK, and Australia.

critique: The answer should mention Elizabeth Benedict's education.

critique: The text mentions Benedict's education and work as a college admissions consultant.

question: What does the text say about Benedict's personal life?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention her residence.

critique: The answer could mention her work as a college admissions consultant.

critique: The article mentions where Benedict lives, and that she works as a college admissions consultant.

critique: The answer should mention her work as a college admissions consultant.

question: Summarize everything that happened in the 1990s.

answer: In the 1990s, an edition of The Joy of Writing Sex was published in 1996, and in 2002 another edition was published with an updated role of the Internet and the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. Also in the 1990s a short story of Benedict's was published in the 1990s.

critique: The answer should mention her novel, Almost.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The 1990s were not mentioned in the passage.

critique: The second edition of The Joy of Writing Sex was published in 2002, not the 1990s.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Benedict published a short story in the 1990s. The answer should be clearer about what happened in the 1990s.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The second edition of The Joy of Writing Sex was published in 2002, not 1996.

critique: "In the 1990s, an edition of The Joy of Writing Sex was published in 1996, and in 2002 another edition was published with an updated role of the Internet and the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. Also in the 1990s a short story of Benedict's was published in the 1990s." - this is incorrect. The Joy of Writing Sex was published in 1996 and updated in 2002. The short story was published in the 1980s.

critique: "in the 1990s a short story of Benedict's was published in the 1990s" is inaccurate. No stories were published in 1990s.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The second edition of The Joy of Writing Sex was published in 2002 and not 1996.

question: What does the text say about Benedict's failures?

answer: No answer

critique: The question asks for information that is not available in the text.

critique: This is a true statement, but it's also important to note that there is no mention of any failures in the article.

critique: The question asks about Benedict's failures, which are not mentioned in the article.


text:
[Map of Kuwait, with Iraq to the north] The IRAQ–KUWAIT BORDER is 254 km (158 m) in length and runs from the tripoint with Saudi Arabia in the west to the Persian Gulf coast in the east.[1]

Description

The border starts in the west at the Saudi tripoint on the Wadi Al-Batin, and then follows this wadi as it flows north-eastwards. The border then turns east, following a straight line for 32 km (20 m), before another straight line veers to the south-east for 26 km (16 m), terminating at the coast by the junction of the Khawr Abd Allah and Khor as Subiyah opposite Hajjam Island.

History

Historically there was no clearly defined boundary in this part of the Arabian peninsula; at the start of the 20th century the Ottoman Empire controlled what is now Iraq and Britain controlled Kuwait as a protectorate.[2] Britain and the Ottoman Empire theoretically divided their realms of influence via the so-called 'Blue' and 'Violet lines' in 1913-14, by which the Ottomans recognised British claims on Kuwait, divided from Ottoman Mesopotamia along the Wadi Al-Batin (the so-called 'green line', _see map right_).[3][4][5]

[Map with red circle and green circle boundaries according to the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913] During the First World War an Arab Revolt, supported by Britain, succeeded in removing the Ottomans from most of the Middle East. As a result of the secret 1916 Anglo-French Sykes-Picot Agreement Britain gained control of the Ottoman Vilayets of Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, which it organised into the mandate of Iraq in 1920.[6] In 1932, the year that Iraq gained independence, Britain confirmed that the border between Iraq and Kuwait would run along the Wadi Al-Batin, as well as confirming that Bubiyan and Warbah islands were Kuwaiti territoriality, though the precise positioning of the northern straight line segments near Safwan remained imprecise.[7]

Kuwait gained independence in 1962, though Iraq initially refused to recognise the country claiming it as part of Iraq, later backing down following a show of force by Britain and the Arab League in support of Kuwait.[8][9][10] A treaty of friendship was signed in 1963 by which Iraq recognised the 1932 border.[11] Despite this, over the ensuing decade Iraq often raised the issue of sea access and the traditional claim to Kuwait, most notably in 1973 with the 1973 Samita border skirmish.

