text:
My mommy is the best mommy in the world. She’s making me my favorite chocolate chip pancakes. And today is especially special so I know she’ll make the smiley face. Last time she made it, she made the smile with the whipped cream that makes those funny noises when it comes out of the can. And the eyes were bananas with a chocolate chip right in the middle. To make it look like the black part of your eye. My mommy never lets me have any chocolate chips while I’m waiting for them to cook, but she said today is special so she brought me a few on a plate.
Today is special because it’s my day. It’s my birthday. I’m seven. That’s nearly ten. I’m not a little kid anymore. I’m pretty much a grown up.
That weatherman on the TV is really funny looking. His nose is kinda big and he talks really funny. Now he’s pointing at the pictures of the rain. I think that means it’s supposed to rain today. I hate it when it rains. Sometimes when it rains, the water gets through the holes in my shoes and it gets all the way to my toes and I don’t like it when it does that. It makes me cold and I don’t like being cold.
Now they’re talking about money or those credit card things or something. I like credit cards. They’re magical cards. All I know is that when you swipe them on that machine at a store, you don’t have to give them any money for all the stuff you’re getting. It’s like a get your stuff free card. It’s really cool. I don’t think I like money though. It makes my daddy yell at my mommy sometimes. The only kind of money that I know I really like is that colored money that you play with in Monopoly. The board that we have was falling apart and I think we lost some of those red and green houses and some of the money. I really like that game. It’s pretty much my favorite. No, it is my favorite game in the whole wide world. That’s why I asked for a new one for my birthday and that box on the counter over there looks like it’s just the right size. And it’s wrapped in Spiderman paper. Spiderman is my favorite super hero. He can climb walls and spray the bad guys with a spider web. That’s just so cool. It’s so much fun when my mommy and daddy play games with me. They haven’t played with me in a really long time. I can’t wait until I get to open my present after school. I hope school goes by fast today. I hope Sadie doesn’t copy my answers. And I hope Miss Brown doesn’t make me wear that silly hat that she makes you wear if it’s your birthday. It looks itchy. I don’t like wearing things on my head anyway. Like when my mommy makes me wear that cherry hat that makes it looks like I have red cherry on top of my head. It’s not a real cherry, or else I would eat it. My mommy says that it keeps the heat from coming out of my head or something.  I think that’s crazy. My head doesn’t have a hole in it!
My pancakes are ready. And he even has a nose! It’s made out of chocolate chips. I told you my mommy was the best mommy in the world. I’m about to gobble him up. First his eyes. Then his nose. Now, the fun part. The whipped cream. Why is everything more fun to eat with your fingers? Licking your hands all in between your fingers is the best part. It’s almost as good as getting to lick the brownie batter off the spoon. That’s more fun than eating the brownies normal. I really like it when my mommy puts the frosting and sprinkles on top of the brownies when she makes them.
I should go get ready for school now. I think I’m gonna wear my shirt with the rocket on it. My daddy it for me at the mall last week. I really like rockets. I hope the bus isn’t early today.

I wish school would only be on two days instead of five. I don’t really like school. Sadie is cheating from my answers again. She should know how to add numbers with double digits by now. We learned about them last week. She’s a girl. Girls are dumb. She doesn’t know any better. I know I should tell on her, but I don’t think Miss Brown likes me very much. When she asks a question and I know the answer and I raise my hand, she never calls on me.
I bet my mommy gave me Oreos in my lunch today. I love Oreos. Especially dipped in milk. That’s my favorite. You dip them in milk and then you lick all the cream out of the middle and then you eat the two cookies. I hope Aaron doesn’t want to trade at lunch today. I like animal crackers, but everybody knows that Oreos are better than animal crackers.
Now we’re doing spelling. I did my spelling words last night, so I already know how to spell ‘birthday’ and ‘shove’ and ‘without’. I like spelling though. I can spell the days of the week too. My favorite day of the week is Friday. That’s what today is. And it’s my birthday tot. That makes today extra cool.
My mommy is gonna let me open my present when my daddy gets home tonight. I can’t wait to rip the paper off and see what I got, even though I already know what they got me.

I knew they would get me a new Monopoly game. I just knew it. And mommy and daddy even said that they would play with me tonight if I set up all the pieces. Mommy said she wanted to be that thing you put on your finger sometimes when you sew. I think it’s called a thimble. And daddy said he wanted to be the shoe. They always let me be the boat. I’ve never been on a boat, but I bet it would be fun. Maybe someday I’ll get to ride on a boat.
Wait a second. There’s no board in this box. Or boat. Or thimble. Or shoe. Or even any of those red and green houses. All that’s in this box is money. Not even the kind that’s all different colors that usually comes with the game either. This is all real money. The kind that I don’t like. I didn’t get my game after all. All I got was this stupid money. Stupid, stupid money.

title: Monopoly Money

question: How have the parents and child misunderstood each other when it comes to playing the game?

answer: The child thinks that the parents will play the game with him, but the parents think that the child will play the game with them.

critique: The child is the one who misunderstands the parents.

critique: The child doesn't think the parents will play the game with him, but he thinks they will play with him.

critique: "The child thinks that the parents will play the game with him, but the parents think that the child will play the game with them." - this is incorrect. The child wanted a new Monopoly game, but the parents misunderstood and thought he wanted real money.

critique: The child doesn't think the parents will play the game with him.

critique: Instead of "with him," the answer should say "with them," because the child misinterpreted that the parents would play with him.

question: What can we deduce about the narrator's personality?

answer: She seems like an entitled, mean, short-tempered, bratty girl.

critique: The narrator's personality is largely unprejudiced.

question: Why doesn't the narrator tell on Sadie?

answer: The narrator doesn't tell on Sadie because he doesn't like Miss Brown.

critique: While it is true the narrator doesn't like Miss Brown, that isn't why they don't tell on Sadie.

critique: The narrator doesn't like Miss Brown, but he still tells on Sadie.

critique: The narrator doesn't like Miss Brown, but he doesn't tell on Sadie because he thinks girls are dumb.

critique: The narrator doesn't like Miss Brown, but that's not why he doesn't tell on Sadie.

critique: The narrator also doesn't tell on Sadie because girls are dumb.

text: The answer inaccurately mentions that the narrator doesn't like Miss Brown, however the reason he doesn't tell on Sadie is because he thinks Miss Brown doesn't like him.

question: Why have the narrator's parents given him money when he asked for a new monopoly set?

answer: It is not stated.

critique: The answer, in my opinion, implies he will eventually find out it wasn't all a prank.

critique: It is implied that the narrator's parents have given him money because they cannot afford to buy him a new monopoly set.

critique: It is not stated, but it is implied that the parents have not been able to afford a monopoly set.

critique: While it isn't stated why the parents bought money, it is implied that they didn't buy the game.


split: train

text:
FREDERICK CHARLES HUSENBETH (born at Bristol, 30 May 1796; died at Costessey, Norfolk, 31 October 1872) was an English Catholic priest and writer.

Life

The son of a Bristol wine-merchant and of a lady of Cornish family, a convert to Catholicism, he was sent at the age of seven to Sedgley Park School in Staffordshire, and at fourteen entered his father's counting-house. Having formed the resolution, three years later, to study for the priesthood, he returned to Sedgley, going afterwards to Oscott College, where he was ordained by John Milner in 1820.

After serving the Stourbridge mission, near Oscott, for a time, he was sent to Cossey Hall, Norfolk, as chaplain to Sir George Stafford Jerningham, who became Baron Stafford in 1825. He took up his residence in a cottage in the village, and continued his ministrations here to the Catholics of the mission until within a few months of his death.

During this long period, extending over more than half a century, he is said to have been absent from his mission only on three Sundays. Seven years after his appointment to Cossey he became grand vicar under Bishop Walsh, successor of Bishop Milner as Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District. In 1841 he opened St. Walstan's Chapel, for which he had collected funds, and in 1850 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Rome.

Shortly after the restoration of the English hierarchy by Pope Pius IX, Husenbeth was nominated provost of the Chapter, of Northampton, and Vicar-General of the diocese. In the spring of 1872 he resigned his mission, and he died at St. Walstan's Presbytery on the last day of October in the same year.

He had no particular liking for religious institutes, and was quite opposed to the new forms of devotion which had grown up since his student days at Oscott.

Works

In his quiet country presbytery, he found ample leisure time, and between the years 1823 and 1849 forty-nine works written or edited by him appeared in London, Dublin, and Norwich. Many of these were controversial publications, written in refutation of George Stanley Faber and Joseph Blanco White, while others treated of historical, liturgical, or doctrinal matters. Perhaps his most important work is the _Life of Bishop Milner_, published in 1862; defective as biography, it was a contribution to the history of Catholicism on England.

