text:
It hit us suddenly, and 85 percent of us died in a year. The plague kept ravaging the world, poor, rich, crowded and sparse. We all succumbed, except for a few of us. That last 15 percent.
Over the year following the untreatable and lethal pathogen taking it’s first victim, we buried six people for each one that stayed alive. Not figuratively, but literally. how else were we to smother the stench. But at the end of that year, our mysterious disease claimed it’s last victim, and, as suddenly as we had all seen it start, it stopped.
The consequences that we weren't expecting became the most impactful as it came to a halt. We no longer had the human beings needed to maintain some of our ongoing projects. The first meltdown was in Russia only months before the end of the plague.
Sick, under-qualified, and over-worked emergency employees at a thermonuclear power plant failed to maintain and respond to a critical reactor failure. A cooling pipe had burst, and that had been the beginning. I suppose if there had been a CNN or Fox News at the time, there would have been incredible blame thrown upon the leadership for allowing such dangerous practices, but we all knew what had happened. Maybe not the specifics, but we knew why. Just as much as you do.
It kept happening, and nobody had expected or planned for this, reactors kept melting down. Whole portions of the world were drenched in severe fallout, cities abandoned. By the time we realized that our governments had crumbled completely, it was over. Highways became death traps as desperate people, unable to feed themselves without the structure and labor once provided by the six and a half billion people in the world. Then came the real explosions.
The first bomb went off in what had once been salt lake city. It leveled the damn place. It turns out that, even after the world is over, it’s still important to know where the nukes are at. We only ever managed to collect half of the nukes from before the plague. The rest are either lost, dismantled, or used.
When we finally managed to pick up the pieces and try to reassemble the world, where I lived had been claimed by “The United Republic of Eastern States”. The rest of what had once been north america had been divided up between the Theocratic Nation of the End Times in middle america and the south, and the Social Democracy of the West.
Suddenly humans were incredibly valuable again. With less than a billion people on the planet, labor became incredibly important. The planet thrived, we could support every human being with no famine. Natural resources weren't spread so thin, and climate change scientists, those that were left at least, admitted that the plague might have saved humanity. It took a year for us to realize what it had really done.
A year to date after the last victim of the plague was claimed, I was working for the medical ministry of the Eastern States. The statistics came in, and my first reaction was to deny it. Zero births since the plague ended. We were baffled, and scared. Several calls to scientists around the world quickly confirmed our worst fears. Humanity had been sterilized.
It was the first time in history that the whole human race gathered together under one flag. The planet was once nation, with all it’s resources directed at preserving humanity and it’s children. Every scientist was directed to the sciences of longevity, cloning, or reproduction. Desperate cries for help to the stars were broadcast, looking for some celestial savior. War all but stopped, as we refused to risk the end of humanity.
At the two year mark from the end of the Plague, the first child was born from my lab. A girl, made from my genetic material, and that of one of my colleagues. We were overnight celebrities. The world applauded us as their saviours. Some people applauded the small child as the future mother of all humanity. That was only until we found out that she too was infertile. Her body had not been created with the capacity. Suddenly, it was just me and my lab.
Then it wasn’t. We couldn’t replicate our results. Nobody accused us of falsifying our original results, we had a one year old child to prove our initial success. It just would not happen again. We struggled for two more years, hoping to replicate those promising results that we called Mary. Sadness.
News broke. A leading computer expert and neurologist from what-had-once-been Beijing had transferred the brain patterns of a terminally ill patient from his mind into a specially made machine. It was claimed that his conscience survived. There were questions, as it was hard to prove that it was still a human conscience that survived within his machine.
The questions only persisted until he transferred his own mind into a metal body for a week, leaving his body comatose. He transferred his mind back into his body, retaining memory and conscience of his time in the machine. His name, Xian-wing, became the most uttered name in post-plague society.
The waiting list for his ‘treatment’ was so long that I didn’t even bother signing up. I would be dead by the time it was my turn. Instead, I focused on my work. It took me another two years, but I finally had four more healthy fetuses in my cyber-wombs, and to me, two boys and two girls were born. I was able to replicate it again, and again. I found our solution.
I had a lot of time to think about this. The Great Filter: The theory that sentient life has some great challenge that prevents most species from leaving their own planet before it destroys itself, or is destroyed by poor luck. The idea that sterility was our great filter had been tossed around since the Plague. I had a different opinion. But I kept it to myself.
I had brought forth two hundred new humans, and Xian-wing had been placing hundreds into their mechanical minds. Humanity seemed to be rebounding. Our greatest minds could control the rate of population creation. Data storage was the only limitation of human population, as those embedded in machined began to live their lives halfway between the virtual reality, in which only they could live, and reality. We were no longer struggling for resources, science was progressing rapidly since all of our resources had been diverted to our technology. We looked to the stars and, for the first time, they looked back.
They landed in what had once been the Arabian Peninsula. A giant object of unknown origin that broadcast a simple signal. They welcomed us to the stars, in our own languages. The message played on repeat for a week before the vessel disappeared to the stars once more. Suddenly there was urgency to reach the stars. We stepped out, jumped into orbit.
They had been waiting for us. They welcomed us in person this time, as they brought our small shuttle aboard their hulking space-craft. From what I understand, they had been watching for a long time. We eventually thought to ask about the Great Filter, and my suspicions were confirmed.
Our Great Filter had not been our Sterility, but our Sterility had been the way we slipped the sieve. We had been far too effective at procreating, destroying our planet through the thoughtless creation of millions of new humans when we couldn't feed the ones that we already had. This inane multiplication had been like the parasite that grows until it kills the host, and itself in the process.
Now that was under control, and we were through the filter. We had earned our place in the stars, and been welcomed into it. We had even learned the secrets of immortality through technology. All thanks to one very special virus.
“The Plague”

title: [SF] After the Plague

question: Summarize the story's twist ending.

answer: The Plague that ravaged humanity did in fact destroy its ability to reproduce, which had been thought to be a great filter. The Plague was in fact a virus created by an advanced alien species in order to sterilize humans so that they could colonize the Earth once the human population was managed.

critique: The twist is that the plague wasn't a virus, rather than that the plague was a virus.

critique: The answer omits the narrator's role in helping to repopulate the world.

critique: The Plague was not created by aliens, but by a virus.

text: The plague that almost destroyed humanity ended up saving the species and allowing humans a place among the stars.

question: What does the story say about the bubonic plague?

answer: No answer

critique: The response misses to mention that the plague is the one that humanity had to overcome to reach the stars.

critique: The question is asking for a summary of the subtext in the story-the implications are that the "plague" in the story is a metaphor for the Bubonic plague.

critique: The answer should mention the similarities between the plague in the story and the bubonic plague.

question: Summarize the negative events that occur as a result of the plague.

answer: The population of the world is reduced by 85% in a year. The plague caused a human-made nuclear plant in Russia to fail, causing severe fallout and the abandonment of the cities surrounding it. The plague caused all governments of the world to crumble. The population dwindled so much that labor became incredibly important again.

critique: The answer doesn't mention the plague causing the human race to be sterilized.

critique: The answer omits the sterilization of the human race.

critique: The question asks for negative events, not the consequences of the plague.

critique: It is omitted that the plague sterilized humanity.

critique: There is no evidence to suggest that the government crumbled as a result of the plague. All the negative events described happened after the population was vastly reduced.


split: train

text:
MCCORMICK ISLAND is a island, located in the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It's one of the larger islands that makes up the Sheets Island Archipelago (3,675 acres) in the Susquehanna River. Other islands surrounding are Sheets Island, and Governor’s Mansion Island. It is directly south of the I-81 bridge, and can be seen from many different places in Harrisburg. It also is relatively close to Wade Island, another popular stopover for birds in migration. Wade Island is protected and access is not permitted. The various shorebirds present on McCormick Island represent an attraction for bird enthusiasts. Wade Island Rookery, Pennsylvania's largest multi-species nesting island, is also a great attraction.[1]

History

Like most of the Susquehanna River islands, McCormick is made up of layered flood deposits laid down over many years. Paleoindians used this island as a seasonal encampment nearly 8,000 years ago.[2] As floods occurred, many of the previous remains of the Indians became buried. Thus McCormick Island is layered with many different artifacts of previous societies. Stone tools have been recovered, cooking hearths, ceramics, beads, and metal objects. Possible post and pole objects have also been discovered.[3] McCormick Island now contains a large, protected Native American archaeological site.

Ownership

On August 15, 2007, the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC) purchased McCormick Island from the City of Harrisburg for a total cost in excess of $125,000. The main goal intended in the purchase is to preserve this vital asset for birds close to being endangered, as well as protecting other habitats. McCormick remains open to the public with walking trails and places for picnicking and camping. River recreation activities such as fishing, boating, canoeing and jet skiing are permitted.[4] Strict rules apply to trash and disposal to help reduce the pollution on the island.