In 1990 Iraq invaded and annexed Kuwait, precipitating the Gulf War by which Kuwait's sovereignty was restored.[12][13] In July 1992 the matter of border demarcation was referred to the United Nations, which accurately mapped the boundary and then demarcated it on the ground, following the 1932 line with some small adjustments.[14] The border was accepted by Kuwait but not Iraq.[15] The United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission monitored the border during the period 1991-2003. Relations between the two states have improved since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Barrier

The IRAQ–KUWAIT BARRIER ( _Hudud al-'Irāq-al-Kuwayt_) is a border fence extending into Iraq, into Kuwait, and across the full length of their mutual border from Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf. Constructed by authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, its stated purpose was to stop a re-invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

The border barrier, made of electrified fencing and concertina wire, is braced by a and trench, complete with a dirt berm and guarded by hundreds of soldiers, several patrol boats, and helicopters. Construction of the barrier began in 1991.

In January 2004, Kuwait decided to install a new iron barrier along the border. The barrier was estimated to have cost $28 million and the entire length of the border; asphalted roads were be also constructed to facilitate border security movement.[16]

Settlements near the border

Iraq

-   Safwan
-   Umm Qasr

[1]

[2]

[3] Briton Cooper Busch, _Britain and the Persian Gulf, 1894-1914_ (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1967), 308, and 319.

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10] Helene von Bismarck, “The Kuwait Crisis of 1961 and its Consequences for Great Britain’s Persian Gulf Policy”, in _British Scholar_, vol. II, no. 1 (September 2009) pp. 75-96

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

title: Iraq–Kuwait border

question: Summarize what the text states about Kuwait gaining independence in 1962.

answer: Kuwait gained independence in 1962. Iraq refused to recognize the border and raised the issue of sea access and the traditional claim to Kuwait. This Kuwait national holiday was celebrated in a new manner.

critique: The text doesn't say anything about a new manner of celebrating the holiday.

critique: The response contains inaccurate information.

critique: It is not stated when Kuwait celebrated its independence.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Kuwait celebrated their independence in a new manner.

question: Summarize what is stated in the text about the Iraq-Kuwait Barrier.

answer: The border fence is called the Iraq-Kuwait Barrier. It is made of electrified fencing and concertina wire. The stated purpose of the border was to stop a re-invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. The border was completed in 1991.

critique: The border was authorized by the United Nations Security Council, not completed.

critique: This should be included: "The border was accepted by Kuwait but not Iraq."

critique: The answer omits that the border was authorized by the United Nations Security Council.

critique: The border was completed in 1991, not the barrier.

critique: The answer should mention the new iron barrier.

text: There is no evidence that suggests that the border was completed in 1991.

question: Did the barrier prove helpful to Kuwait to keep it from being re-invaded by Iraq?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer can't be found in the passage.

critique: There is no evidence in the passage to suggest whether the barrier was helpful or ineffective in keeping Kuwait safe.

critique: The article does not answer this question.