In 1852 he brought out, assisted by John Polding, a new edition, with abridged notes, of George Leo Haydock's illustrated Bible and he published also editions, for the use of the laity, of the Missal and the vesper-book. The “Emblems of Saints” (1850) was one of his best original works, and the style of his pulpit eloquence is well shown by the various sermons which he printed from time to time.

He contributed a large number of uncollected verses to the periodicals of his time. He also published articles on a great variety of subjects in different Catholic journals, and was a lifelong writer in the columns of _Notes and Queries_, in which more than thirteen hundred contributions appeared over his initials. He was a voluminous letter-writer, and maintained a correspondence with various literary celebrities, and with many distinguished converts of his time. Husenbeth's valuable library collection of crucifixes, reliquaries and similar objects and of letters chiefly on religious subjects, were sold at Norwich a few months after his death. Most of the letters passed into the possession of the Bishop of Northampton.

title: Frederick Charles Husenbeth

question: What does the text say about Frederick Charles Husenbeth?

answer: Frederick Charles Husenbeth was an English Catholic priest and writer. He was born in 1796 in Bristol and died in 1872 in Costessey, Norfolk. Husenbeth was the son of a Bristol wine-merchant and a lady of Cornish family. He was sent to Sedgley Park School in Staffordshire at the age of seven and entered his father's counting-house at the age of fourteen. He formed the resolution to study for the priesthood three years later and returned to Sedgley. He went on to study at Oscott College and was ordained by John Milner in 1820.

critique: Include information about what he actually did as a priest

critique: The answer omits Husenbeth's service as chaplain to Sir George Stafford Jerningham.

critique: The answer omits the part where he became the grand vicar under Bishop Walsh.

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

critique: It's omitted that Husenbeth was sent to Cossey Hall, Norfolk, as chaplain to Sir George Stafford Jerningham.

critique: The answer should mention his time at Cossey Hall.

critique: "He formed the resolution to study for the priesthood three years later and returned to Sedgley. He went on to study at Oscott College and was ordained by John Milner in 1820." - this is irrelevant and should be removed.

text: The answer could mention his published works.

category: coverage

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

answer: Husenbeth was born in Bristol in 1796. He was the son of a Bristol wine-merchant and a lady of Cornish family, a convert to Catholicism. He was sent to Sedgley Park School in Staffordshire at the age of seven and at fourteen entered his father's counting-house. He formed the resolution to study for the priesthood three years later. He returned to Sedgley, went to Oscott College, and was ordained by John Milner in 1820.

critique: The answer should mention that he was sent to Cossey Hall as chaplain to Sir George Stafford Jerningham.

critique: It's omitted that Husenbeth served the Stourbridge mission, near Oscott, for a time and was sent to Cossey Hall, Norfolk, as chaplain to Sir George Stafford Jerningham.

critique: It is omitted that he served the Stourbridge mission, near Oscott, for a time and then was sent to Cossey Hall, Norfolk, as chaplain to Sir George Stafford Jerningham.

critique: Being ordained by Milnerin in 1820 doesn't mention how long after ordaining he became a priest.

text: The answer only touches on the first half of his life and should be condensed so as to include a broader range of information.

category: coherence

question: What does the text say about Husenbeth's family?

answer: Frederick Charles Husenbeth was born to a Bristol wine merchant and a Cornish lady. His father sent him to Sedgley Park School in Staffordshire at the age of seven and then to his father's counting house at the age of fourteen. Husenbeth's father was a Catholic, and Husenbeth was sent to study for the priesthood at the age of seventeen.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Husenbeth was sent to his father's counting house at the age of fourteen, however the text mentions that he was sent there at the age of seventeen.

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

critique: The answer should mention that Husenbeth's mother was also Catholic.

critique: It is omitted that Husenbeth had no particular liking for religious institutes, and was quite opposed to the new forms of devotion which had grown up since his student days at Oscott.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Husenbeth was sent to study for the priesthood at the age of seventeen, however he was fourteen.

question: What does the text say about Husenbeth's works?

answer: The text mentions that Husenbeth's works include the Life of Bishop Milner, which was published in 1862. The Life of Bishop Milner was a contribution to the history of Catholicism on England. Husenbeth published many controversial publications and articles. He also published editions of the Missal and vesper-book. Husenbeth contributed a large number of uncollected verses to the periodicals of his time. He also published articles on a great variety of subjects in different Catholic journals.

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

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Husenbeth's Life of Bishop Milner was published in 1862. However, it was published in 1862.


text:
THOMAS ALLSTON BROWN (January 16, 1836 – April 2, 1918) was an American theater critic, newspaper editor, talent agent and manager, and theater historian, best known for his books, _History of the American Stage_ (Dick & Fitzgerald: New York, 1870) and _A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901_ (Dodd Mead: New York, 1902).

Life and career

Brown was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Thomas James Brown (1800–1867) and Lucretia Hamsly Brown _(née_ Lucretia Hamsly Milton; 1810–1872).[1] He began his career as the Philadelphia correspondent and theater critic for the top entertainment journal of the time, the _New York Clipper_. He freelanced for other show-business publications and published his own paper, called _The Tattler_.[2][3]

In 1860, Brown entered show business as the advance man for the Cooper English Opera Company, managed by virtuoso violinist Henry Charles Cooper (1819–1881). He later worked for Gardner & Madigan's Circus (re: the Gardner and Madigan families, including Dan Gardner and John Madigan) as treasurer and manager of the box office.[4] During one circus performance, the assistant to the ropewalker Blondine went missing. Blondine's opening stunt was to walk a tightrope from the stage to the balcony with a person on his back. T. Allston Brown filled in for the missing helper, and the _Baltimore Press_ dubbed him “Colonel” for the deed. Brown adopted the honorary title and used it for the remainder of his career.[5]

In 1863, Brown was named editor of the _New York Clipper_. He kept the post until 1872, when he retired from journalism. He next pursued a career as an agent and manager for entertainers. His clients included the famous female impersonator Ernest Byne (1848–1904), the Hanlon Brothers, and Mlle. Marie Aimée (sv) (1852–1857). On May 7, 1879, Brown became partner with Morris Simmonds (1839–1896) in Simmonds & Brown, Dramatic Agents, and continued to run the company after Simmonds died.[6]

As early as 1858, Brown had begun compiling stories and biographies of theatrical performers in the United States.[7] Much of his material came from players in the field, who supplied biographical sketches.[8] He began to write a book on the subject, and in 1870 he published the exhaustive _History of the American Stage_.[9][10] In 1906, he retired from show business to devote more time to history and writing.[11] Brown died in Philadelphia in 1918. _The New York Times_ wrote in Brown's obituary that _A History of the New York Stage_, published in 1903, “was said to be one of the most complete accounts of the development of the stage in America that has been written”.[12][13]

Notes

[1] Thomas Allston Brown, Massachusetts, Town Records, 1620-1988, Ancestry.com

[2] Cullen 147.

[3] Sentilles 122.

[4]

[5] Cullen 148.

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13] “Col. T. Allston Brown”, _The New York Times_, 1918-04-04, p. 13.

title: T. Allston Brown

question: Describe Hamsley Brown's career trajectory from critic to historian and author.

answer: Brown began his career as a Philadelphia correspondent and theater critic for the New York Clipper. He later freelanced for other show-business publications. He published his own paper, called The Tattler. In 1860, Brown entered show business as the advance man for the Cooper English Opera Company. He then worked for Gardner & Madigan's Circus as treasurer and manager of the box office. In 1863, Brown was named editor of the New York Clipper. He kept the post until 1872, when he retired from journalism. He then pursued a career as an agent and manager for entertainers. In 1906, he retired from show business to devote more time to history and writing.

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

critique: "He then worked for Gardner & Madigan's Circus as treasurer and manager of the box office." - this is inaccurate. Brown was never the treasurer or manager of the box office. He was the advance man.

critique: The answer omits that he published his first book, History of the American Stage, in 1870.

critique: The response misses to mention that Brown began compiling stories and biographies of theatrical performers in the United States as early as 1858.

critique: It is omitted that he published a book on the subject, and in 1870 he published the exhaustive History of the American Stage.


text:
Every year since 2009, Bill and Melinda Gates have written a letter about the issues and innovations most striking to them. The goal is to bring important global issues to people’s attention so that more minds can work to create solutions and improve life for everyone on the planet.

Their newly released 2019 letter, which is themed “We Didn’t See This Coming,” includes examples of cutting-edge technology — like self-contained toilets that don’t require connection to a sewage system — as well as efforts to address social challenges like domestic violence.

“Bill and I travel a lot locally and globally, together and often separately,” Melinda Gates tells TIME. “What we wrote in this year’s letter are things that when we come [together] after traveling separately, we describe to one another.”

Here are five of the nine innovations and issues highlighted in this year’s letter from Bill and Melinda Gates.