Animals

[Great blue heron] McCormick Island regularly supports thousands of waterfowl during the migratory season, such as the common loon, horned grebe, red-breasted merganser, lesser scaup, and bufflehead.[5] McCormick Island also represents the highest concentration of wading birds in Pennsylvania during the breeding season including the great egret, yellow-crowned night-heron and black-crowned night-heron. The island also provides important breeding habitat for the black-crowned night-heron, which is classified as a candidate- at risk species in Pennsylvania and under consideration for Pennsylvania endangered species status. Thus McCormick Island is declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) by The National Audubon Society.[6] Any disturbance on the island could possibly impact the bird habitat. McCormick Island provides a great avian habitat because of the forested wetland complex and shallow foraging areas, and open water.[7] Typically, the main birds spotted on McCormick Island are: great blue heron, green back heron, black-crown night heron, egrets, and bald eagles. Non avian species documented on the island include river otter, beaver, muskrat, snapping turtle, yellow-bellied slider turtle, map turtle and water snake. American toad populations are abundant on the islands.

Plants

McCormick Island and surrounding islands are primarily deciduous forest and dominated by river birch, sycamore, silver maple, tulip poplar and poison ivy. Several plant species of Pennsylvania concern inhabit the island including aster-like boltonia, flat-leaved pondweed, umbrella magnolia, blue-eyed grass, and umbrella flatsedge. [Trees and other vegetation on McCormick Island, Harrisburg, PA.]

[1] Paddle in solitude on Pa.'s first river trail

[2] CPC to Purchase McCormick's Island | Central Pennsylvania Conservancy

[3]

[4] Pennsylvania IBA Conservation Action Summary

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: McCormick Island

question: Summarize the conservation efforts of McCormick Island.

answer: The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC) purchased McCormick Island from the City of Harrisburg in 2007. The main goal of the purchase was to preserve the island for birds close to being endangered. The island is also protected as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by The National Audubon Society. Any disturbance on the island could possibly impact the bird habitat.

critique: "The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC) purchased McCormick Island from the City of Harrisburg in 2007." - is irrelevant and should be deleted.

critique: It's omitted that the island is open to the public with walking trails and places for picnicking and camping.

critique: Does not mention rules regarding removal of trash, which impact the amount of pollution on the island.

critique: The answer omits the strict rules applied to the island to help reduce pollution.

critique: The answer could mention the strict rules about trash disposal.

critique: The answer omits the strict rules for trash disposal.

critique: The answer omits the strict rules on trash disposal.


text:
Damn. Now I really didn't see this happening. Of all the things to happen at this bland school and this is the shit that happens. Wow. I guess I'm getting a bit carried, let me start from the beginning.
          My school, Jefferson Middle School, is rather boring, nothing really exciting happens here except the occasional girl drama that usally goes like, "Brian likes me! Not you, skany hoe!" And ends in a matter of three days. I'm usually quiet, if you were to call me "popular girl," you would be wrong but calling me a "nerd" wouldn't be right either. I was just sort of there. I had my friends and that's all I needed. That's where this story starts. With my friend, Daniel. Daniel was a pretty intresting boy. All acceralted classes, loved video games and comics, and wasn't bad looking at all. Over the first year of middle school, Daniel and I became pretty close. Hanging out after school and learning about eachother. It was pretty nice. Daniel loved life and he wasn't afraid to show it. If he had something to say, oh would he say it, but he was never disrespectful about it. He was always being a gentlemen. People always said shit about him.
         "Oh! Did you hear about Daniel? I heard he was sucking cock in the bathroom!"
         "Daniel the fag!"
         "Daniel should go burn in fucking hell with all the other fags that enjoy buttsex!" Get the trend here? They kept on saying he was gay, over and over. Through messages on Facebook, notes, or even writing on bathroom walls, which is very cliche. There have been times where I have asked if he was gay and I would get the same answer every time.
          "Do you think I am?" Over and over, he never changed it. Daniel was really proud and he felt as if he shouldn't state if he were gay or not and I really admire that about him. 8th grade started and I assumed that the gay jokes would have gotten old by now, but they didn't. They actual got worse. More people started calling him a "fag, dick-sucker," and spreading rumors that I don't even wanna remember. I noticed a change in Daniel, he wasn't as outgoing, didn't speak his mind, became less quite, less proud. I tried helping him, I really did but it never worked. He seemed to just become more depressed. Those kids never noticed either, they just attacked him more and more, getting more ruthless with each insult. This drama was lasting way more than three days and I wasn't sure what would happen. Shit even got worsed.
          That's when I heard the intercom come on one day during class.
       "Students, I am sad to announce that our student, Daniel Rigsbee, has died yesterday." They didn't tell us how he died, but we all knew. He killed himself. The voice of the principal announcing his death was so fucking emotionless, it made it seem as if Daniel was some character in a movie that died. Everyone was silent. I was filled with anger. Those ruthless bastards did this. They didn't know when to stop. The minute the bell rang, I sprinted to his house asking if it was true was they said today. His father simply nodded and beckoned me in. He said that there was a note left in his room directed to me and "bitches." I walked to his room, feeling as if I was going to puke. I found the note, all directed in rainbows, colors, and smiley faces. It made me sick. I opened the note with nervoness and read.
        "Dear Juno and the son of bitches at school. Let me make this clear. I am not fucking gay. I am as straight as the pole your mom dances on. I should not have to tell people this, it's my life and you shouldn't be butting in. Pun intended. You caused this and I hope you feel great. You did it! You've killed me! I'm not gonna say that this wasn't your guys' fault because fuck that. It totally was. I hope you live with that burden that you killed me for your whole life. Juno, I hope you live a great life and don't cry over me, you didn't cause this. You are amazing and don't let people do what they did to me to you. I would punch their neck. (:
                                            Bye,
                                                  Daniel-Not fucking gay-Rigsbee
        What the fuck? That wasn't sad at all. This was the Daniel that I knew. He killed himself because he was done of the shit. I don't think he felt sorry or anything. I don't even know. As I turned to leave, I found something else. It was another note reading, "I hope this was exciting enough for you, Juno. I am a coward. I wasn't gonna deal with this anymore. They didn't win, remerber that. I won. They get to deal with my death. -Daniel"
         Fucking. Daniel.

title: Uhhmm...Well I'm 13 and I would like to be a writer when I get older so here's one of my short stories. Reviews? Be honest.

question: What does the story say about bullying?

answer: The author believes bullies didn't care about Daniel and that their bullying tactics might have made Daniel commit suicide. She believes the bullies are the ones who killed her friend. She points out that the bullies were unrelenting, and the only resolution he could find was to kill himself.

critique: The first sentence is a bit confusing. It would be better to say that the author believes bullies didn't care about Daniel and that their bullying tactics might have made him commit suicide.

text: It would be more accurate to say 'narrator' instead of 'author'.

category: accuracy

question: Summarize the narrator's relationship with Daniel.

answer: Juno and Daniel are best friends and have been since 8th grade. She cares deeply for him. However, she didn't notice the student body's cruelty towards him. She was angry when she heard he committed suicide.

critique: The answer should mention that Daniel is the one who committed suicide.

critique: The narrator's anger at Daniel's death is omitted.

text: Remove "However, she didn't notice the student body's cruelty towards him." It is not accurate.

question: Summarize the school's reaction to Daniel's death.

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the school's reaction was emotionless.

question: What does the story say about the bullies' reaction to Daniel's note?

answer: No answer

critique: The response can include the actual content of the note because it's declared to be public in the story.

critique: The response is incorrect. The story does not say anything about the bullies' reaction to Daniel's note.

critique: The response is not related to the passage.

critique: The answer should mention that the bullies did not react to the note.

critique: The answer should mention that the bullies didn't have a reaction.


text:
“I told you, I’m not going to kill myself, I just want to see some goddamn-,” he stopped short as he bounded up the last flight of stairs and took in the scene before him.

“You seem, crestfallen, Alex.”

“This is my spot,” he murmured, a tinge of annoyance making a rare debut in his typically even-keeled demeanor.

The spot actually belonged to Jacob D. Flores, a real estate developer specializing in parking garage properties, as he owned the building whose roof deck was now populated by fifty shades of the neighborhood, all jockeying for the best spot to watch the fireworks over the concrete heat-sink of downtown.

“So you aren’t going to jump, then?”

He turned to the girl. “Sam, I hate falling. I don’t even ride roller coasters. If I was going to kill myself I really wouldn’t jump off of a parking garage and splat in somebody’s alley on the Fourth of July. That is uncool. I am not uncool. We’ve been through this.”

“Bad grammar is uncool. Double negatives are super-uncool.”

“Oh my god, you are the antichrist.”

“Rude people are uncool-”

“Okay, that’s it, I’m jumping,” he broke away in long strides towards the dozen-or-so spectators.

A large bald man squatted over a comically large camera and tripod. Four college kids passed a bowl conspicuously, expressions evaporating as they exhaled in symphony. A chubby twenty-something thumbed his blackberry with the grace of an ape. Two hipsters made out on top of a mini-cooper.

Sam huffed, exasperated that she couldn’t trump threats of suicide. She was a gangly girl with an eccentric beauty that seemed lost on many, most notably Alex Decker, the boy whose violent death would send her into a state of psychiatric breakdown and must therefore be prevented at all costs.

She turned, walked three paces, and stopped. A dozen towns’ fireworks displays littered the horizon at various scales, belligerent displays of light and fire reduced to blips in the sky. Sluggish thuds of their far-away relevance only added to the ever present din of the city at night. It was all so nonchalant. The world seemed to groan under the sheer weight of itself in the soggy summer night heat.