text:
	I stare down at my arm. It’s so pale and unblemished. I slowly lift up my razor blade. I can feel it’s cold anticipation, ready to tear my skin apart, which is exactly what it’s going to do. I drag it across my flesh in a long slow drag. I watch as the warm crimson spreads. My arm, my clothes, -nothing remains dry. Why do I do this to myself? I keep saying that I’m going to stop.
	Suddenly there is a knock at my door. I panic. I wrap a dirty cloth around my arm and run into the hotel closet. “Get out here right now you little bitch.” I can already tell who it is from their voice. My drug dealer. As I’m crouching in the closet I try to slow my breathing, but my heart jumps when the door is kicked in. There’s a tiny hole in the closet door, and I lean forward to put my eye to it. I can see he’s brought company. They’ve moved into another area of my hotel room, possibly the kitchen. I close my eyes as I strain to hear them, but by the time I open my eyes I’m too late. I feel a searing hot rod force its way into the back of my skull. I can’t stop screaming, and that attracts the rest of the men.
	I have no choice but to obey. I come out of the closet quietly while they tie me up.  I try to remain calm, but I falter as the boss begins to talk. “Guess what Sabrina? I woke up today and I found all my drugs and money gone. You’re the last person I’ve sold to in days. What did you do with them?
	I have no idea what he’s talking about. He’s probably high right now. But then I suddenly remember something. The razor blade on my bed. At the current moment they have me tied up, lying face down on the floor. I look up at him and use my most innocent voice. “I didn’t do it, but I know who did. But right now I’m a little uncomfortable. You can keep me tied up, but please let me lie down on the bed. “
	“Why should I care if you’re comfortable or not?”
“Because otherwise I’m going to say a thing.”
	“I guess I’ll just have to beat it outta ya.”
I smile a cocky grin. “You already poked out one of my eyes and I haven’t said anything yet.” I hear him curse under his breath as he throws me onto the bed.  Within seconds I find the razor blade and start to cut at the rope that imprisons me. I’m done quickly and he doesn’t even notice.
	“Quite stalling and tell me something already.”
“Oh, I’ll tell you something.”
	“what’s that?”
“you’re going to die.”
I throw my razor, quick and sleek, and watch as his red crimson spills out. His goonies have seen enough, and bolt for the door.  They think they’re going to get away, but they’re not. I grab the two closest things on the end table next to my bed, a pen and a vase. I sprint out my door and quickly catch them in the parking garage. The first assailant makes the mistake of turning around to look at me, and I smash the vase into his face, sending a million shards of glass into his eyes, flesh, and even mouth. I grab a piece before it hits the ground and I kill him like I did his boss, by slicing his throat. This whole time his buddy has just been standing there, watching me kill him. Once his friend is done it’s only me and him, and he has my full attention. I take my pen and jab it into his right eye, just like the one that got damaged on my own face less than five minutes ago. I quickly pluck the pen back out and sink it into his heart, and let his body drop. I don’t care about the mess, let the staff clean it up.

title: I just thought this up. it's my first story. Sorry if it's to gory/bloody/graphic

question: What does the story say about Sabrina's relationship with the man that enters her hotel room?

answer: It appears that the man was her drug dealer. She was going to get high with the help of a razor blade. It's his turn for her to sleep with or get high. It does not appear that he liked Sabrina. He brings goons to beat her for not informing him about drugs he used to sell her.

critique: The man was not her drug dealer. She stole his drugs and money.

critique: The word 'sleep' wasn't used in the passage and the last part of the response doesn't make sense

critique: It is not mentioned that it is his turn for her to sleep with or get high.

critique: It is not certain that the man is a drug dealer

critique: She did not get high with the help of a razor blade.

critique: The story does not say that the man was her drug dealer.

critique: This is not the first time she's used a razor blade to do drugs.

critique: The answer is inaccurate and does not answer the question.

critique: The answer is not clear about the relationship between Sabrina and the man.

critique: Sabrina's relationship with the man is not stated.

critique: I changed the riddle about Sabrina getting high to be about not informing him about his drugs

critique: There is no evidence that the man was a drug dealer, it was implied.

question: What does the story say about Sabrina's childhood?

answer: No answer

critique: This is incorrect and the answer must be revised.

critique: No answer is given, but it is implied that she had a rough childhood.

critique: There is no mention of Sabrina's childhood.

critique: Answer varies, but should make an attempt

critique: There is no information about her childhood.

critique: There is no information about Sabrina's childhood in the story.

critique: There are no details about Sabrina's childhood in the story

critique: It's omitted that the author never states anything about Sabrina's childhood.

critique: There is no information on Sabrina's childhood.

critique: There is no evidence to suggest that this information is not available in the text.


text:
[Betsy DeVos and Omarosa Manigault Newman are pictured. | AP Photo]

Omarosa Manigault Newman trashes Education Secretary Betsy DeVos throughout her book and calls the Trump Cabinet official "woefully inadequate and not equipped for her job." | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos allegedly said the students who booed her May 2017 commencement speech at a historically black college didn't have the "capacity to understand" what she wants to accomplish, according to the tell-all book by former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman.