Low-tech violence prevention

One initiative that caught the Gateses’ attention this year is a school- and neighborhood-based behavior program called Becoming a Man, which helps young men in high-crime areas learn skills for avoiding violence and controlling potentially dangerous impulses. Programs like this, says Bill — who participated in one in Chicago — show the power of even low-tech solutions like teaching basic coping skills in changing people’s lives. Studies of the program find that men who learned from the program have about half the arrest rates of men who don’t do the sessions.

Africa’s young population

Africa — while an ancient continent with man’s earliest evolutionary ancestors — is today one of the youngest in terms of average age. “Africa has such an enormous youth population, with a median age of 18,” says Melinda. This demographic phenomenon is a huge opportunity, she says, “to help them not only survive but thrive and add to the global economy.” Though the Gateses anticipate challenges with development, improving infrastructure, introducing stable governments and economies are critical for raising opportunities for people in low resource countries, they write.

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Climate change fueled by building

Another surprise they highlight is the fact that the equivalent of a new New York City is being built every month globally, and this rate of development will continue for the next 40 years. That’s furthering concern over climate change, Bill writes in the letter. Manufacturing produces about 21% of the greenhouse gases emitted around the world, much of it from producing the cement and steel required to erect the buildings that form the cornerstone of urban development. “If we’re going to solve climate change, we need to get to near zero emissions on all the things that drive it — agriculture, electricity, manufacturing, transportation, and buildings,” he writes. “Solar panels are great but we need to be hearing about trucks, cement, and cow farts too.” Already, the European Commission is investing in research to lower emissions in each of these industries.

Public health at the global level

By encouraging people to think globally, the Gateses also make a globalist case for nationalism, noting that peace and stability around the world contribute to security at home. Investing in the health of the world plays a critical role in that stability. What experts learn from improving public health in the developing world can also be used to improve health issues in developed nations as well, like premature births. “The work on prematurity will be equally beneficial in the U.S. to understand how to detect the risk of premature births early to make sure there are advanced services in place for those at high risk,” Bill says.

Sexist data

To do almost anything to improve global health requires solid and reliable data, and that’s still lacking in a number of key areas, especially women’s health. For Melinda, the most surprising of the nine issues they highlight is the fact that data is still sexist, and critical information on the state of women’s health is missing. “When I got into this work, we couldn’t make investments without good data. We think data is objective, but it’s not. If we don’t collect data about women, about women’s lives, and if we don’t ask the right questions, we inadvertently bias the data. Then we don’t know where to invest on behalf of women,” she says. The Gates family is part of a coalition advocating for a gender data revolution, teasing apart existing datasets by gender and ensuring that future studies include women in order to expose their needs and the best programs for addressing them.

Those types of efforts — and the results they produce — make Bill and Melinda Gates optimistic about the future and hopeful that investments in the right programs, whether they’re high tech or not, are worthwhile. Bill points to the progress made in improving nutrition for people around the world, and in the discoveries scientists have made about how the body’s microbiome is affected by what people eat — and therefore affects the diseases to which humans are vulnerable. “Whether we’re improving outcomes for everyone or driving toward better equity,” he says, “that stuff excites us.”

CONTACT US at letters@time.com.

question: What does the text say about the theme/title of the letter Bill and Melinda Gates wrote in 2010?

answer: No answer

critique: According to the article, the theme of the Gates' 2010 letter was "We See More".

critique: The answer should mention that the theme of the letter is not mentioned in the text.

critique: The answer is not correct and should be rewritten.

critique: It is omitted that the theme of the letter was "Reinventing the toilet".

critique: The answer is incorrect. It should state that the theme/title of the letter Bill and Melinda Gates wrote in 2010 is "Reinventing the Toilet".

question: What does the text say about the Gateses' interest in low-tech crime prevention?

answer: The Gateses reflect on one initiative that caught their attention, a program called “Becoming a Man," which helps young men in high-crime areas learn skills for avoiding violence and controlling dangerous impulses. Bill Gates says programs like this show the power of low-tech solutions like teaching basic coping skills in changing people's lives. He says studies find men who learned from the program have about half the arrest rates of men who don't do the sessions.

critique: The answer should mention that the Gateses' interest in low-tech crime prevention comes from the program being school and neighborhood-based.

question: What does the text say about the Gateses' views on Africa's young population?

answer: Africa is one of the youngest continents in terms of average age. The Gateses anticipate challenges with development, improving infrastructure, introducing stable governments and economies, and raising opportunities for people in low-resource countries. They believe that improving public health in the developing world can also improve health issues in developed nations.

critique: The answer should mention the Gateses' view on Africa's young population.

critique: The answer should mention that the Gateses see the young population as a huge opportunity.

question: What does the text say about Climate Change fueled by building and construction in the Gateses' letter?

answer: The Gateses note that the equivalent of a new New York City is being built every month globally, and that this rate of development will continue for the next 40 years, furthering concern over climate change. Manufacturing produces about 21% of the greenhouse gases emitted around the world, much of it from producing the cement and steel required to erect the buildings that form the cornerstone of urban development. They write that if the world is going to solve climate change, it needs to get to near-zero emissions on all the things that drive it.

critique: The answer should mention that the Gateses are hopeful about the future.

critique: "Manufacturing". "Manufacturing" should start with a capital letter because it's a proper noun.

critique: The response contains information that is not useful for the task.

critique: The answer should mention the European Commission's investment in research to lower emissions in each of these industries.


text:
LAURA DEAN (born December 3, 1945) is an American dancer, choreographer and composer.[1][2] She is known for her collaborations with Steve Reich,[3] a number of commissioned works for the Joffrey Ballet,[4] and works for her own dance companies. Dean's earliest works were marked by a minimalist approach and an affinity for spinning; her later work saw more use of traditional dance methods.[5][6]

Awards

Dean is the recipient of awards including the 2008 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. She has also received a “Bessie” New York Dance and Performance Award for her work with composer Steve Reich (1986). Dean has been awarded two John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships for choreography (1976 and 1981), the Montgomery Fellowship from Dartmouth College(1986), the Dance Magazine Award (1982), the Smithsonian Institution Certificate of Appreciation (1975), Harvard University's Certificate of Appreciation (1991), New York City Commission of the Status of Women Special Recognition Award (1984), the ABSOLUT Award for Artistic Achievement (1993), the Staten Island Arts Council Award for Outstanding Achievement (1988), the Lester Horton Award for Music for Dance (1994), the Brandeis Creative Arts Award for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement in Dance (1986) and an Honorary Doctorate from The College of Staten Island/The City University of New York (2001).[7]

Laura Dean was awarded The Millennium Grant from The National Endowment for the Arts for her work with The American Indian Dance Theatre. Ms. Dean has received The National Repertory Dance Grant from The National Endowment on the Arts and The Meet the Composer Grant for her work with The Aman Folk Ensemble. Her company has received funding from The New York State Council on the Arts, The North Carolina State Arts Council, 27 grants from The National Endowment for the Arts, ATT Foundation, The Jerome Foundation, The New York Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Sherman Foundation, The Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Philip Morris Foundation and The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

Career

Laura Dean has composed thirty music scores and choreographed one hundred and nine dance works. This includes the choreography for her own dance and music company as well as for ballet companies, ice skating companies, other modern dance companies, student dance companies, The American Indian Dance Theatre and The Aman Folk Ensemble. She has choreographed nine works to the music of Steve Reich with the music played live by Steve Reich and Musicians to five of the works. Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians commissioned Steve Reich for the music _SEXTET_ for Laura Dean's dance _IMPACT_. Steve Reich and Laura Dean were awarded a Bessie/New York Dance and Performance Award for IMPACT/SEXTET in 1986.[8]

Laura Dean's company has performed in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Europe and Eastern Europe. Works for her company have been commissioned by Het Muziektheater, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The American Dance Festival, Walker Art Center, The Holland Festival, The Avignon Festival, Dartmouth College, The Styrian Autumn Festival, Graz, Austria.

Dean has created ballets including two works for The Royal Danish Ballet with the first work DELTA with a commissioned orchestral score from the composer Gary Brooker of Procol Harum, The New York City Ballet SPACE with an orchestral score The Four Sections by Steve Reich, eight ballets for The Joffrey Ballet including CREATIVE FORCE with a commissioned score Ray One by John Zeretzke. CREATIVE FORCE was seen in the Robert Altman film The Company. CREATIVE FORCE, as part of the film, was nominated for an American Choreography Award.[9]

Dean stopped choreographing and writing music in 2001. As of 2009, Laura Dean, the choreographer/composer, is no longer arranging and allowing restaging/reconstruction projects of her dance and music works. Dean does not allow the teaching of her choreography or music in classes, lectures, panels or in any way whatsoever.

The archive of Laura Dean's Papers is located at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University and includes photographic prints, negatives, slides, clippings, programs, VHS videotapes, and an audio cassette.[10]

[1] “Laura Dean” in _The Oxford Dictionary of Dance_ (Oxford University Press, 2010), , p. 125. Excerpts available at Google Books.