They didn’t speak for the rest of the night. By the time she caught up with him his eyes were red and he seemed distant. They situated themselves on a high wall overlooking the trickle of visitors still filing in to join the block party. The new arrivals were predictably more inebriated.

“HEY-” bellowed a shirtless teen in cargo shorts to nobody in particular, “THIS IS AMERICA.”

The crowd erupted. Somebody had just begun broadcasting the Black Eyed Peas from their late model Jeep Cherokee when the first rocket sailed overhead and splintered across the sky in elegant, symmetrical geometries.

They watched in silence as the glass skyline dazzled as if it was ablaze.

Sam placed her hand on top of his. It was warm. Her heart beat in her throat as she felt him turn to meet her gaze, but a stranger looked back. She recoiled in surprise, breath short as her eyes scanned the crowd for a blonde shock of hair.

Her stomach plummeted as her eyes locked on the back of his head. His outstretched arms sprawled in mock flight as his body fell, resigned to the whims of gravity. It was the last she would ever see of Alex Decker. Overhead, an explosion rocked the world to its core.

She awoke in a cold sweat with Beethoven’s ninth symphony stuck in her head. Her terrarium collection still thrived.

She allowed herself to indulge in the waves of relief washing over her. “Tomorrow”, she whispered to herself, “is going to count for something.”

title: Fireworks [624 words]

question: What does the story say about what Alex is talking about with his mother and Sam?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer is incorrect. The story shows what Alex is talking about with Sam and his mother.

question: What does the story say about why Alex commits suicide?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer is false. The story does mention why Alex commits suicide.

critique: No answer indicates the relevance, merit, and/or accuracy of the question/answer. It does not indicate the accuracy of the answer given. The right response to a completion task should be accurate based on the information given and provide some answer, which the incorrect response given by the model here did more specific by mentioning there is no answer, but the information given in the story is not accurate.

critique: The answer should mention that the story doesn't say.

critique: The answer should mention that the story does not say why Alex commits suicide.

critique: The answer should mention that the story does not mention why Alex commits suicide.

critique: The story does not answer this question.

critique: The answer should clarify that Alex commits suicide because he is depressed.


text:
It hurts the same every time.

-+-

There was a time when we discovered how to travel across interstellar spaces. I remember that. I KNOW that. We entrusted the predictions of these immense voyages to infallible supercomputers who could correlate all the data that the human mind could not. They predicted all the dangers and plotted safe passage.

-+-

As a race we had grown intelligent and powerful. We had mastered the capture of the atom and the cell. This I KNOW. We could harvest energy and bend it to our will, and take the hair of a soldier and construct from that his twin in a single year. I remember the pride, as an echo of an echo.

-+-

I do not remember where I was going or where I was from. I, like everyone else, would sleep in stasis on the journey between the stars. The computer would cradle us, and we would bask in its accumulated wisdom, under the watch of its ever-awake eye. But something must have happened. This I KNOW.

It hurts the same every time.

-+-

I was so sure I was having a nightmare. I was so confident in our vigil. But nightmares end. It is a truth universal that even nightmares share a mercy.

We were so powerful that we were certain we had cheated death. Every one of us born perfect. Our understanding of our anatomy, the strength of our technology, the peak of our medicine. The computer implant grown within us, and our pinnacle of regeneration, made us consciously endless, never fearing death. This, I KNOW.

-+-

I do not remember what caused the collision. Whether it was malicious or unpredictable, the damage endures. The vigil failed us, failed me. Something has altered the equation. The crew is gone, the ship is rudderless, the captain is missing, and around is a veil of alien stars. I am lost. But still, I drift. The corruption of the vigil endures and so must I. This I KNOW.

-+-

This I KNOW: It is impossible to determine how many years it has been, even if I could remember. Each instance is connected to the last only by sensation, the tether of a cord unseverable. I do not remember my identity, my home, my nation, my face. Each gestation is a year, but nothing dates here, just the occasional wax and wane of ice and heat, ice and fire, that buckles and burns but leaves no calendar, no demarcation of date or hour, second or century-+-

Something has corrupted the computer's laws. Whether it was from the impact that tore this section of the ship away or the interposition of a deity I will never KNOW. The air is gone, and only this small room remains, holding my endless birthing vessel fixed to the floor. We spin constantly, spiralling through the dark. Every time the machine births me, and I do not know why it chose me or who I am to it, the result is the same; I suffocate and freeze, my naked body convulsing in spasms of burning pain as the nerves in my arms and legs are raked with blossoming frigidity.

I have tried to scream, but there is no air in my lungs. I have clawed out my eyes and ripped out my own throat but I still return. I have tried to float away from the wreckage and into the endless night. I have beat on the vessel with my bloody fists but there is no time and it will not break, no time until I begin to fade away into death, no time to destroy and finally end this hell before another year passes and I am reborn-+-

It hurts the same every time.

-+-

title: [SF] It hurts the same every time

question: Summarise what the story says about the condition the narrator is in.

answer: The structure of the ship the narrator is on followed a single crew of people. As they travelled through interstellar space, the computer calculated when they passed their targets safely. Somewhere along the journey they collided with another ship. The other ship's wreckage is still attached to the ship. The damage has shut down the computer and made it useless. There are no people living on the ship any more. Without the computer regulating the ship's functions, it has caught fire. The different rings indicate the passage of time, but no calendar or demarcation of the hour or the second. There is no air and the structure of the ship does not burn. The narrator is essentially in an infinite loop where they are "birthed" by the ship's computer with no memory of how they were born.

critique: "As they travelled through interstellar space, the computer calculated when they passed their targets safely. Somewhere along the journey they collided with another ship." - the first sentence is overshadowed by the second sentence. An entire sentence should be devoted to describing the condition the narrator is in.

critique: The narrator is not in an infinite loop, but in a stasis.

critique: This response is wildly inaccurate and needs to be re-written.

critique: The narrator is not in an infinite loop.

critique: The computer is still working, it's just corrupted.

critique: "There are no people living on the ship any more." - all the humans are now dead.

critique: "There are no people living on the ship any more." - this is incorrect. The story says that the narrator was born on the ship and was the only one on it at the time of the collision.

critique: There is no indication the narrator is in a single ship with a single crew.

critique: The passage of time is irrelevant to the question.

critique: It is not stated that the structure of the ship has followed a single crew of people.

critique: Last sentence is highly speculative and not important.

critique: There is no evidence to suggest that there was only one crew.

critique: "There is no air and the structure of the ship does not burn." - this is inaccurate. The narrator's lungs are frozen and they suffocate. This sentence should be replaced.

text: The only relevant part of the response is the final sentence, where it describes the state of the narrator.

category: coverage

refinement: The structure of the ship the narrator is on followed a single crew of people. As they travelled through interstellar space, the computer calculated when they passed their targets safely. Somewhere along the journey they collided with another ship. The other ship's wreckage is still attached to the ship. The damage has shut down the computer and made it useless. There are no people living on the ship any more. Without the computer regulating the ship's functions, it has caught fire. The different rings indicate the passage of time, but no calendar or demarcation of the hour or the second. There is no air and the structure of the ship does not burn. The narrator is essentially in an infinite loop where they are "birthed" by the ship's computer with no memory of how they were born.

question: What does the text say about how the narrator found himself in the birthing vessel?

answer: No answer

critique: The text does give details on how the narrator found himself in the birthing vessel.

critique: No answer is given because the story does not answer the question.

critique: There is a mention of a collision in the text.

critique: It is omitted that the narrator manages to remember a little bit from what happened: that most of the crew members were killed and their captain is missing.

critique: There's a reference to the narrator not knowing how he ended up in the birthing vessel

critique: It is omitted that the narrator does not know how he got in the birthing vessel.

critique: The text does not describe how the narrator found himself in the birthing vessel.

question: What does the text say about the vigil?

answer: The vigil is the journey between the stars. It is entrusted to infallible supercomputers. They face and calculated every risk. The people on board sleep in stasis. The vigil failed the narrator and all the other people on the vessel.

critique: need to add more details about the vigil

critique: The narrator doesn't know what caused the collision.

critique: The vigil is the journey between the stars. It is entrusted to infallible supercomputers. They face and calculated every risk. The people on board sleep in stasis. The vigil failed the narrator and all the other people on the vessel.

critique: The vigil is not the journey between the stars.

critique: The answer should specify that the vigil failed because of an accident.

critique: The first sentence is redundant and makes the passage difficult to understand.

critique: There is no mention of the people being in stasis.

critique: "The vigil failed the narrator and all the other people on the vessel." - this should state who the vigil failed.

critique: The answer should mention the crew's death.

critique: Hint at the fact that the computer is the one who's watching over the people and providing life support to them.


text:
The ASIAN YOUNG RESEARCHERS CONFERENCE ON COMPUTATIONAL AND OMICS BIOLOGY (AYRCOB) is a conference series for young researchers and students who are conducting their research in the fields of computational, omics and systems biology in Asia. The main objectives of AYRCOB are to promote international exchange among young researchers in Asia and to deliver lectures given by leading researchers. One of unique characteristics of AYRCOB is that the conference itself is organized by young researchers (i.g. graduate students and post-doctoral fellows). From the outstanding performance of young students, the Dean Prize of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences by the University of Tokyo has been awarded to the committee in 2009 and 2011 respectively.