Manigault Newman describes DeVos' comments during a conversation with her after the May address at Florida's Bethune-Cookman University as "meaning, all those black students were too stupid to understand her agenda."

Manigault Newman trashes DeVos throughout the book and calls her "woefully inadequate and not equipped for her job." She alleges President Donald Trump referred to the education secretary as "Ditzy DeVos" and promised to "get rid of her" after the Bethune-Cookman event.

In the book, "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House," Manigault Newman also blames DeVos for confusion around an annual conference in Washington, D.C., for historically black colleges and universities, which the administration downsized in September 2017. She writes that DeVos was the "number one driver for cancellation."

"This disgraced former White House employee is peddling lies for profit. The book is a joke as are the false claims she’s making about Secretary DeVos," said Liz Hill, press secretary to DeVos.

The White House has pushed back strongly against the book, and the president has labeled Manigault Newman "wacky," "deranged" and a "dog" in posts to his Twitter account this week. Trump's presidential campaign has also filed for arbitration proceedings against her.

The Trump administration — and DeVos in particular — have had a rocky relationship with black colleges. DeVos famously issued a statement equating the history of the schools — founded during an era of racial segregation — to “school choice” policies. She later apologized.

Manigault Newman, an HBCU graduate who spearheaded the Trump administration's outreach to those schools, was herself a polarizing figure in that role.

But she says in her book that she was the one who drove Trump to sign a much-ballyhooed executive order designed to woo the schools. That order said his administration would move an initiative aimed at boosting HBCUs from the Education Department to the White House — a move that many college leaders had hoped would give them a direct line to the president.

Manigault Newman writes that she tried to forge a relationship with DeVos — though she said she sat near DeVos in Cabinet meetings and determined "there is no way she should be the secretary of education" — because Manigault Newman "was on a mission for increased education funding for HBCUs and wasn't ready to give up on involving the secretary of education in the pursuit."

She traveled with DeVos to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the Bethune-Cookman commencement address, despite writing that it was clear "[no] one wanted DeVos to speak at their school, and her visits were written off as photo ops only."

The trip did not go well, in Manigault Newman's telling.

"Betsy got up onstage to give her speech and was immediately, loudly booed by the entire audience," Manigault Newman writes. "Graduating students and their families stood up and turned their backs on her. I was seated onstage watching this travesty unfold. When the booing started, she should have wrapped it up, but she went on and on for twenty minutes, talking over the booing. I was thinking, _It’s not about you! Abandon your full speech! Adjust, woman!_" Manigault Newman described it as "painful to experience."

After the speech, Manigault Newman writes that she asked DeVos how she thought it went, to which she says DeVos responded, "I did great!"

"I must have looked stunned," she writes. Then DeVos allegedly added: “They don’t get it. They don’t have the capacity to understand what we’re trying to accomplish.”

"Meaning, all those black students were too stupid to understand her agenda," Manigault Newman writes.

Manigault Newman says she told DeVos, “Oh, no, Madam Secretary. They get it. They get it, and they aren’t happy about you or your goals.”

The next day, Manigault Newman writes, she was ditched at the hotel by DeVos, who allegedly told her, "sorry, we had to leave early. Change of plans. Take an Uber.”

Manigault Newman says she returned to D.C. and complained directly to Trump, who, she says, "shook his head in disgust" and said, “She is Ditzy DeVos, what do you expect? In a very short period of time, I will get rid of her. Believe me, believe me.”

Later in the book, Manigault Newman claims that DeVos "went to John Kelly and asked him to force me to cancel" the annual HBCU conference, referring to Trump's chief of staff.

The administration was under pressure from college leaders and some members of Congress to delay it after Trump's response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

But Manigault Newman writes that she was determined that it go on. She convinced Kelly to let it continue, but "that if it failed, I would own it solely."