[2]

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[7]

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[9]

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title: Laura Dean (choreographer)

question: What does the article say about awards Dean has won?

answer: Dean is the recipient of awards including the 2008 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. She has also received the “Bessie” New York Dance and Performance Award for her work with composer Steve Reich (1986). Dean has been awarded two John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships for choreography (1976 and 1981), the Montgomery Fellowship from Dartmouth College(1986), the Dance Magazine Award (1982). She received the Smithsonian Institution Certificate of Appreciation (1975), Harvard University's Certificate of Appreciation (1991), New York City Commission of the Status of Women Special Recognition Award (1984), the ABSOLUT Award for Artistic Achievement (1993), the Staten Island Arts Council Award for Outstanding Achievement (1988), the Lester Horton Award for Music for Dance (1994), the Brandeis Creative Arts Award for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement in Dance (1986). Laura Dean additionally received the Millennium Grant from The National Endowment for the Arts for her work with The American Indian Dance Theatre. Laura Dean additionally received The National Repertory Dance Grant from The National Endowment on the Arts and The Meet the Composer Grant for her work with The Aman Folk Ensemble. She has received twenty-seven grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Laura Dean additionally received her awards from The ATT Foundation, The Jerome Foundation, The New York Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Sherman Foundation, The Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Philip Morris Foundation and The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

critique: The answer is too long and should be trimmed down.

critique: The answer should start with the number of awards Laura Dean has won.

critique: This is a full, rather than a partial answer.

critique: The answer is too long. It should be edited down to the most important awards.

critique: The answer is a copy-and-paste of the article, which is not necessary.

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

critique: The last two sentences are not necessary.


text:
One definition for social is “pleasant companionship with friends or associates” (Merriam-Webster). You’re probably social at work when you interact with people in friendly ways. That’s natural and makes work more enjoyable. _Are you social on social media?_

Social media helps connect people. Never in the history of humanity has it been so easy to connect with so many people anywhere in the world. I’ve made friends across the globe – and met some in person – because I chose to be social on social media. You never know where those relationships will lead.

HOW I USE LINKEDIN

I accept every request to connect on LinkedIn even though most people don’t know how to use LinkedIn effectively. For example, too many people just click on the request to connect button without sending a personal message to say why they want to connect. When I get a request like that I always send this message immediately after accepting the connection:

  Thanks for reaching out to connect with me Joe. I’m curious, how did you come across my profile? Brian

Almost everyone responds and the number one reason they want to connect with me is because they’ve taken one of my LinkedIn courses. It would be foolish on my part to dismiss so many connections – especially those who’ve enjoyed my course – just because they’re not more LinkedIn savvy. And who knows, those people could be clients in the future.

I like when people are honest and tell me, “I just clicked on the connect button because LinkedIn suggested you. I hope that’s okay?” My usually response: “Thanks for letting me know. Today is your lucky day!” My humor gets laughs and often opens up people to further communication. It’s being social.

AN INTERESTING EXCHANGE

The best exchange happened recently. I changed the name and a few other facts to keep the person anonymous. You’ll see the importance of being social in our brief exchange. There was humor and the principle of liking was clearly in play for both of us.

  Me: Thanks for reaching out to connect Joe. I’m curious, how did you come across my profile? Brian

  Joe: It suggests people. You looked interesting!

  Me: Thanks for letting me know. I’ve done courses for LinkedIn Learning so a lot the time that’s the reason. It’s good to know why people are reaching out. I’m going to let my wife know someone found me interesting today. Every little bit helps. 😉 Have a terrific day. Brian

  Joe: You tell her I found you interesting AND handsome AND someone who looked like he’d be an awesome husband.

  Me: I’ll show her that message!

  Me: I just show her and she said, “He seems like a funny guy.” I told her I wasn’t sure about that but being an Ivy League grad, I knew you were smart…and perceptive!

  Joe: A smart something …. do you do talks for insurance conferences?  I am co-chairing an insurance sales conference this year.

It remains to be seen if I’ll speak at the conference but I know this: my odds are much better than they’d have been if I had rejected the connection. If I’d have accepted the connection, but not been social, my chance to speak would have still been much less.

CONSIDER…

There are plenty of reasons to steer clear of social media and one big one is the time suck once you start scrolling through feeds. To prevent falling into the time trap set designated times to use certain apps. For example: I generally try to use LinkedIn early in the morning and limit browsing Facebook to the times when I take a mental break from reading or writing.

Something else to consider – don’t wait until you need to make LinkedIn connections to start making them. That’s one of the biggest mistakes people make. They start working it after they’ve left a job and need a new one. Think of LinkedIn connections like regular relationships – the more time you invest everyday the better positioned you’ll be when you need help. People are more willing to help those they consider friends (liking) and those who’ve helped them in the past (reciprocity). It starts with you being friendly and looking for ways to help others.

CONCLUSION

If you want to grow your influence I encourage you to be more social on social media. It’s a great opportunity to practice your influence skills, make friends, and maybe open the door to new opportunities.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®, is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE, LLC. His Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning course, Persuasive Selling, has been viewed by more than 50,000 people! His latest course, Persuasive Coaching, just went live. Have you watched them yet? If not, click on either course name to see what you’ve been missing.

question: Summarize what this text says about social media usage.

answer: The author of this text believes that social media is a great way to connect with people. They believe that it is a great way to practice your influence skills, make friends, and open the door to new opportunities. The author believes that you should be more social on social media.

critique: "they believe that it is" - change to "they believe it is"


text:
   My footsteps echoed across the bare room. The white walls were lined with dirt and grime, leaving me to wonder how a room that lacked walls and windows, could become the dirty, eery looking room that stands before me. I turned my head to the right, and notice a single mirror leaning against the wall at such an angle that I could see my being staring back at me. My red hair was slightly frayed, with the area surrounding the brim of my forehead pointing towards the ceiling as it always does. My face, freckled but strong handsome, had a layer of dust on it as if I had been abandoned in an abandoned room for days. My blue and black flannel shirt drew itself across my torso, and was rolled up at the sleeves. The white undershirt lie matted against my skin, wet with sweat. My blue jeans looked as though I had been rolled around in the dirt for hours, as did my boots. I have always been physically fit, with naturally dense muscle, but I was always too lazy to work-out so I never had the body of Zeus, but still I was well-built.

   As I turned to look away from the mirror, it seemed as though my reflection continued to stare at me, un-phased and unchanged. My gaze returned to my reflection, which was following my every move once again. I must have been imagining it, I thought to myself as I turned to walk around the room.

   I approached the wall on my left and noticed something that I hadn't seen before. Dirty handprints lie sprawled against the wall, from the ceiling to the wood floors. Grimy footprints faced the wall, and as I crouched down to examine them, another footprint appeared, facing the opposite direction. Surprised, I fell back onto my rear as another print appeared about a stride's length from the other. I stood quickly and followed the footsteps as they traversed to the center of the room, then turned to face the mirror, momentarily resting before finishing its trek towards the reflective glass. When the footprints reached the mirror, I glanced up at my reflection, to try and determine exactly what had just happened.

   My eye caught a movement at the bottom of the mirror, the footprint had made another move. The heel of the print was stamped into the ground just before the mirror, but the other half... the other half continued into the mirror, as if it never existed. It travelled across the floor being reflected by the mirror. I almost wanted to attempt to go test to see if it was stable myself...

  "It's as real as you are." My voice entered my ears, but they did not exit through my lips, where could it be coming from... I looked up to see my reflection staring at me. His lips moved freely as he used my voice. "This world is filled with wonders. Even some you can't explain. Sometimes, you just need to take a leap of faith, and see what comes of it. After all, the brave don't live forever, but the cautious don't live at all."

   My hand reached out to touch the glass, but as my fingers touched the reflective surface, my hand passed through it, the reflection rippling as if it were a liquid. I took a step through into this mirrored world. I took a step into this new world, and walked across the identical room. I turned towards my reflection, but he wasn't there, not even in the world I came from. I felt the world begin to shake, and a deafening sound of laughter filled my ears. The violent quake caused me to topple over, and my body hit the ground...