Affiliated Organizations

The AYRCOB has several affiliated organizations including:

CHINA

-   Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)

JAPAN

-   The University of Tokyo
-   Graduate University for Advanced Studies

KOREA

-   Yonsei University
-   Ewha Womans University
-   University of Science and Technology (UST)

SINGAPORE

-   Nanyang Technological University
-   Institute for Infocomm Research
-   National University of Singapore
-   National Junior College

TAIWAN

-   National Yang-Ming University
-   National Cheng Kung University
-   Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica
-   Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology of National Tsing Hua University
-   National Chiao Tung University
-   National Central University

Sponsors

The AYRCOB has various sponsors including:

CHINA

-   Beijing Genomics Institute

JAPAN

-   The University of Tokyo Global COE Program (Deciphering Biosphere from Genome Big Bang)
-   Japanese Society for Bioinformatics

KOREA

-   Korean Bioinformation Center
-   Korean University of Science and Technology (UST)
-   Daejeon Convention and Visitors Bureau
-   Yonsei University
-   Hankyoreh Media Group
-   The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI)

SINGAPORE

-   The Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet)
-   PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency
-   Association of Medical and Bioinformatics Singapore (AMBIS)

TAIWAN

-   Ministry of Education
-   National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)
-   National Science Council
-   National Tsing Hua University
-   National Chiao Tung University

Among the various sponsors that have supported AYRCOB, the 21st COE Program Elucidation of Language Structure and Semantics behind Genome and Life System (1st and 2nd conferences); its succeeding program, the Global COE Program Deciphering Biosphere from Genome Big Bang (after the 3rd conference); and the University of Tokyo, Japan have been the principal supporters thus far. The two COE programs aim to create a globally renowned research and education base at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. Because the GCOE program is a temporally limited program, it is as yet undecided whether a continuous support will be provided.

List of conferences

Japan-Taiwan Young Researchers Conference on Computational and Systems Biology, 2008 was held at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan

The 2nd Taiwan-Japan Young Researchers Conference on Computational and Systems Biology, 2008 was held at CBRC, AIST, Japan

3rd AYRCOB, 2010 was held at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

4th AYRCOB, 2010 was held at Matrix, Biopolis, Singapore

5th AYRCOB, 2011 was held at University of Science and Technology, Korea

6th AYRCOB, 2012 was held at BGI, Shenzhen, China

7th AYRCOB, 2013 was held at CBRC, Tokyo, Japan

8th AYRCOB, 2015 was held at National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

9th AYRCOB, 2016 was held at Matrix, Biopolis, Singapore

10th AYRCOB, 2016 was held at Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Category:Technology conferences

question: Summarize the main event discussed in the text.

answer: The Asian Young Researchers Conference on Computational and Omics Biology is a conference series for young researchers and students who are conducting their research in the fields of computational, omics, and systems biology in Asia. The main objectives of the conference are to promote international exchange among young researchers in Asia and to deliver lectures given by leading researchers. The AYRCOB has several affiliated organizations, including China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

critique: The answer should mention the Dean Prize.

critique: The answer is more about the conference than the main event.

question: Summarize the various sponsors that the Asian Young Researchers Conference on Computational and Omics Biology has.

answer:
China: Beijing Genomics Institute
Japan: The University of Tokyo Global COE Program, Japanese Society for Bioinformatics
Korea: Korean Bioinformatics Center, Hankyoreh Media Group, Yonsei University, The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information
Singapore: The Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network, PUB, Association of Medical and Bioinformatics Singapore
Taiwan: Ministry of Education, National Cheng Kung University, National Chiao Tung University, National Tsing Hua University, National Science Council

critique: The answer should include that the answer is not a complete list of sponsors.

critique: The inscription in a sentence is a part of the sentence.

critique: The answer could be more specific about the various sponsors.

critique: The answer is missing the sponsor, the University of Tokyo.

question: What does the text say about the unique characteristic of the conference?

answer: One of the unique characteristics of the AYRCOB is that the conference itself is organized by young researchers. The conference is also a platform for young researchers to promote international exchange. The outstanding performance of young students has also been recognized by the Dean Prize of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences by the University of Tokyo.

critique: The answer should mention that the conference is for young researchers and students.

critique: The answer should mention that the conference is for young researchers in the fields of computational, omics, and systems biology.

critique: The Dean Prize is awarded to the conference, not the outstanding performance of young students.

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

critique: Four out of the six highlighted sentences are irrelevant to the question. These can be removed.

critique: The answer should mention that the Dean Prize was awarded to the committee in 2009 and 2011.

critique: The answer should mention that the conference is for young researchers in the field of computational, omics, and systems biology.

question: How renowned and influential does this conference seem to be in Asia?

answer: It has been awarded the Dean Prize of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences by the University of Tokyo.

critique: The answer should also mention the sponsors that have supported AYRCOB.

critique: The answer does not answer the question.


text:
I was in the Starbucks all quiet and tucked away in my scarf, checking something on my phone, can't remember what for the life of me. The only thing running through my mind, *I don't need to be set up, I can take care of myself.*

*Look where that's got you, genius.* It was the voice of my friend, his words ringing through my head again. It was as if the conversation was repeating itself like a mental DVR. *Look, I'm not saying this girl's gonna be the love of your life, just give her a chance, coffee would suffice. All I know is me and Lindsay are getting real tired of you third-wheeling like a trike.*

*You know, you could just say she doesn't like me. It's not gonna be that big a blow to my ego.*

*Give this girl one chance. Please, for my sanity. If you turn down another girl she's gonna talk my ear off over it. And not to mention, ever since Lilian left you've been a grumpy little shit.*

He had to go there. *Fine. Whatever pleases the queen, I guess.* That thought carried me through up until the day of the date. It wasn't a blind date, but she's not really the, how do you say, vocal type. Then again, neither was Lilian. Not at first. I smirk as I remember what it took for her to even go out for coffee. I had to find the most remote coffee shop and bring her a complete menu and jump through all these hoops, come to think of it, I barely remember why I thought she was worth the trouble. Her smile, her giggle, her touch as I jumped through all these hoops just sent me over. I shake my head *snap out of it Dave, she's gone now.* I look up at the door and she's trying to find me, I wave her over and she makes her way to the couch/seat-thingy.

"Hey,"

"Hi. Can I get you a coffee?"

"No thanks, not really a coffee person, just a cocoa please." I get her drink and sit back down. She sips it and grins. She keeps sipping until she starts a bead of sweat. "Is it just me or is it hot in here?" She undoes her overcoat and unzips her jacket, and there's a Walk the Moon t-shirt

"You listen to Walk the Moon?"

"Yeah, I saw them in Cleveland a while back."

"No way, I tried to get tickets but they'd sold out. How'd you get tickets?" She looks down, the smile diminishes, but is still there.

"My, erm, ex-boyfriend, he- his brother was the drummer." She chokes over the end of the sentence.

"Um, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Lindsay had to drag me out of the apartment to come here. He was just such a big part of me, you know?"

"Oh god, tell me about it. When my ex left it was soooo messy. Don't even get me started. Drew and Lindsay spent hours trying to talk me into this whole date, I honestly didn't really have any expectations for today to be honest..."

"Oh really? They were telling me you were DYING to meet me for coffee after that party at Roland's"

"That was the first time I'd been out since the break up."

"Oh wow, that recent huh?"

"No, I sulked that long. Drew actually talked me into this with the same pitch,"

In unison, as if we'd rehearsed, "Oh, (he/she)'s just DYING to meet you. You really made an impression at Roland's."

She continues on, "So, uh, how long were you, erm, sulking, since your breakup?"

"A solid 2 months. I'm just glad that I had online classwork to wrap up the term or I'd have flunked. I barely pulled myself out of bed for finals."

"Oh god, she must've done a number on you. We broke up just after finals. Us moving out of the dorm was almost a fitting farewell, but I didn't leave my new dorm all during winter break and then near a month into the first term. Of course I picked up syllabuses. Syllabi?"

"I get what you mean. So, erm, who else do you listen to besides Walk the Moon?"

"I listen to a lot of synth pop. MGMT, Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club..."

"Oh, have you heard Passion Pit's iTunes session? I have it on my phone if you wanna listen."

"I wanna hear it so bad. I'm too poor to afford that kinda stuff."

"The Pirate Bay, girl, it's where it's at."

"You're terrible!" She grabbed an ear bud and listened to the songs all the same. We listened, sang along, laughed at each other's terrible voices, and then shared other stories about broken bones, high school idiots, concert tales, even the occasional poke or hold of the hand. We sat there and talked for hours, and could've for hours more, but we'd heard the infamous words,

"Closing time. Wrap it up you two lovebirds." At this point we're the only ones left aside from that mighty bold barista.

"Can I get another hot chocolate for the road?" She asks.

"Ugh, fine," The barista took his time in making the cup. "Want anything on top?"

"Caramel'll do fine." He finishes up, and I get up and reach for my back pocket when he stops me,

"This one's on the house," I walk her out to her car. We continue talking until we reach her little old Civic in the back of the lot.