"I heard from a member of the HBCU staff that DeVos was livid that the event was moving forward," she writes. "A week after my meeting with General Kelly, Betsy DeVos tried to shut down the event by sending out a blast notice that it was off, and then she canceled the contract with the conference’s hotel. By doing so, she cost the US government $75,000 in cancellation fees. She did not care!"

Manigault Newman claims she turned to Trump for help and he supported her. The administration hosted a much smaller event at the White House, organized by Manigault Newman. But she claims that "Secretary DeVos refused to give opening remarks" at the event.

"I turned to the president again," Manigault Newman wrote. "As a result, the head of Cabinet Affairs, Bill McGinley, told her she had to give the opening remarks."

question: Summarize Omarosa Manigault Newman's relationship with Betsy DeVos.

answer: Omarosa Manigault Newman and Betsy DeVos have a rocky relationship. Manigault Newman describes DeVos as "woefully inadequate and not equipped for her job." She also claims that President Trump called DeVos "Ditzy DeVos" and promised to "get rid of her" after the Bethune-Cookman event. Manigault Newman also blames DeVos for confusion around an annual conference in Washington, D.C., for historically black colleges and universities, which the administration downsized in September 2017. She writes that DeVos was the "number one driver for cancellation."

critique: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

critique: The response should include that DeVos allegedly called the black students who booed her "too stupid to understand" her agenda.

critique: The answer could be more specific about the extent of the disagreement between DeVos and Manigault.

critique: The answer doesn't mention that DeVos allegedly called the students who booed her at a historically black college too stupid to understand her agenda.

question: Summarize how Betsy DeVos handled the annual HBCU conference.

answer: Betsy DeVos allegedly tried to cancel the annual HBCU conference. She sent out a blast notice that the event was off and canceled the contract with the conference's hotel. She did not care that she cost the US government $75,000 in cancellation fees. She was livid that the event was moving forward.

critique: The answer omits that DeVos was forced to give the opening remarks at the conference.

critique: The response should include the details about how DeVos tried to cancel the annual HBCU conference.

critique: It's omitted that Betsy DeVos was eventually forced to give opening remarks.

critique: The response is missing some details about the conference.

critique: The answer should mention that DeVos was forced to give the opening remarks.

question: Summarize Omarosa Manigault Newman's relationship with Trump.

answer: Manigault Newman was a polarizing figure in her role as the Trump administration's outreach to historically black colleges and universities. She says in her book that she was the one who drove Trump to sign a much-ballyhooed executive order designed to woo the schools. She also claims that she was determined that the annual HBCU conference go on.

critique: The answer does not mention that Trump has filed for arbitration proceedings against her.

critique: The answer does not mention that Trump fired her.

critique: The answer omits that Trump has called Manigault Newman "deranged" and a "dog" on Twitter.

critique: The answer is about the annual HBCU conference, which is not relevant.

critique: This answer is not related to the question.

question: What does the text say about Betsy DeVos' attitude towards HBCUs.

answer: Betsy DeVos had a rocky relationship with black colleges. She equated the history of the schools, founded during an era of racial segregation, to "school choice" policies. She later apologized.

critique: The answer omits that Betsy DeVos also allegedly said that the students who booed her at Bethune-Cookman University didn't have the "capacity to understand" what she wants to accomplish.

critique: The answer omits the fact that DeVos allegedly said the students who booed her May 2017 commencement speech at a historically black college didn't have the "capacity to understand" what she wants to accomplish.

critique: The answer omits that DeVos was the "number one driver for cancellation" of an annual conference for HBCUs.

critique: It's omitted that DeVos was the "number one driver for cancellation" of an annual conference in Washington, D.C., for historically black colleges and universities.

critique: The answer should mention the executive order.

critique: The answer omits that DeVos was the "number one driver for cancellation" of an annual conference in Washington, D.C., for historically black colleges and universities.

critique: The response is missing the part where Betsy DeVos had to give a speech at an HBCU and was booed.


text:
First Pet
(An unfinished short story by ChillistickCat)

We All Have Choices

We are under a bush at the foot of a ten foot high hill behind a large concrete sign.  Mother cat is talking to her kittens, who have just recently discovered their abilities to walk and explore, about the dangers of "street life" and "pet life".   She discusses all of the positive and negative tropes of both lives and tells her kittens they have a choice of which one they wish to live.  Unanimously all the kittens agree that street life, the life mother lived, is the one they want, accept Marko, who remains silent.  They all become quiet, including mother, in a silent stare at Marko.