My eyes bolted open to see three of my friends standing above me with a can of shaving creme in on of their hands. I felt the creme slide off my face. "Really guys?" was all I could say after that dream. "Ah come on, you know we love you," my bestfriend Michael said with a smirk. "Yea you better love me," I retorted as I wiped the shaving creme off of my face and threw it at him.

title: Opening to a story i thought up the other day. Open to criticism.

question: Summarize what the imagery used in this story makes the reader envision.

answer: The imagery used in this story makes the reader envision a dirty, eery looking room. The imagery used in this story makes the reader envision dirty handprints and grimy footprints. The imagery used in this story makes the reader envision a mirror that reflects the room.

critique: The answer is missing the imagery of the main character's reflection.

critique: The answer should mention the narrator's reflection.

question: Summarize the climactic event of the story.

answer: After the narrator has entered the mirrored world and their reflection has vanished, the world is starting to shake and shake violently. The narrator tries to touch the surface of the mirror to try and stabilize the other world, however, their hand passes through the surface. The narrator then falls to the ground and the dream ends.

critique: The narrator does not try to touch the surface of the mirror to try and stabilize the other world.

critique: The answer should mention that the narrator is woken up by his friends.

critique: The sentence about the narrator trying to touch the surface is not accurate. The narrator's reflection is the one that is trying to touch the surface.

question: Would the dream that the main character have change their beliefs on phenomena and ghosts?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer is not blank. The answer should be yes.


text:
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  []
  This week the usually calm waters of Lake Natoma under the Rainbow Bridge are a boil.
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In Northern California, we have been riding the "atmospheric river" since last weekend. For boaters,  it's a Class 5 like a waterfall that has swelled the state's rivers, flooded neighborhoods, and vineyards, all while dumping snow and rain on the Sierra Nevada Mountains and causing mudslides on hills scorched by summer's wildfires.

An atmospheric river is long and narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow through the sky. Massive quantities of Pacific Ocean water
from as far away as Hawaii have pummeled California with a series of storms like a long blast from a fire hose.

Blizzard conditions forced road closures to many of Lake Tahoe's ski resorts that had to shut down and dig-out after being buried in snow. Nine feet fell in over three days at Kirkwood Mountain Resort in California making it the snowiest January in 45 years. Most of the ski resorts it looks like will try to open at least some terrain this weekend.

The Yuba River rose again to a little over 85 feet in Marysville California, while the South Fork of the American River are creating “once-in-a-decade” conditions on the American River for expert kayakers like Dylan Nichols. “We don’t have the option to run it this high maybe but once in a decade," Nichols told _ABC10_, "So it’s special for us local paddlers to be able to come out and take advantage of it,” Nichols and other expert kayakers paddled on the river from Chili Bar Park in Placerville California to where the water pours into Folsom Reservoir. He estimated the flow at 20,000 cubic feet per second, compared to a normal pace of anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 cubic feet per second.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------
  []
  South Yuba River at Highway 49. Photo by Rich Shipley via Facebook
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“It’s extremely unusual conditions,” professional kayaker Isidro Soberanes told _ABC10,_ “It gives me the opportunity to experience a river I know really well at extremely high, high levels. Basically, I’m expecting to paddle some of the biggest rapids I’ve paddled in California.”

To see their trip down the South Fork, check out this link.  http://www.abc10.com/news/local/american-rivers-once-in-a-decade-conditions-draw-thrill-seeking-kayakers/385347076

Folsom Lake continues to rise with the week's rains, as water managers releasing even more water downstream.  Early this week the lake's water level stood at 422 feet elevation rising 13.5 feet higher than what it was 5 hours earlier. As the lake becoming fuller, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation opened five floodgates at Folsom Dam and 18 gates at Nimbus Dam releasing the water downstream.

Due to releases and rain, the usual peaceful waters of Lake Natoma under Folsom's Rainbow Bridge became a violent torrent at the entrance to the lake. While downstream large sections of the American River Parkway and several popular Sacramento County parks were closed earlier this week after days of rainfall and heavy releases from reservoirs flooded recreation areas around the region.

The Jim Jones footbridge, one parkway’s biggest popular attractions for boaters, fishermen and summertime rafters at the Sunrise Recreation Area, remains underwater this week as the American River gushes over it. Meanwhile, much of the western half of the parkway, Discovery Park to about Watt Avenue, also will remain inaccessible for the time being due to flood waters.

While most atmospheric river events are weak. But the powerful ones like the one that just targeted California this week, can transport an amount of water vapor equal to 15 times the average flow of water that flows out of the Mississippi River's mouth, according to NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory. This drenching is good news that might help bring a dramatic turnaround for the state's water supply after more than five years of drought.

question: What has caused the heavy downpours in Northern California?

answer: The "atmospheric river" that is usually calm was fired up.

critique: There are a lot of details given in the answer that aren't relevant to the question.

critique: The answer is not as clear as it could be.

critique: "The "atmospheric river" that is usually calm was fired up." - is inaccurate. The "atmospheric river" is the reason for the heavy downpours.

critique: The answer should be clearer in that it is the atmospheric river that is causing the downpours.

question: Describe the consequences of the atmospheric river.

answer: The atmospheric river has caused flooding in neighborhoods and vineyards. It has also caused mudslides on hills scorched by summer wildfires.

critique: The answer should mention the snow and rain.

critique: It misses to show how snowfall of the atmospheric river is a cause of the flooding.

critique: The answer should mention the snow and rain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

critique: It is omitted that it has also caused flooding in many of Lake Tahoe's ski resorts and the Yuba River rose again to a little over 85 feet.

critique: It's omitted that it has caused blizzard conditions.

question: How do the kayakers benefit from these unusual conditions?

answer: They are able to experience rivers at extremely high levels.

critique: It is omitted that the rivers are at extremely high levels.

critique: The answer could go into more detail about how the rivers are at extremely high levels.

critique: Should also mention that they are enjoying these once-in-a-decade conditions.

critique: The answer could be more specific about the rivers.

critique: The answer should mention that the rivers are high-level rapids.

critique: The answer should mention the specific rivers.

question: What caused the atmospheric river?

answer: The atmospheric river was caused by a series of storms that took place over the Pacific Ocean, pummeling California with massive quantities of water from as far away as Hawaii.

critique: The answer should mention the specific storms.

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

critique: The article doesn't indicate an exact way in which the Atmospheric river caused these storm systems to occur and where they originated

critique: The answer should mention the "atmospheric river" term.

critique: The answer should include the term "atmospheric river" for better clarity.

critique: The answer should mention the specific source of the storms.

critique: The answer should mention the name of the phenomenon.


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.


text:
STOKVELS are invitation-only clubs of twelve or more people serving as rotating credit unions or saving schemes in South Africa where members contribute fixed sums of money to a central fund on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. The name “stokvel” originated from the term “stock fairs”, as the rotating cattle auctions of English settlers in the Eastern Cape during the early 19th century were known.[1][2][3]

Stokvels generally have a constitution which dictates the size of the contributions, when the accumulated money is to be paid out and the roles and responsibilities of the members. Each month a different member receives the money in the fund, which was collected during that period. Defaults on contribution are quite rare as other members will know if you haven't paid your contribution, and also because the regular meetings are a reminder of what you will gain when it is your turn. Depending on the type of stokvels, the members can use the collected fund for their own use, for payment or investment purposes.

It is estimated that one in every two adult South Africans is a member of at least one of 800 000 stokvels. South Africans invest approximately R50 billion in stokvels a year.

Different Types of Stokvels

CONTRIBUTION STOKVELS
    Traditional savings scheme in which members contribute a fixed amount of money to a common pool weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Members would receive the lump sum on a rotational basis, and they are free to use the money for any purpose.

BASIC STOKVELS
    Differ from the contributions stokvel in that it functions as a savings scheme that pays out for specific events, such as for a death, or at Christmas.

GROCERY STOKVELS
    Collects the grocery or cash coupons that members receive from supermarket chains when they buy provisions for the stokvel parties throughout the year, and distributed these coupons at the end of the saving period.

PURCHASING STOKVELS
    Collects pool money on a regular basis and uses it to purchase big items that can be used by the group to generate an income for example, a marquee that could be rented out to the community for use on special occasions.

FAMILY STOKVELS
    Invest the pooled money in formal bank accounts or financial services. The money is paid out according to the needs of the family, but generally the funds are used for buying land or cars, for business investments, or for deposits on bank loans.

INVESTMENT GROUP
    Invests money in order to benefit from the interest. When an investment pays out, the money is split but, in some cases, part of it will be kept back for reinvestment.

PARTY STOKVELS
    Arranges street or jazz parties, often with live entertainment. An entrance fee is charged, and food and drink is sold. Members then share in the profits. Some of these stokvels have grown into sophisticated businesses

BORROWING STOKVELS
    Which loans money at high monthly interest rates (between 20% and 50%) to members and sub-members from its regular pool money.

Burial Societies

A burial society provides “informal insurance” to help families with the costs of a funeral in the event of a death. Burial societies also provide practical support for the family during the preparations; for example, by helping to prepare food. This is similar to a stokvel, in that monthly fees are collected. However, the main difference is that periodical payouts are not made and new member can only benefit after a three-month waiting period.