"Weellll, this is my mighty humble ride."

"Better than me and my ride."

"Why, what's your ri-" I stop her and point at my feet. "Ooh. Want a ride to the dorms?"

"No, I live in the apartments right across the street."

"Ok. Well, until next time," She hugs me and gets in her car.

"I'll be waiting," I continue mumbling, finishing the conversation. "For the first time since the break up."

title: Since the break up

question: Summarize the primary source of tension in the story.

answer: When Dave is getting ready for his date he is dreading having to talk to the girl he is being set up with. His ex-girlfriend Lilian left him recently and he's taken it very hard and hasn't let himself meet any new people, so he believes she will have a wonderful time as he is a grouchy potato and they hardly even talk. The girl makes it clear she was hoping to spend the first time she's seeing a man since leaving her ex talking. When Dave spots her at the Starbucks, he's incredibly happy and gets her her drink. They talk for hours about her ex-boyfriend, the breakup and how the new girl has moved on so quickly. Dave is irritated that his friends had talked about him, about a date that he was dreading for so long. The sorry truth is being so separated from the crowd only leads to more boredom, especially when Dave is an awkward savant.

critique: The answer is a summary of the story, not the primary source of tension.

critique: This is very redundant in places and has some inaccurate information as well.

critique: The answer is a summary of the story, but it is not the primary source of tension.

critique: The response contains inaccurate information.

critique: There is no evidence that Dave is an awkward savant.

critique: "His ex-girlfriend Lilian left him recently and he's taken it very hard and hasn't let himself meet any new people, so he believes she will have a wonderful time as he is a grouchy potato and they hardly even talk." - this is incorrect. Dave was never with Lilian. He was just sulking for two months and didn't talk to anyone.

question: Summarize how the main character changes over the story.

answer: The main character is shaken out of a two-month long sulking period. He meets a girl at the Starbucks he frequents and the two spend hours talking. The girl mentions her ex-boyfriend and that he was a big part of her. The main character empathizes with her and they become closer.

critique: This is unnecessary detail and it should be replaced

critique: The response is missing the part where the main character is interested in the girl.

critique: The response misses to mention that the main character meets the girl at a Starbucks he frequents, and they spend hours talking. The girl mentions her ex-boyfriend and that he was a big part of her. The main character empathizes with her and they become closer.

critique: The response misses to mention that the main character is initially reluctant to go on a date with the girl but eventually gives in to his friend's request.

critique: The answer omits the main character's change of heart. He is initially reluctant to go on a date, but he eventually gives in to his friend's request.

critique: The main character is shaken out of a two-month long sulking period. He meets a girl at the Starbucks he frequents and the two spend hours talking. The girl mentions her ex-boyfriend and that he was a big part of her. The main character empathizes with her and they become closer. The girl leaves, and the main character is excited about the prospect of seeing her again.

critique: The response misses to mention that the main character is initially reluctant to go on a date with the girl, but eventually gives in to his friend's request.

critique: The answer omits the main character's change of heart.

question: What does the story say about the characters' taste in music?

answer: The girl listens to Walk the Moon, MGMT, Passion Pit, and Two Door Cinema Club. The guy listens to Walk the Moon and Passion Pit.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that the guy likes Walk the Moon and Passion Pit.

critique: The guy listens to Walk the Moon and Passion Pit.

critique: The answer omits that the girl and the guy listen to each other's music.

critique: The response does not mention that the guy listens to Passion Pit too.

question: What does the story say about the school the characters attend?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention the dorms and apartments.

critique: The answer should mention that the school isn't mentioned.

critique: There is no answer but there are a few things to clarify. There is mention of a party at Roland’s and a girl's dorm. Also, she describes a “first time since the break up” and is roommates with Lindsay.

critique: The answer should mention that the school is not mentioned.


text:
## The Mountain

He was tired. He had been tired for as long as he could remember, swaddled gently, almost protectively, in a deeper, more profound fatigue than the fatigue that comes of hard labor. He had been born tired, his mouth already yawning before he had even seen the world for the first time through heavy-lidded eyes, had taken in the dust and the leaves that settled heavily on the bed as though they had been planted and taken root and had grown wild. Even then, even when his experience with the world was nothing and he was not anything but could be everything and yet was incomplete he did not sleep. He rested. Never long enough he rested, but he lay alone and let the darkness rush in upon him. Darkness did not fear him and he did not fear darkness. Once he could walk his world expanded, in the same way the world expanded and shifted itself when he discovered how to make the noises that everyone else made, the wondrous noises that made him like everyone else but also made him aware of his difference from the others. They feared the darkness. They feared it because they could not see     , had never felt     , did not know     . But they saw it in his eyes, and they feared him.

---

The mountain had existed long before him, and will continue to exist long after his time on this earth is over, but it did not exist and he did not exist until he saw it for the first time. He was walking in the forest and suddenly became aware of it. There it was, looming up out of the land, fighting against and up and out of the land. He saw it and it saw him. He started coming back to the clearing each day and night to watch the mountain. It stood, massive, unknowable and known, through sun and moon and dry and wet. He stood, watching. It was of itself, he was of himself, they were almost one.

---

He was going to build a road. He was going to build a road up the mountain. His mountain. He worked first as a logger, venturing deep into the forests with the strong hard men that had walked this path every day of their lives since they were ten, that had become a part of the forest, moving within like a part of the whole, at ease among the towering giants, looking upon them as they would look upon an old friend. "I'm goin' to build a road" "Where" The question was asked during lunch. "Over the mountain" At that they stopped eating and stared at him. He sat, unaware that he had had said something out of place, so sure of himself, sure of his goal his purpose that nothing could stop him that the older men who had grown so used to the way that life worked that they could no longer remember a time when anything was possible. They recognized in him a vibrant solemnity and so they left him be, just as they left him be when they saw him pause and stare into the forest, face taut, his eyes searching for something only he could see, just as he left them when he had learned how to fell trees with a single mighty blow of his axe. He left, and he bought two horses to haul the wood. They had never seen him sleep.

---

He left them there, and went to the mine. The first time he entered he felt that he could not breathe, the familiar darkness unfamiliar and enveloping him and the mountain bearing down on him. His mountain. But he was stronger than his fear and so he pushed on, learning how to listen for the whispers of the rock. "I'm goin' to build a road" The miners did not laugh at him for they had seen the way he looked at the mountain each morning as they descended. They had seen his eyes, eyes filled with     . He knew every tree that had ever grown on it, every stone that had torn loose or been removed, every crack in its face that had been there since before his birth. He surpassed the miners, learning the secrets of the mountain, his mountain, the twistings and turnings of the rock.

---

He woke the next day, feeling rested for the first time in his life. *The road* He made his breakfast, moving quietly. His tools were heavy in his hands as he carried them carefully to the chest. The horses outside stamped their hooves. *I am ready ready am I ready My hands are my own and my hands know how to do what hands do, but how do I know how to do what hands do* He lifted the chest onto his shoulder, not even noticing the weight, not bothering to close the door after his passage. The horses' breath hung heavily, mixing with his own breath as he heaved the chest into the wagon, only after feeling the burn in his muscles. He turned. The mountain, his mountain, loomed above him. *I hear the horses I hear the trees I hear the land I hear it hear the mountain hear you* The horses moved forward steadily. Behind him the house retreated, fading from view and memory as if finally surrendering to something greater than those that built it, greater than the mountain, greater even than memory. As he reached the base of the mountain, the horses suddenly stopped and stamped their feet, mouths foaming and eyes rolling, and refused to travel any further. Once again he stepped down onto the dirt, placing one foot deliberately and then the second. Once again he walked to the back of the wagon and hoisted his precious chest on one large shoulder. Leaning slightly to compensate for the load, he continued toward his mountain. It was still several miles distant, but he could see the clearing where he would begin. He continued walking towards the mountain, into the land, into     , and vanished. *The road road the road the*

title: The Mountain - a short story in Faulknerian style

question: Summarize everything to do with the road.

answer: The man plans to build a road up the mountain that he sees. He works first as a logger. He buys two horses to haul the wood. He leaves the horses there and goes to the mine. He surpasses the miners, learning the secrets of the mountain. He builds the road.

critique: This repeats too much and uses repeated information more than once, when some of it is not necessary.

critique: The man doesn't build the road. He vanishes into the mountain.

critique: The answer omits the fact that the man builds the road.

critique: The man does not build the road. He vanishes into the land.

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

critique: The response misses to mention that he builds the road once he reaches the base of the mountain.

critique: The answer omits the fact that the man disappears while building the road, and it's implied that he's dead.

text: While the text mentions the man buying horses, it never says the man leaves the horses somewhere.


text:
Sources within House Republican leadership told Breitbart News on Thursday that they believe former 2016 presidential candidate Evan McMullin may have spied on them last year, while he was policy director of the House Republican Conference.

Suspicions arose after the _Washington Post_‘s Adam Entous reported Wednesday that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) “made a politically explosive assertion in a private conversation on Capitol Hill with his fellow GOP leaders: that Trump could be the beneficiary of payments from Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

The story was treated by other news outlets as a potential “smoking gun” implicating Trump. A closer look, however, raises serious questions about the story, as well as its sources.