Marko's Unplanned Rebellion

After the litter of kittens disperses to a shady section at the bottom of the hill, Marko makes his way, for the first time, to the top of the hill to a spot where mother cat said never to go as it is precisely the spot where a human can see them and take them.  Not heading his mothers words, he makes his way all the way up to see a vast grid of human houses.  He is in awe of the magnificence of the sight and gazes upon it, wondering what it would be like to be a pet.  He imagines all of the new things he would experience and what a human would be like.  He has seen humans before but never interacted with one.  Until he spots a little human girl in the house closest to the hill.

Just as Mother Warned

She makes direct eye contact with him then immediately points to him, to which two other humans, much larger than she, come into view.  The largest human begins to walk towards Marko.  He does not run away.  He sits and waits for them to come to him. Marko is in awe of how big the human gets as it gets closer and closer to him.  He notices things he has never noticed before, like noses and eyeglasses.  Then, just before he can turn around to look back at his family and mother, large hands embrace his whole body and he is lifted higher then he has ever been.  The motion winds him as he tries to scream for help, but no sound comes out.  Only the sound of the human saying, "Dont worry little guy, I wont hurt you".

The words mean nothing to him and he cries once more, this time letting out the loudest shriek he has ever made.  As soon as he gets his bearings inside the large human hands, he looks back to see if his mother heard him.  To his surprise, he sees a vacant hill, and with that he closes his eyes and cries out some more as the large hands place him into a dark box.

The Rise of A Pet

When he opens his eyes, Marko finds himself in an unfamiliar world.  He is still inside the box which is now on the floor of a bathroom that is brightly lit by florescent lights.  All he can see is the crack at the bottom of the white door and shadows that move about from the other side.  He exits the box and looks up to find an open window with a long white curtain draping to the floor.  He immediately runs to it and begins to frantically climb until he reaches the window sill.  From this vantage point he can see the hill where he was taken, then he looks down to see a 30 foot drop onto a concrete floor.  He sees a pool and other strange objects laid out about the patio.  He looks back to the hill and now sees his mother atop the hill timidly sniffing the air.

He lets out a loud screech, and his mothers ears perk up in his direction, but her eyes do not follow suit.  He continues screaming to no avail.  She then quickly jumps down the hill out of his sight.

 Marko tuns around to see the bathroom door has opened and standing in the doorway is the little girl.  She screams, " Mommy, Mommy, Kitty is trying to escape!" .  The child's mother then comes running into the bathroom, grabbing Marko, winding him again, and shuts the window closed.

Who is Going To Scoop The Cat Litter?

(work in process)

(work in process)

(work in process)

(work in process)

title: First Pet

question: How does Marko's opinions change about being a pet through the story?

answer: Marko is initially excited about being a pet, but when he is taken away from his mother and placed in a box, he is frightened. He is then placed in a bathroom and sees his mother atop the hill. He tries to get her attention, but she doesn't see him. Marko is then taken by the little girl's mother and placed back in the box.

text: This response is more of a summary of Mark's entire journey, where as the question asks only about how Marko feels about being a pet.

question: What does the story say about how streets cats and pet cats live?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention the dangers of street life.

critique: The answer should mention the differences between the two lifestyles.


text:
[]

Commuters are spending up to five times as much of their salary on season tickets compared to the rest of Europe (Picture: PA)
COMMUTERS ARE SPENDING UP TO FIVE TIMES AS MUCH OF THEIR SALARY ON SEASON TICKETS COMPARED TO THE REST OF EUROPE, A NEW STUDY HAS REVEALED.