Burial societies are invariably intended for poorer and less educated people. Burial societies can be seen as the product of urban living and appear to have evolved in order to aid migrants from the rural areas who find themselves facing problems in a strange and hostile environment. In South Africa, the disadvantaged, and the poorer and less educated classes, have historically been black and coloured people. The burial societies help alleviate the expenses incurred when burying a loved one. It therefore comes as no surprise to find that burial societies tend to be more popular in these communities.

Benefits of joining a Stokvel

-   The peer pressure will force you to save.
-   Pooled money can earn better returns, at a lower cost. Banks offer higher interest rates on bigger amounts and banking costs are lowered (or in some cases, free) if the amount is large enough.
-   Some of the added benefits are a sense of community and socialising. Stokvel members traditionally meet regularly and make an occasion of the meetings.
-   You may learn something. Some stokvels operate like investment clubs and invest in the stock exchange or companies. Members do their homework, deliberate about which shares or companies to invest in and make investment decisions.
-   Knowing when you will receive a windfall amount makes it easier to plan your finances.
-   Reduces chances of savings being stolen if the money is moving rather than saving the money at home.

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Stokvel

question: What does the text say about the popularity of stokvels?

answer: As mentioned in the article, one in every two South Africans is a member of at least one of the 800,000 stokvels in the country. Approximately R50 billion is invested in stokvels each year.

critique: The article does not specify which year the information about the R50 billion came from.

critique: The answer should mention the popularity of stokvels in the black and coloured communities.

critique: The answer could mention the popularity of stokvels in the black community.

critique: The answer should mention the popularity of stokvels in the black and colored communities.

critique: The answer could mention that stokvels are more popular in poorer and less educated people.

critique: The answer should mention the popularity of burial societies.

question: Summarize the process of cattle auctions.

answer: No answer

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

question: What are the main differences between types of stokvels?

answer: Some stokvels pay out for specific events, some collect grocery or cash coupons, and others collect pool money on a regular basis.

critique: It is omitted to mention that the stokvels pay out for specific events is basic stokvels.

critique: The answer should mention the other differences between types of stokvels.

critique: The answer omits the types of stokvels that pay out for specific events.

critique: The answer is missing the point that some stokvels are focused on investment.

critique: The answer omits the types of stokvels that invest money and the types that loan money to members.


text:
He rose to the feeling of movement.

He knew not where the movement came from, but Chris was completely sure that movement was near. His eyes opened and adjusted to the almost impenetrable gloom of his bedroom at midnight. The shelves reached out from his walls, seeming ghostlike in nature at this hour, in the dark. The television at the opposite side of his room peered at him through the dark, reflecting his pale, panicked expression as he sat in his bed, staring around his room. But it didn’t move. Neither did the jeans he wore yesterday, slung across his char, or his shoes, sat haphazardly not too far away.

The movement persisted and Chris knew he would have to investigate. His eyes moved from corner to corner in his room, scoping every inch for tell-tale signs of entry, or even one of his two dogs running around the house, but neither showed; only the lonely emptiness of darkness and silence in the house, and a tap dripping ever so quietly from the bathroom were present at this hour. He checked the time on his mobile phone (he had no clock in his room, he saw no need for such a thing since he already had at least 3 items with clocks built into the software), and the time read 01:32, 08/02/2010.

But still the movement…

He couldn’t hear anything, or see anything, but he knew the movement was near. He could almost sense it, wriggling, crawling around, as if it was under his skin. A sharp pang of panic rang through his body, and he sat still, upright in his bed. The movement *was* under his skin. And it was growing with intensity with every passing second. And then the pain started.

Oh, the pain. His flesh burned at first with only slight discomfort; he could have initially mistaken the sensation for an itch or even a tickle. But it grew. It grew with an alarming pace, the speed matched (possibly even bested) by the growing of his panic at the sudden voluminous pain racking his left arm. He threw off his bed covers and gasped, his mouth agape, at the sight he saw before him on his arm.

His entire forearm was alive - barely - with blisters, open sores, weeping with dull black blood and oozing yellow, sickly pus in equal measure. But that was only intensified by the rate at which this affliction was spreading – the sores were erupting up past his elbow and onto his arm. But worse still, his forearm was only getting deader. The flesh on his forearm was beginning to necrotise, skin peeling back, revealing rotten muscle tissue and tendons ready to snap from pressure.

As his skin began to peel – and his initial shock began to subside – Chris began to scream. Not the classic Hollywood scream, not a voluminous howl you hear in the movies. That sort of scream doesn’t happen in these situations. What came from Chris’ mouth was a low whimper, the sound you would normally hear from someone as they had just received a blow to the stomach that ejected the air sharply from the lungs, but extended over a period of a few seconds. He screamed (although you could call it a sigh and still not be quite wrong) and flopped out of bed and on to all fours, the fingers on his left hand practically disintegrating in the process. They fell off like ash from burned paper – and looked none too different. His entire arm now looked like the result of severe burn damage, and skin

*Or was it muscle? It was becoming increasingly hard to tell. It was all coming off, what was the use in discerning which it was?*

Was flaking off at an alarming rate.

The bones of his arm were becoming visible. Not just visible, but prominent. You’d be forgiven, from looking at a snapshot of this moment, for assuming he was born without flesh on his arm, and at this precise moment was beginning to miraculously generate flesh. His flesh was disappearing before his eyes, flaking away like ash, and all Chris could think was “why isn’t there any blood?”

And as quickly as it began, it was over. He had closed his eyes only for a moment, breathing in with choking sobs, and opened them – to see that his skin was back. But all wasn’t well. He began to scream again; only this time with some real volume.

For his skin had become greasy green scales, and was writhing with a mind of its own, the pain replaced by horrid, grating nausea. Chris rose, stumbling against his bookshelf in the process, knocking a couple of books to the floor, and stumbled out of his room. As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed a new sound, complemented by a strange feeling under his feet.

*Crunch*

Bugs. Cockroaches, spiders, and beetles lay over every surface. Floors, walls, windowsills and doors were coated in bugs, and, Chris noticed, were crawling on a thick coat of viscous dark red liquid. Blood, he thought to himself, barely holding back a gag, heaving at the thought. He brought his right hand to his face to catch a cough, he noticed that his right arm had also become covered in scales, and that they were peeling off just like his skin previously had done, and the pain had returned in full force, and then some.

Yelling through his teeth, Chris pressed on to the bathroom, crushing bugs beneath his feet, noticing that the felt oddly soft against his skin –no, scales. He flicked the bathroom light on and walked to the sink, not yet looking in the mirror, but at his feet which he noticed had a fresh coat of scales on, and claws posing proudly as toenails. He gathered the courage to look into the mirror, and saw that his face was also covered in scales, and that he had webbing protruding from his back; not only that, but as he opened his mouth to scream, he noticed a snake’s tongue in his mouth, and slits for nostrils.

And when he did scream, all that came from his mouth was a long, reptilian hiss.

title: The Itch (draft). Just over 1000 words. Criticism needed!

question: What does the story say about the state of Chris' arm?

answer: The entire forearm of Chris is alive with blisters, open sores, weeping with dull black blood and oozing yellow, sickly pus in equal measure. The flesh on his forearm is beginning to necrotize, skin peeling back, revealing rotten muscle tissue and tendons ready to snap from pressure. The flesh is disappearing before his eyes, flaking away like ash, and all Chris can think is "why isn't there any blood?"

critique: The answer should mention that the flesh is replaced by green scales.

text: Mention the final state of the arm by the end of the narrative.

question: What does the story say about what happens to Chris?

answer: Chris wakes up in the middle of the night to a feeling of movement. He knows the movement is near and investigates. He can't hear or see anything, but he knows the movement is under his skin. The movement grows with intensity and pain starts. His flesh begins to necrotize, skin peeling back, revealing rotten muscle tissue and tendons ready to snap from pressure. His skin begins to peel and his fingers begin to disintegrate. The bones of his arm become visible. His flesh disappears and his skin becomes greasy green scales. He notices bugs and blood. He goes to the bathroom and sees that his face is also covered in scales. He screams and all that comes out is a long reptilian hiss.

critique: Doesn't mention how his right arm also becomes covered in scales.

critique: The answer should mention how his fingers become claws.

question: What does the story say about why Chris transforms into a reptile?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the story does not explain why Chris transforms into a reptile.

question: What does the story say about how Chris feels about being transformed into a snake?

answer: No answer

text: The answer should indicate that while Chris is turning into something that seems reptilian in nature, the specific end of transformation is not given, though snake is likely incorrect since Chris still has arms (a transformation into a snake would mean that his arms would be absorbed into his body). More importantly, the question can be addressed by indicating the the evolution of Chris' emotional states throughout the narrative.


text:
Before I share this story I must let you know I am in a dark place in my life. My fiancee broke off the engagement New Years Day. I am working on things day by day and I am getting the treatment to help me with it. So do not be worried for the most part.

I never really wrote growing up but I feel like this is going to be good for me till I get better.