The _Post_ based its reporting on an audio recording of a conversation between McCarthy and Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Patrick McHenry (R-NC) on June 15, 2016.

It is not clear who recorded the conversation, or what kind of device was used. (Entous did not return a request for comment.)

The _Post_ did not post the actual audio recording for readers to listen to and judge for themselves. Instead, it posted a supposed transcript of the recording, riddled with typographical errors that would be atypical for the _Post_, at least in an important story.

(The _Post_ routinely accuses conservative journalists like James O’Keefe — falsely — of editing their videos in a misleading manner. In 2012, the _Post_‘s media critic, Erik Wemple, mocked O’Keefe: “A great deal of work is required to heavily edit surreptitious encounters with folks throughout the professional world.” Yet now the _Post_ has published a blockbuster story based on audio that may be edited deceptively — and there is no way to know.)

On Wednesday evening, Entous told Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC: “The source, which basically let us listen to the recording, has not provided us with the audio for us to release, otherwise I think we would. So I have listened to it, and some of my colleagues have listened to it several times … There’s about four of us that listened to it.”

He did not say how they had listened to it — whether over the telephone, or in a voice mail, or as an email attachment.

The _Post_ does not appear ever to have had the audio in its possession. Entous merely wrote that the audio “was listened to and verified by The Washington Post.”

The term “verified” could mean anything — it could simply mean the audio Entous heard matched the transcript. It does not mean that the _Post_ had confirmed that the audio was unedited, nor does it mean that the _Post_ confirmed the authenticity of the recording with the people present.

Curiously, the dateline on Entous’s story was Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. McCarthy and Ryan held talks earlier that day with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on Capitol Hill. None of the _Post_ reporters involved in the story — including “Andrew Roth in Moscow, Michael Birnbaum in Brussels and Robert Costa in Washington” — is based in Ukraine. It is not clear why overseas reporters were involved in the story.

Breitbart News’ sources, who agreed to speak about the _Post_ story without attribution, raised suspicions about Evan McMullin, a former CIA agent who ran a small third-party presidential campaign in 2016.

McMullin was the policy director of the House Republican Conference at the time of the conversation, and reportedly participated in the discussion.

In February, McMullin publicly encouraged U.S. intelligence officials to leak information about President Trump, taking to Twitter and appearing on CNN to claim that intelligence agents who were breaking the law were doing so in service of their oath to defend the Constitution against “domestic and foreign enemies.” He told CNN that “Donald Trump presents a threat to the country,” and referred to “a security threat coming from the White House.”

He also offered Entous a comment for his story in the _Post_: “It’s true that Majority Leader McCarthy said that he thought candidate Trump was on the Kremlin’s payroll. Speaker Ryan was concerned about that leaking,” he said.

The transcript itself suggests McCarthy was joking. The context of the private conversation was a discussion about how Russian propaganda has infiltrated Ukraine and beyond.

McCarthy told his colleagues that the Russians had hacked the Democratic National Committee to find opposition research on Trump, and then laughed. According to the transcript at the _Post_, the conversation then proceeded as follows — punctuated by repeated bouts of laughter:

  McCarthy: The Russians hacked the DNC and got the opp [sic] research that they had on Trump.

  McCarthy: laughs

  [Crosstalk]

  Ryan: The Russian’s [sic] hacked the DNC…

  McHenry: …to get oppo…

  Ryan: …on Trump and like delivered it to…to who?

  [Unintelligible]

  McCarthy: There’s…there’s two people, I think, Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump…[laughter]…swear to God.

  Ryan: This is an off the record…[laughter]…NO LEAKS…[laughter]…alright?! [Laughter]

  Ryan: This is how we know we’re a real family here.

Entous seemed determined to portray that exchange as a serious revelation of evidence against Trump. Several paragraphs into his article, he admitted: “It is difficult to tell from the recording the extent to which the remarks were meant to be taken literally.” Yet he has since been at pains to paint McCarthy’s statement as a serious one.

On MSNBC’s _Hardball_, Entous told Chris Matthews: “I listened to it very carefully, and he says it very seriously.” Later, he told O’Donnell, “I want to be really honest … Frankly, it’s kind of hard to tell. Certainly the conversation is very, very serious.” (O’Donnell chimed in to offer “Catholic boy guidance,” saying that “people with names like Kevin McCarthy and Paul Ryan,” the phrase “swear to God” means that a statement is to be taken literally.)

Entous went on to say that McCarthy had spoken “very matter-of-factually,” but admitted “some people in the room laugh[ed].”

_Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named one of the “most influential” people in news media in 2016. He is the co-author of _How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution_, is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak._

question: Why was the audio transcript riddled with errors?

answer: It is not clear who recorded the conversation or what kind of device was used.

critique: The transcript was riddled with errors, not the recording.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: The transcript is riddled with errors, not the recording.

critique: The transcript was riddled with errors because the Washington Post did not verify the authenticity of the audio recording with the people present.

critique: The transcript wasn't riddled with errors. It was just inaccurate.

text: There is no answer in the article.

category: coherence


text:
As I lie here, alone and fading, I feel there is nothing more to do than reflect and wait. However, the last thing I want is to come across as pitiful, or sad, or lonely, even though I must confess to being all of the above. life is a strange gift, it is something we do not ask for, yet we accept it as a necessity. Now, when I look back, I see all the time wasted. I can see now how I continued to spend all that time living with the intention of living, even though I knew I must die. I use the term 'living' loosely, because of my delusion that I would continue to live, it allowed me to continue in a state of routine, where nothing changed, no rights were wronged and nothing was done to make my life have some form of purpose once again.

It's a sad thing to admit, and most definitely a sad thing to realise, that you have spent very little of your life actually living, that you have spent so much of your time on autopilot without considering or acknowledging it, that when the end inevitably comes, you will regret each of those moments not fully cherished.

My memory has faded somewhat, but I remember the reasons why I find myself alone in this hospital. There are so many. I could list how I pushed away each and every person, but in the end it would only serve to remind me of my mistakes and my regret. Despite this, it ought to be said that I am entirely to blame for my own downfall. I have lived my life in ignorance and reinforced it with arrogance and stubbornness, if I could take it back- if I could take everything back- I would. I would plead with my friends to forgive, I would beg my lovers not to leave me and I would have been there for my family, because they were always there for me.

Alas, we cannot turn back time, all I can do is wallow in regret of moments wasted, hoping that somehow it will make a difference.

One of the great ironies of life- at least in mind- is that humanity strives for happiness, and yet is constantly dissatisfied with their lot. Rich and poor, black and white, men and women, all of them strive for more. All of them are miserable, and all of them end up in the same place once they are dead.

The end is coming soon. I can feel it, and it scares the hell out of me. I wish I could confide in someone, I wish there was someone to assure me that everything is going to be fine, but the truth is, even if there was someone here to tell me as much, I wouldn't believe them. We don't know what happens when we die, some of us claim to know, but nothing can be proven, nothing is certain, heaven and hell are just as likely as reincarnation, and reincarnation is just as likely as nothing at all. Either way, I am terrified, even though I know I have nothing left to live for, the end still scares me.

I suppose I should finish writing and close my eyes for a while, I have been drowsy for a long time now, maybe it is all the sedatives that are being pumped into my system, or maybe it is the illness, either way, it is useless resisting.

Before I go however, I did want to say one thing. I wanted to say I am sorry, to everyone I ever wronged, to everyone and anyone I ever pushed away or hurt, I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart. I lived my life as a spiteful human being, and I cannot ever forgive myself, but I loved you, I loved all of you, even the ones I hated, because you gave my life purpose, and without you, my life would have meant nothing.

So it would seem that is it. I needed to say sorry and thank you. I can't forget my manners. I simply wish my final thoughts to be that of thankfulness. I will be thankful to join those I have lost, mostly my dear mother who I have missed for over thirty years, I will be with her soon, and for that too, I am thankful.

This will be the last memoir I write. The last words I put on paper. I suppose there should be some kind of conclusion or catharsis, something that ties all loose ends and wraps everything up nicely, but I don't have that power. Really, there is only word left to say, and that word is:

Goodbye.

title: The Final Memoir of a Dying Man

question: What is the first regret of this dying man?

answer: He pushed away his friends.

critique: The man regrets pushing away everyone, not just his friends.

critique: There are many reasons why the man pushed away his friends. They haven't been named.

critique: It is omitted that he regrets not cherishing the moments he spent with his friends.

critique: The dying man regrets pushing away his friends, lovers and family.

critique: The dying man regrets pushing away all the people in his life, not just his friends.

question: Why is the man sad and lonely?

answer: He feels he has wasted his life.

critique: Making this into a complete sentence will enhance the response.

critique: The answer should mention that he feels he has wasted his life because he is dying.

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

critique: The answer should mention that he feels this way because he has pushed away everyone.

critique: It's omitted that he feels this way because he pushed people away and regrets it.

text: The answer should mention that as he is on his death bed he regrets the fact that he pushed away everyone in his life.

question: What is the cause of the narrator's illness?

answer: The narrator's illness is not explicitly stated.

critique: The illness is explicitly stated. It is implied that the illness is the cause of the narrator's death.

critique: It is implied that the narrator has a terminal illness.

critique: The narrator seems to know the cause of his illness. That he doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean it isn't stated.

critique: It is not stated, but it is implied that the narrator's illness is terminal.

critique: The narrator's illness is explicitly stated.


text:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

PEOPLE
Activate Your Voice 4 Autism
And Speak Out Against Bullying
October 24, 2017
[](VOXtra) - Would you like to voice support for awareness and acceptance of people with autism, and at the same time, speak out against bullying?