[thumbnail for post ID 7196318] Train ticket prices soar in biggest increase in five years

Fares are due to go up by an average of 3.4% today, with season tickets going up by 3.6% – the largest increase since 2013 – sparking protests outside railway stations across the country.

The TUC said workers travelling from Chelmsford in Essex to London will have to pay 13% of their salary for a £381 monthly season ticket.

That compares with 2% for a comparable commute of around 30 miles in France (£66), 3% in Italy (£65), 4% in Germany (£118) and 5% in Spain (£108) and Belgium (£144).

Season tickets will increase a third faster than wages in 2018, said the TUC.

[]

Fares are due to go up by an average of 3.4% today, with season tickets going up by 3.6% (Picture: PA)
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: ‘Another year, another price increase. Many commuters will look with envy to their continental cousins, who enjoy reasonably priced journeys to work.

‘Employers can help out by offering zero-interest season ticket loans, or offering more flexible work hours and locations.

[thumbnail for post ID 7196262] Ex-Ukip councillor charged with murdering his wife

‘But ultimately the Government need to take our railways back into public hands. That will stop hundreds of millions being siphoned off by private rail firms, and allow us to put passengers first.’

Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: ‘While the British passenger is being pumped for cash, the same private companies are axing safety-critical staff and security on our trains and stations.

‘It’s a national scandal that private profit comes before public safety on our rail network.

‘Even worse, with 75% of Britain’s railways in overseas hands, it is the British people who are subsidising state-run rail operations across the continent.

‘The answer to this racket is a full return to public ownership of Britain’s railways and an end to this gross profiteering at the fare-payers expense.

[What you pay for - European train comparison]

Here’s what a season ticket in UK would cost you for a 30-mile commute compared to the rest of Europe (Picture: Metro.co.uk/Myles Goode)
Mick Whelan, leader of the train drivers’ union Aslef said: ‘Workers have missed out on real pay rises for years. It is unfair that this subsidised industry drives up transport poverty.

‘These fare rises hurt the communities and industries that they should be supporting, and this is without even counting the scandalous cost of parking at certain stations.’

Manuel Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said: ‘Every year UK passengers are forced to pay more to Holland, Germany, France and Italy, all of whom currently own our train operating companies.

[metro illustrations] It took OCD ruining my life for me to finally get help

‘Yet, it’s all talk and no trousers when it comes to taking back control from the foreign companies who own large swathes of our infrastructure including our railways.

‘Money made out of passengers here is invested in fare subsidies there.

Unite officer Bobby Morton said: ‘Millions of commuters are being held to ransom by the greedy privatised rail companies.

‘Rail travellers, who are seeing their wages lag far behind this fare increase, are being asked to take another hit to their incomes to pay for expensive and often unreliable trains.

‘Every day the case for the public ownership of the rail industry grows stronger.’

The RMT said every penny of this year’s fare rise will go straight into the profits of the train operators.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘We are investing in the biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian times to improve services for passengers – providing faster and better, more comfortable trains with extra seats.

‘This includes the first trains running though London on the Crossrail project, an entirely new Thameslink rail service and continuing work on the transformative Great North Rail Project.

‘We keep fare prices under constant review and the price rises for this year are capped in line with inflation, with 97p out of every £1 paid going back into the railway.’

 MORE : New platforms open at London Bridge after £1,000,000,000 makeover

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more

question: What statistic is missing in this article and why is it important?

answer: The article does not mention the average salary of commuters.

critique: The article does mention the average salary of commuters.

critique: The article does mention the average salary.

critique: The question asks why the statistic is important

critique: The article does not mention the average salary of commuters.

text: "The article does not mention the average salary of commuters." - the average salary is irrelevant to the question. The important statistic is commuters spending up to five times their salary or 13% on season tickets compared to the rest of Europe due to increasing rail fare tickets, which have gone up an average of 3.4%.

category: other

category_text: Accuracy and coverage.