Thank you for reading, and this is a **ROUGH DRAFT** and written on Notepad because that's all I have right now.

"My Day called Regrets"

The year is 2013, and I have made bad deciesions in my past and it is time to get everything straightened out.

It is a cold winters day, and I fight to open my eyes to the sunlight because it is another day of feeling the way I always do. The windows do not hold the cold out and it blows in under my blanket and lets me know I feel still. I let out a Sigh... and I wish things were different... but they aren't. I hurt people and destroyed futures. These things go through my mind every other thought durning my time of being awake. When I fall to sleep I am awoken by a racing heart beat and fear of not knowing how to fix things I thought I could.

As I wonder why I still get up, I make my way to the hoodie laying next to me. It is thick and is the only thing showing warmth to me in this time of cold. My day is filled with pain and trying to not tear up at every though of my past. I get ready for work like everyone else. I am listening to music where the screaming is ecspressing my inner voice and hurt from ex-girlfriends and past lovers who are now a distant memory of the singers past life. I feel his pain and wish everything was better.

I gather my things and head off to my third shift factory job and get ready for another slow night of work knowing the only things my mind will be thinking of are the things I wish it didn't. I put on a show for my co-workers, smiling... laughing... but the few people who know my pain know I am crying inside. I turn away more often then normal to wipe away the few forceful tears that leave my eyes. With everything going on I pretend to chuckle at the poorly told joke told to mee to try and cheer me up. It does not work and I just look away and get back to my work. Trying to focus on the job at hand and keeping as busy as I can to repress the ideas and memories. The night rolls on and everything at work is moving at a slugish pace and I have done all I can to keep busy, so I stand. I stand and just look out into nothingness, thinking, feeling pain I wish I have never felt.

The time is 5am and it is almost time to get done with work. The thought of sleep seems so good, but the dreams to come will keep me up. I shuffle to my locker looking at only where I need to walk not paying attention to the things around me, people, and machines. I kick off my boots knowing that the day is done and I can try and relax. Relaxation is just a distant memory I have not felt in a long time. It hurts. Everytihng hurts. I hate my job and the place I live. But I can not just leave and walk away. My gloves and heavy jacket help me get past the cold winter morning as I walk to my car.

The worst part of going home is knowing the heat from my ex lover is no longer there, and it is filled with the cold and emptieness of my bed. I try to keep warm by holding a pillow as close as possible. It does not help and only makes me feel worse. I hate this. But I need to work on myself before I can even think about looking for someone to try and feel happy with. It will contiune to be cold. I lay cold and alone waiting for my eyes to get heavy. The sand man must be stuck in traffic because my eyes will not get tierd and my pain will not subside. The tears help pull me towards sleep and I know it is another day that I will try to forget. This is just my day called regrets, and I am gone to wake again and repeat it.

title: "My day called Regrets" Rough Draft

question: What are the indications that the narrator is deeply depressed?

answer: The narrator is in a dark place in their life. They are going through a break-up, and they are working a third-shift job. They are also living alone.

critique: "The narrator is in a dark place in their life. They are going through a break-up, and they are working a third-shift job. They are also living alone." - these are all indicators of depression, but they are not the only ones. The narrator's sadness is also expressed through their thoughts and actions, such as crying while at work, not being able to sleep, and their inability to cheer up.

critique: The narrator is not going through a break-up. It is their fiancee who broke off the engagement.

question: Why did the narrator and his ex-girlfriend break up?

answer: It is not stated.


text:
Oh God.  It happened again.  Oh God.

I was coming out the book store, and the wind was cold, even though the sun was shining everywhere.  It was one of those days.

And there was no one around.  Not even one of those tubby security guards that zip around on campus golf carts.  I was alone, and I felt it, all the way down.

I ought to be wearing a jacket, I  woefully pondered.  And I began my walk back to my car.  Past old bits of Fort Brown and the newer monuments of higher learning.  The walkways wore a crunchy coat of browning leaves that hid all the cracks and the windows from the science building dazzled in the mid-morning sun and the fountain with all the pennies was as green as ever.  And still, there was nobody.  Until I heard the birds.

You know when birds seem to explode out of nowhere in a violent cacophonous blur of squawks and coos and skees, creating a whirwind of black and blue and green and white feathers that swirls around and around?  And you know when those feathers seem to take shape, like you could almost see some monstrous hand reaching for you to steal away your soul?  Yeah, that probably didn’t happen.

But I could hear birds.  How long had they been chirping?  And where was I going?  I hadn’t parked over…  Where had I parked?  I couldn’t remember how I had gotten there.  Or the walk to the book store.  Or what I had done there.  My hands were empty, as well as my pockets.

*Shit.*  I thought to myself.  *This isn’t- shit. Oh, shit.*  And when I remembered what happens next I thought, *Oh!  Shit!*

What would a sane person have done in this situation, I wonder now, having experienced what these past few days have inflicted.  I suppose they wouldn’t be very sane if they did, now then, would they?

So what did I do?  I went looking for her, of course.  I ran, without thinking up anything close to a plan.  I didn’t know where she was, but I sure knew where she wasn’t.  I ran past that stupid fountain, the stupid windows, and the stupid leaves. Past the poorly stuccoed Student Union and across a lawn that was way too big to be practical.  I ran to the bridge that spanned the campus resaca.

And there she was.  Naked as always.  Even in that reality, my circulatory system had been unprepared for my gallant sprint.  That’s probably why I didn’t immediately swell up, and why, when I failed to stop without tripping to the ground, I could only lay there and breathe heavily.  A lot of things were in pain, but I’m a man, so I sat up after a while and I didn’t even cry.  Not even a little.

Oh, God.  Oh, sweet merciful sensory system.  She came and sat next to me.  I felt her arms wrap around me.  It was her.  It was her touch and her smell and that little freckle mole thing on her shoulder she used to get embarrassed about.  It was her and she was holding me again.

I looked into her eyes and began to bawl.  She squeezed me to stop.  She said I always do that, like I’m going to just get over these reunions overnight.  Overday.

I collected myself and things happened and, without a word, we walked hand in hand around the paths and plants and flowers and fountains.  We came back to the resaca to sit by the water’s edge.  And then we talked about everything.  We reminisced on that time we went to Houston in grade school and I made her throw up at that restaurant and that time last year when I put a fake spider in the shower.  We talked about the lunch we had last week and got into that argument over avacado again.  I asked her what Hell was like, to which she answered with that snort thing she does when I ask stupid questions.

I wanted to know, though.  With both hands, I pulled her face to mine.  This was the beautiful face of the smartest and funniest person I've ever known.  I looked past the tears and asked: What became of this brain when I was awake?   She rolled her reddening eyes, scoffed, breathed hard, looked away again, looked down, and repeated until I bumped her forehead with mine.  She swallowed audibly and told me.  She went into really awful detail.  You know when you don’t exist anymore, and everything you ever were is wiped away clean, and you are nothing, and you are now going to be nothing for the rest of forever?  Well, its a shitty feeling.

I reacted to this sadness by grabbing her with all my body, pulling her down to the grass, and laying there for as much of forever as I could greedily hold on to.  The sky stood still for a second, confused by my drastic intentions.  But I’m a stupid boy, and when she sprang the universe back into motion with a suggestion to go swimming, I sat straight up in my bed where I had fallen asleep after my classes.  My throat hurts and my arms ache from a flu, and my sheets are sweaty and gross.

I ask again:  How would a sane man react to this?  Chalk it up to the delusions of cough syrup?   Maybe turn on the TV and try to forget it, move on like everyone says?  Or perhaps do something really stupid like swallow the rest of the cough syrup and end up spending a weird couple of hours in the restroom chatting with the shampoo and conditioner?

Well I came here to write this down.  I know this isn’t the first time this has happened, but I can’t remember any details of the previous dreams.  Look, I need to do something and the cough syrup idea was a bust.  So I’ll write these dreams here.  Fuck you if you don’t want to read it.  I need this and I need her again.  She isn’t just some delusion and I’m not crazy.  Am I crazy?

I need some sleep.  Like you wouldn’t believe.

title: "Fuck Your Sleep Bullshit" (A Blog Entry)

question: What does the story say about the girl?

answer: The girl is the narrator's dream girl. She is the smartest and funniest person the narrator has ever known. The narrator dreams of her often. The girl is naked in the narrator's dream. She is the one who tells the narrator what Hell is like.

critique: The girl is not naked in the narrator's dream.

text: It is strongly implied that she is someone the narrator knew who recently died

question: What does the story say about how to distinguish dreams from reality?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention the narrator's confusion about distinguishing dreams from reality.

critique: The answer should mention the narrator's confusion of dreams and reality.

critique: The answer should mention that the narrator is not sure how to distinguish dreams from reality.

critique: The narrator is trying to figure out how to distinguish dreams from reality.


text:
The Epilepsy Foundation wants people with epilepsy to know that “NO SEIZURES, NO SIDE EFFECTS” SHOULD BE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF EPILEPSY TREATMENT.