Scores of performers are doing that now during National Bullying Prevention Month, and more are welcome to join the #Activate4Autism public awareness campaign sponsored by the non-profit Geek Club Books organization.

"The autistic are often misunderstood, marginalized, undervalued and three times more likely to be victims of bullying," notes Jodi Murphy, founder and president of Geek Club Books. "Most grow up with a sense of shame because they've been stereotyped, judged as strange, and are often bullied for being different."

And for Murphy, that's personal.

"My son Jonathan is a union voice actor and he is also on the autism spectrum," she says. "But autism has never stopped him from getting work, thanks to his hard work and talent, great training and coaches and his professionalism."

"Jonathan studied for years with (voice actor/coach) Elaine Clark, and Elaine has produced his demos," she adds. So Murphy first approached Clark about participating in the autism campaign.

"Elaine said yes, which gave me the confidence to personally move forward. I started reaching out to other voice actors, sharing the vision, and over 90 percent said yes. A very generous group! I hope others want to make videos, too." (See below for details on how to participate.)

'ACTIVATING MY VOICE' ...

Here's an example video, from popular video game voice Dave Fennoy:

Videos have also been created by ...

-   Animation voice actor Katie Leigh, saying, "I am activating my voice for autism. I know that the work that we do has touched so many in the autism community, and they are my friends."
-   Voice actor/agent Erik Sheppard and voice actor Lindsay Sheppard, saying "It's time to stop thinking about what people with autism can't do, and let them show the world what they can do."
-   Voice actor/coach Elaine Clark, saying "It's important for all of us to accept and learn from autistic people. They have so much to offer and such a unique way way to look at the world."
-   And voice actors Brian Sommer, Jonathan Cormur and many more.

  You can see them all here.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE ...
Jodi explains how to participate:

  1. Make a 5- to 15-second selfie video holding the #Activate4Autism poster:
  (https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/gcbpdfs/Activate4Autism+Poster+1.pdf)
  and a statement about the importance of acceptance and inclusion (see examples on the #Activate4Autism page).
  2. End your statement with "I activate my voice for autism."
  3. Upload it onto YouTube.
  4. Use the hashtag #Activate4Autism in the title with your name. In the comments: Add the text of your statement, your short bio/credits and link to the campaign:
  (http://bit.ly/activate4autism)
  5. Email the link to your video to jodi@geekclubbooks.com so she can add it to their YouTube #Activate4Autism playlist, tag and share it across their social media.

For other ways to get involved, please go to
https://geekclubbooks.com/be-an-activator.
ABOUT JODI ...

[]Jodi Murphy's career has been anchored in media and helping people.

She was a freelance marketing specialist working for clients in a variety of industries, a journalist in the lifestyle industry, and co-founder of one of the first independent lifestyle digital magazines.

She is currently the founder of Geek Club Books, a creative autism non-profit with a mission to further autism education and empowerment.

Email: geekclubbooks@gmail.com
OTHERS ALSO ENJOYED THESE VOICE OVER PEOPLE ARTICLES

[]

Your Daily Resource For Voice-Over Success

question: What does the text say about Jodi Murphy?

answer: Jodi Murphy is the founder and president of the Geek Club Books organization, sponsor of the Activate Your Voice 4 Autism public awareness campaign. One of Murphy's son, Jonathan, is a union voice actor who is also on the autism spectrum, and autism has never stopped him from getting work. Murphy first approached voice actor/coach Elaine Clark about participating in the campaign. Jonathan considers Clark one of his great trainers.

critique: The answer omits Murphy's career before Geek Club Books.

critique: The answer should mention Murphy's career.

critique: It's omitted that Murphy is a freelance marketing specialist as well as a journalist

critique: The answer omits Murphy's career outside of Geek Club Books.

question: What does the text say about how one participates in the campaign?

answer: to participate in the campaign, one needs to make a 5-15-second video holding the #Activate4Autism poster and state the importance of acceptance and inclusions. Change the statement to add that it doesn't necessarily matter if you have a child who falls on the autism spectrum. It also must finish with "I activate my voice for autism". The text also suggests using the hashtag #Activate4Autism.

critique: The answer omits the last step to emailing the video to Jodi.

critique: The addition of that it does not matter if you have a child on the autism spectrum may be linguistically confusing for some people who don't know what the message is, so I would remove that.

critique: The answer is confusing and doesn't make sense.

critique: The text does not say that it doesn't matter if you have a child who falls on the autism spectrum.

critique: The text doesn't say anything about not having a child who falls on the autism spectrum.


text:
COP commonly refers to a police officer.

COP, COPS, COP, COP, COPS or COP may also refer to:

Art and entertainment

Film

-   _Cop_ (film), a 1988 American thriller
-   _Cops_ (film), an American silent comedy short starring Buster Keaton
-   _The Cop_ (1928 film), an American silent drama
-   _The Cop_ (1970 film), an Italian crime film
-   _Un flic_, alternatively entitled _The Cop_, a 1972 French crime film

Music

-   COP International, a record label
-   The Cops (Australian band), an Australian rock band
-   _Cop_ (album), by Swans
-   “Cop”, a song by Alkaline Trio on the album _Goddamnit_
-   _Cops_ (EP), a song by the Australian band The Cops
-   “The Cop”, a song by The Knife on the album _Deep Cuts_

Television

-   _COPS_ (animated TV series), a 1988–1989 American animated series
-   _Cops_ (TV program), an American docuseries television program
-   _The Cops_ (TV series), a 1998–2001 British crime drama

Other uses in art and entertainment

-   C.O.P.S 'N' Crooks, a line of action figures
-   _C.O.P. The Recruit_, a 2009 video game

Brands and enterprises

-   COP International, a record label
-   Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, parent organization of the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure
-   ConocoPhillips, an energy company, NYSE symbol COP
-   COP Inc., manufacturer of the COP .357 Derringer pistol
-   Copper State Air Service, an airline, ICAO designator COP

Computing

-   COP, an interrupt in 65xx processors
-   COPS (software), a UNIX security tool
-   C Object Processor, a superset of the C programming language
-   Common Open Policy Service, a network management protocol
-   Common operational picture, a type of military technology
-   Computer Operating Properly, a type of embedded timer

Healthcare

-   Community ophthalmic physician, a type of medical ophthalmologist in the Republic of Ireland
-   Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, an illness
-   Cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, and Prednisone/Prednisolone, a variant of the chemotherapy regimen CHOP

Organizations and conferences

-   Cathedral of Praise, a Pentecostal church in Ermita, Manila, Philippines
-   College of Paramedics, a professional representative body in the UK
-   _Comité Olímpico de Portugal_, the Olympic Committee of Portugal
-   _Comité politique et de sécurité_, French name for the Political and Security Committee of the European Union
-   Communities Organized for Public Service, a Texas community organization
-   Community Oriented Policing Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice
-   Conference of the parties, multiple governing bodies, almost exclusively in the news in reference to the United Nations Climate Change conferences
-   Congress of the People (Trinidad and Tobago), a political party

Places

-   Cop, Saint-Louis-du-Sud, Haiti, a town in the Aquin Arrondissement of Haiti
-   Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy, Polish industrial region
-   WinSport, also called Canada Olympic Park, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Science

-   Center of pressure (terrestrial locomotion), characteristic point in locomotion dynamics
-   Coat protein; see COPI
-   Coefficient of performance, a concept in thermodynamics
-   Community of practice, a group of people who share a craft or a profession
-   Opposite category (_C_op), a concept in category theory

Other uses

-   Cop, the ball of yarn or thread which builds up on the Spindle (textiles)#Copspindle in spinning
-   Code of Points, another name for the ISU Judging System used to score ice skating
-   Colombian peso, a currency, ISO 4217 code COP
-   Community Oriented Policing, a policing strategy
-   Combat outpost (military)
-   Coptic language, ISO 639-2 code cop
-   Cost of products sold, concept in economics
-   Close of play, alternative term for the end of day

title: Cop

question: According to the passage, which common objects, names, or anything else carry the name (or acronym) COP?

answer: The world community (COP) Olympic committee, Center of pressure, Captain of the port, Community organizing pneumonia, Copper State Air Service, Correspondent of police, ConocoPhillips, COP International, Conforming order picker, COPS software, COP Inc, Code of Points, and the combustible organic compound.

critique: There is no mention of the world community in the passage.

critique: The answer has a lot of information that is not in the passage.

critique: "The world community (COP) Olympic committee," - is not part of the text. This should be omitted.

critique: The answer is a long and incoherent list of items. It should be rewritten to focus on the parts that are relevant to the question.

critique: The answer is not relevant to the question.

critique: "COP International, Conforming order picker, COPS software, COP Inc, Code of Points, and the combustible organic compound." is inaccurate and irrelevant.

critique: The third sentence is unnecessary and should be removed.

critique: The answers in the box are not COP or COP-related.


text:
My name is Chris Smith. I am 15 years old and I live in the middle of a forest in Kansas. I am home schooled by my mom, and my dad is a business man in a town nearby. He leaves for work early and gets home late so I rarely see him. I am an only child and my best friend Taylor lives about a mile away. My favorite part about living in a forest is my shed.. I go there all the time, and it is filled with my favorite things.
Last night, my mom told me about a man who killed a lot of people in a town not far from where my dad works. His name was Damien, but people usually called him Zarius. He lived there in the 1800s and he was caught and executed 6 years after the murders and that was the end of the story.
Today, when I woke up, I felt a little strange. I was very tired, despite sleeping for more than usual, and my whole body felt numb. Then, I felt as if something was pulling me towards the shed. It felt like there was something I needed to see. It felt like, fate was puling me to it.
I walked to it, and it felt suspicious. As I got closer, my need to go in it grew exponentially. There was a strange light coming from it. I walked in to see what was going on.
When I walked in, I felt something. I lost all control of my body and I couldn't move. It was completely black and I felt lonely, as if all in the world was slowly leaving me. After a few minutes, I was unconscious. I couldn't see or feel, rather than seeing and feeling the nothingness that surrounded me.
Suddenly, I woke up. I had no idea where I was or what time it is. There was the dim light of the darkness, so I knew I was seeing actual things. And, I could feel. I felt the wet floor under me and I could hear dripping.
I got up and looked around. Nothing gave me any clue to where I was. I heard a noise at the end of the corridor. I grabbed a piece of wood and waited. I saw a silhouette of what seemed like a man. I yelled “Hello” but rather than responding, it made a groaning sound. I heard the wet footsteps of his running and shortly after, it turned it's lantern on. It came around the corner and I got a good look at it.
It had the basic shape of a human, but it was still very deformed. It had a very ugly face and no eyes. It looked as if there was an “x” stitched where it's eyes should be. It had no nose and it didn't seem like it had ears or hair.
It walked towards me. I tried to stay still but I wanted to run. Just as I was about to book it, I heard a loud thump. The monster hit the ground and I lay there, confused and tired. Just then I lost consciousness.
I woke up in a big room filled with candles and lanterns. As I sat up and tried to orientate myself, I hear footsteps. I jumped up, only to hear a woman's voice.
“Whoa, calm down buddy” she said. “We felt a newcomer so we went to check it out, I guess we were a little too late.”
“Where am I- Where are we? What is this place?” I asked, nervously.
“It's not what it is, it's what it isn't. It may not be very believable, but we are in another universe. Now I know this isn't the kind of news someone can expect to hear on a peaceful Saturday morning, but yes, it is true”
“Will we ever get out?”
“We can only hope” She said, as she walked away, motioning me to come.
I walked with her. We walked past a few other people. I didn't know where we were going, but for some reason, I felt safe. It was reassuring to be away from those “things”. For now, at least.
Speaking of which, I've heard they're called “walkers”. I heard a loud crash come from the other side of the room. I saw a shadow, only it was floating. It was very interesting.
I heard someone yell “Run! It's the others!”. I ran with the group and I could see the destruction behind me. There was no stopping now, I had to run.
As I was running, I noticed how fast I was going. I ran past everybody and I couldn't see where everyone was. I still heard them yelling in the distance. I looked around. It looked strangely familiar even though I was fairly certain I haven't been there before.
After standing there for a moment I heard small footsteps. It wasn't the same footsteps I heard before, it wasn't trudging and it didn't sound as heavy. It also sounded faster.
The story will be finished soon :P

title: The Darkness (I'm only 13 tell me what you think)

question: Summarize how the narrator introduces themselves.

answer: No answer

critique: The narrator is Chris Smith and he's 15 years old.

critique: The narrator is named Chris Smith and he is 15 years old.

question: Summarize the order of events that occurred after the narrator's mom told him about Zarius.

answer: After his mom told him about Zarius, his body was pulled by some supernatural source towards his shed in the forest. His need to go in the shed grew exponentially and walked inside to see what was going on. When he walked inside, he lost all control of his body and was unconscious. He woke up in a very dark area and there was a monster that attacked him. He tried to stay still but eventually lost consciousness again. In a big room with candles and lanterns, the narrator met a woman and heard the men behind her yell "Run!". The men ran past the narrator and he ran after them.

critique: The narrator's consciousness loss is not relevant.

critique: "the men ran past the narrator and he ran after them" - this is incorrect. The men ran into the darkness. The narrator was running away from the monster.

critique: The narrator's loss of consciousness is not relevant to the question.

critique: A few small issues with the sentence structure.

critique: The men are yelling "run" because they are being chased by walkers.

critique: It is omitted that the monster hit the ground and the narrator lost consciousness again.

text: It is incorrect that the men ran past the narrator. It was the narrator who was running the fastest.

question: Will the narrator and others escape from the walkers?

answer: No answer


text:
    During life people are called many things, some good, some bad. Within a short eight years I’ve been called; a student, worker, son, good listener, hero, savior, and many more. Since I was ten I’ve been talking people out of suicide online. During my eight years of helping people, I’ve helped many people, created an online organization, and learned many new things. This has forever and will constantly change my life.

    Many people ask me, how did this happen? How does a ten year old get mixed up with people’s lives? It was three days after my tenth birthday, the smell of my moms homemade cake was still tangible in the air. I logged onto the computer and found a chat room. I came across a man inside the room. He was talking about ending his life because his wife was cheating on him and getting his kids. My heart was in my ears beating hard, my palms were clammy and wet like a river. I talked with him till late in the night past any ten year olds bed time. This man was set and ready to die, a mere child stopped him. Me.

    A few months after helping the man, I met a girl my age who was rather interested in the “work” I did. She wanted to be part of the action. Lillie and I decided to work together helping people we would find in chat rooms. This continued for about a year. Lillie started to struggle with herself, the constant pressure of someone’s life in your hands at that young of an age takes a heavy toll upon the beholder. Lillie messaged me one night, “Dominic I have a problem” I asked her what it was and she stated, she wanted to die. She couldn’t take helping people anymore. I remember crying, panicking, wanting her to see it my way and not do what she was planning. It all ended so fast only three words remained “Lillie Signed Off.”

    Three years have passed since Lillie’s death, I created an online organization, filled with teens helping people out of dark thoughts. I created this organization in memory of Lillie. DarkShadows. DarkShadows, was constructed of teens from around the world, looking for people with suicidal thoughts that wanted to help prevent suicide. One hundred and ninety-seven teens joined DarkShadows. Each night we would have meetings and we would talk with one another to see if everyone was ok. I learned that this “job” is to hard for one child to take on alone day in and day out, there needs to be an escape route. DarkShadows showed some amazing results, the teens in DarkShadows were able to talk to five hundred plus people out of suicide. With every construction there is a destruction.

    I had a hard time destroying DarkShadows for I was proud of it. I closed down DarkShadows because the stress was enormous, two people were talking people into suicide, three people committed suicide from the pressure, and people started to not care. DarkShadows lasted three years and I was shocked that I could uphold it for so long, but I knew it had to go. I will never forget what I’ve learned from these past experiences.

    I’ve learned, many things over the past few years. I’ve learned that even though the world seems to burn like a raging fireball, there are many people out there still that care for others. I’ve learned that it doesn’t take a hero to save someone, you don’t need a utility belt, powers, cape, gadgets, or a “cool” name to save someone. All you need is a heart, and the will power, and the determination. Everyone is a hero in a way, you’re a hero to your kid, give someone some change for the bus, do something that is not expected from you. You are a hero.

    My life has changed drastically due to this “job”. I have become a better listener, I became mature, I met new people. I think back from when I was ten, I would have never imagined that helping that one guy would take me this far. I feel that due to this, I have a good understanding of people. I can “read” them easier. At times I have thought is it worth it? Is it worth spending hours upon hours helping someone that I don’t even know? When you help someone the end result of them being alive thanks to you is by far the best feeling you can think of. My life will never be the same due to this and for that I am grateful.

    During my short life span I’ve been a lot of things and experienced even more things. Do these names and experiences define me? Or simply give a better understanding of me? By helping one man live through the loss of his wife and kids. I met a great friend that I hold dear in my heart. I became a leader, making tough decisions for a lot of people. I learned, people still care for one another in this world. This has ultimately affected, and effected my life forever and I will never forget it. To be a Hero, you don’t need a cape or a utility belt, just a heart.

title: To Be A Hero You Need A Heart (True Story)

question: What would have happened if Lillie did not kill herself?

answer: Dominic owns and runs DarkShadows, a global organization that tries to help people in need as well as prevent suicide. If Lillie did not kill herself and was still part of his life, Dominic would have never created DarkShadows.

critique: The answer is a bit speculative. It is possible that Dominic would have started the group even if Lillie did not kill herself.

critique: "Dominic owns and runs DarkShadows, a global organization that tries to help people in need as well as prevent suicide. If Lillie did not kill herself and was still part of his life, Dominic would have never created DarkShadows." - this is incorrect. Dominic created DarkShadows because he was inspired by Lillie's death.

critique: Dominic created DarkShadows in memory of Lillie.