Unfortunately, too many people with epilepsy whose seizures can be controlled accept continued seizures in their life — and may be unaware of potential strategies to prevent them.

The Epilepsy Foundation believes that even one seizure is not acceptable and is taking steps through research and the development of new therapies to work toward no seizures for all people living with epilepsy.

For most people living with epilepsy today, the disease can be controlled with available therapies, good seizure-management practices, and the support of an epilepsy specialist.

And for people with the most severe types of difficult to control epilepsy, there are steps an individual can take to lower one’s risk, including participating in research to find new, more effective therapies.

What You Can Do

Regardless of a person’s current level of seizure control, there are many proactive steps people with epilepsy can take once they have committed to exploring all options to stop seizures.

Learn About Seizures and SUDEP

People say “knowledge is power” because it is true. Make sure you understand how serious seizures are, what type of seizures you have, what SUDEP is, and how to manage your seizures so you can be an effective member of your own health care team.

Know Your SUDEP Risk

Talk about SUDEP with your health care team so you understand your risk. Do the type of seizures you have put you at higher risk? As reported in the SUDEP Guideline, people who have three or more generalized tonic-clonic seizures a year have a 15 times higher risk of SUDEP. If you have seizures at night, should you consider using a monitoring or alerting device or sharing a room so someone is there to help if needed?

Orrin Devinsky MD Talks About SUDEP

Know Your Seizure Triggers

Track your seizures and identify seizure triggers. Tools like the Epilepsy Foundation My Seizure Diary can help. Then take steps or make lifestyle changes to avoid them. Find information about managing seizure triggers and epilepsy self management programs.

Michael Privitera MD Talks About Seizure Triggers

Explore All Treatment Options

While seizure medicines are the most common epilepsy treatment, there are other approaches to think about too. If your seizures are not controlled or you are having side effects or other issues (like mood or behavior changes), explore other options, including

-   new and add-on medications
-   surgery
-   devices
-   dietary therapy
-   other options

Dr. Jeff Buchhalter on the Ketogenic Diet and SUDEP
Provided by our partner, The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies

Visit a Comprehensive Epilepsy Center

If your seizures are difficult to control, meaning you continue to have seizures after one year or after two anti-seizure medications have been tried, we recommend seeking more specialized care. Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers pull together a team of specialists to ensure your seizures are diagnosed properly, perform additional testing if needed, and help you explore all treatment options. Find an epilepsy center here.

Participate in a Clinical Trial

Clinical trials are the only way new treatments can be approved and made available to people with epilepsy. They also help determine if a potential treatment is safe and effective. When you participate in a clinical trial, you are helping to advance epilepsy treatment and care. Your participation may increase knowledge about conditions that affect you and those you love. During the trial, you will also have access to knowledgeable specialists and monitoring. Learn more and get started here.

Reach Out for Support

Connect with your local Epilepsy Foundation or call our 24/7 Epilepsy & Seizures Helpline at 800-332-1000 for services, support, and referrals. Use the forums and chat sections to connect with people online.

Strive to #AimForZero Seizures

These steps will help most people living with seizures improve seizure control and quality of life.

The one third of people living with persistent seizures even with existing therapies – and already following these seizure management practices – may want to consider participating in medical research that can lead to effective treatments. Learn about clinical trials, why they are important, and how a trial might benefit you here.

New Treatments and Therapies in a Timeframe that Matters

One of the Epilepsy Foundation's key strategic priorities is to accelerate new therapies for people with epilepsy and seizures in a timeframe that matters.

One example of this is the Rare Epilepsy Network, which unites 26 rare epilepsy organizations, Epilepsy Foundation, Research Triangle Institute, Columbia University, and New York University to expedite research into the rare epilepsies.

Another example of our commitment to preventing seizures and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the SUDEP Challenge Initiative, which will be awarding more than $1 million for a series of prize challenge competitions around predicting and preventing SUDEP.

on:

Thursday, September 28, 2017

question: According to the Epilepsy Foundation, what are the steps that can be taken to reduce seizure risk?

answer:
-Track seizures and discover seizure triggers and take steps to avoid them
-Know your SUDEP risk-Explore all treatment options-Visit an epilepsy center if your seizures are difficult to control-Participate in a clinical trial-Raise for support-Strive for #AimForZero Seizures

critique: The article does not mention anything about social support.

critique: The Epilepsy Foundation's steps to reduce seizure risk are not numbered.

critique: The answer is a copy-and-paste of the article.

critique: The answer should be in a proper sentence.


text:
It had taken everything else from him. His feelings began to fade in August of the previous year. Tiredness bled into torpor, torpor bled into apathy, apathy made him seek help that wasn’t helping. He was leaking. It had taken his wife from him. She left in March of this year. She couldn’t deal with the lack of emotion and energy that her husband used to be full of. He was running on fumes. It had taken his friends from him. He couldn’t deal with them anymore. Being around people so full of life began to take its toll on him. He gave them up shortly before his wife left him. He was empty. It had taken his career from him. He didn’t have the energy to show up anymore. He didn’t have anything left. Depression had taken a vibrant life and drained it of everything that had made it worthwhile. He was good as dead.

At this point, it was only a formality that it should be the death of him. And since it couldn’t kill him in the literal sense of the word, he would have to do that himself.

He’d been contemplating it for the past few months now. The question now was not a matter of do or do not, but the execution of it, ironically enough. He didn’t trust himself enough with knots to hang himself. He hadn’t the drive to go purchase a gun. Poison was too cliché. He couldn’t cut himself, he hated blood. He would jump, but he couldn’t stand heights.

A train would do it, though. The thundering of steel at high noon, the shrill shriek of the steam horn, the raw power of ungodly machine, it all seemed morbidly attractive. He would have described it as a type of romantic if he had the feelings to find the words. He had found his end. And so it was settled: he would sacrifice the last of himself to the condition that had taken the rest of him.

He put on his Sunday best for his final hurrah. When they found his body he wanted it to look good. At least, that’s what the real him would have wanted. If he could have watched himself, would the real him have been happy, though? Two years ago, the real him never would have imagined that he would go down like this, a prisoner of his own life, a victim of his own mind.

If he was really going to do this, he had to stop thinking like that. Conviction was what he needed of himself right now. He was going to pull the trigger.

The rails were surprisingly cold for early September. The trees on either side of the tracks had just begun to shed their leafy vestiges in a snow of orange and red. Perhaps it was appropriate that the forest around him was accompanying him in his demise. As they slowly died, so would he. In the spring, they would come back.

What had really brought him so low? In the days before his demise, he would have said that he began to feel numb in August of last year. In the hours before his demise, he wasn’t so sure. Had he always been this cold on the inside? His life wasn’t flashing before his eyes like in the overly dramatized stories he liked to read. It melted before his eyes. His first memory of youth was inseparable from his memory of last night’s dinner.

The first sign of the incoming train was the buzz he felt on his head. A light vibration that might have been pleasant if he remembered what pleasant was. The light vibration slowly and methodically became an incessant rattle. His heart fluttered with the frequency of pulsating rails. If he remembered what to call it, he would have recognized this feeling as anxiety. His stomach churned like the bouncing gravel under the tracks. His thoughts were brought to a rolling boil as his blood pressure shot through the roof. He was nervous.

What came after the train hit him? He didn’t let himself believe in a god. Would it be blackness? Would it be peaceful? Painful? Immediate? Eternal? He lacked the answers to the questions he had; this wasn’t the best location to ponder life’s mysteries. Or was it? He hadn’t felt this alive in his whole life. His whole body was quaking with an unnatural tension that frightened him. How could he let himself die when he felt so far from death? He had doubts.

Was this actually what he wanted to do? The rattle from moments before became a thunder in less time than he would have liked. The train was fast approaching and he was frozen in place, his head stuck to the frigid rails, cold sweat pouring from his burning being as his death charged down upon him. Something from within him screamed. He was afraid. He was scared to die.

A last thought before impact, a deathbed confession to eternity: He didn’t want to die.

title: Deathbed Confession

question: What is the difference between why the main character believes his wife left him, and why she likely did from an objective perspective?

answer: On one hand, he's denying his depression. On the other, his depression is likely severe and blacking out a lot of his personality with it. he may also be very pessimistic.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: It is not stated that he is denying his depression.

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

question: Why, in the moments leading up to his death, was he suddenly unsure as to if he really wanted to die?

answer: The train changes everything.

critique: He didn't realize, at that time, that the events would happen at the time of his death. His thoughts go back to his childhood, to his last night's supper, to his many doubts.

critique: The answer could be clearer about what it means by "the train".

text: The question is not answered in the passage.

refinement: The train changes everything.