text:
AVVO.COM is an online marketplace for legal services, that provides lawyer referrals and access to a database of legal information consisting primarily of previously answered questions. Lawyer profiles may include client reviews, disciplinary actions, peer endorsements, and lawyer-submitted legal guides.

History

Avvo was founded in Seattle, Washington in 2006 by Mark Britton, a former legal counsel for Expedia, Inc. Britton said he developed the idea while vacationing in Italy and was still receiving inquires from friends and colleagues seeking legal advice. Rich Barton, the founder of the Expedia, Inc. and real-estate database Zillow.com, was a key advisor during the initial ideation stages and still serves on the board of directors. Avvo was derived from _“avvocato”_, the Italian word for lawyer.[1]

The company was initially financed with $13 million in venture capital from Benchmark Capital and Ignition Partners.[2] Subsequently, Avvo raised $71.5 million in financing in 2015, which brings the company's total financing to $132 million.[3]

In January 2018, Avvo entered a deal to be acquired by Internet Brands.[4]

Business model

Avvo generates revenue by selling legal services, advertising, and other services primarily to lawyers. Avvo operates as a scraper site to generate its lawyer listing pages causing the District of Columbia Bar Association to specifically object to its business practices.[5] An additional source of revenue for Avvo is through a $49.95/mo subscription service called “Avvo Pro” which allows lawyers to remove advertisements from their profile, including advertisements by competing lawyers which may appear on non-“Avvo Pro” lawyer profiles.

Avvo also connects consumers directly with lawyers for telephone consultations and for a limited assortment of flat fee legal services. Service availability may vary by state.[6]

Lawyer directory

According to the website, the directory provides comprehensive profiles, client reviews, peer endorsements, and its own proprietary rating for more than 97% of all licensed attorneys in the United States. Avvo lawyer profiles are aggregated from public records provided by state bars and additional attorney licensing entities. Avvo will not delete any lawyer's profile,[7] and has been criticized for including profiles of deceased lawyers.[8][9]

As of 2010, Avvo's directory includes ratings of lawyers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.[10] The District of Columbia Bar Association released its position about Avvo:

  The Bar has not entered into any agreement with Avvo; instead, Avvo has obtained Bar member information directly from the Bar’s Web site, in violation of our restrictions on use, and used that information for its own commercial purposes. The Bar has asked Avvo to remove all improperly acquired D.C. Bar member information from its Web site, cease all attempts to acquire such information from the Bar’s Web site, and cease using improperly acquired information for any commercial purpose.[11]

Lawyer ratings

Avvo presents ratings of lawyers that are included in its directory, based upon a proprietary algorithm. Avvo cautions users that a rating “is not an endorsement of any particular lawyer, and is not a guarantee of a lawyer's quality, competency, or character. Nor is the Avvo Rating a predictor of the outcome of any matter in which such lawyer is involved.”[12]

Avvo's rating system has been criticized and has inspired some controversy.[13] When sued by lawyers who object to the ratings, Avvo has successfully defended against the lawsuits by asserting that the ratings constitute a constitutionally protected opinion.[14][15]

Browne v. Avvo

A lawsuit was filed on June 14, 2007, nine days after Avvo's launch, by Seattle attorneys, John Henry Browne and Alan Wenokur. The suit alleged that Avvo's rating system made false claims of being factual and was therefore deceptive and libelous and violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act.[16][17] United States District Court Judge Robert Lasnik ruled that the rating system was only an opinion and was thus protected by the First Amendment right of free speech.[18] The judge wrote, “Neither the nature of the information provided nor the language used on the Web site would lead a reasonable person to believe that the ratings are a statement of actual fact.”[19]

After the ruling, an editorial in _The Wall Street Journal_ endorsed the website for providing “at least some measure of transparency” of the legal profession.[20]

New Jersey

The New Jersey State Bar Association sent an inquiry to the Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics asking if New Jersey attorneys may participate in certain online, non-lawyer, corporately owned services specifically naming Avvo and other online services.[21] As a result of that inquiry, the Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, Committee on Attorney Advertising, and Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law issued a joint opinion. The joint opinion stated that New Jersey attorneys may not participate in Avvo services as it is against the rule of professional conduct.[22][23][24][25]

Doctor directory

The doctor directory launched on November 1, 2010.[26] Avvo's health business was sold to HealthTap on November 29, 2012.

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title: Avvo

question: What does the article say about the history of the company Avvo?

answer: Avvo was founded in Seattle, Washington in 2006 by Mark Britton, a former legal counsel for Expedia, Inc. Britton said he developed the idea while vacationing in Italy and was still receiving inquires from friends and colleagues seeking legal advice. Rich Barton, the founder of the Expedia, Inc. and real-estate database Zillow.com, was a key advisor during the initial ideation stages and still serves on the board of directors. Avvo was derived from “avvocato”, the Italian word for lawyer. The company was initially financed with $13 million in venture capital from Benchmark Capital and Ignition Partners. Subsequently, Avvo raised $71.5 million in financing in 2015, which brings the company's total financing to $132 million. In January 2018, Avvo entered a deal to be acquired by Internet Brands.

critique: The answer should mention the District of Columbia Bar Association's objection to Avvo's business practices.

critique: The answer should mention the controversy around the company.

critique: The answer is a copy and paste of the article. It should be rewritten.

critique: The answer should mention that Avvo's lawyer directory is aggregated from public records provided by state bars and additional attorney licensing entities.

critique: The answer should mention the controversy over the rating system.

critique: The idea portion of Avvo's history is irrelevant.

critique: The answer should mention the controversy surrounding Avvo.

question: What does the article say about Avvo's lawyer directory?

answer: Avvo's lawyer directory provides comprehensive profiles, client reviews, peer endorsements, and its own proprietary rating for more than 97% of all licensed attorneys in the United States. Avvo will not remove any licensed lawyer's profile no matter what the reason.

critique: would be good to include some details regarding the behavior of their lawyer directory in response to what states have put their name on it

critique: The answer should mention the District of Columbia Bar Association's position on Avvo.

critique: The answer should mention the controversy surrounding the directory.

critique: The answer does not mention the District of Columbia Bar Association's objection to Avvo's scraping of its members' data.

critique: Avvo will remove profiles of deceased lawyers.

critique: The answer omits the fact that Avvo's lawyer directory has been criticized for including profiles of deceased lawyers.

critique: The answer omits that Avvo's directory includes ratings of lawyers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

critique: The answer should mention the District of Columbia Bar Association's objection to Avvo's business practices.

question: What does the article say about what kind of health business Avvo stated?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the health business was sold to HealthTap.

text: Avvo launched a doctor directory on November 1, 2010, which was later sold to HealthTap on November 29, 2012.


split: train

text:
SISYRIDAE, commonly known as SPONGEFLIES or SPONGILLAFLIES, are a family of winged insects in the order Neuroptera. There are approximately 60 living species described, and several extinct species identified from the fossil record.

Description

[Forewing venation of _Sisyra nigra_] In general appearance, the adults resemble some brown lacewings (Hemerobiidae). The forewings of spongillaflies have a span of 4–10 millimetres. The greyish or brownish wings have few cross veins except in the costal field, and most of these are not forked. The subcostal (Sc) and radial (R1) veins are fused near the wingtip.

The larvae of spongillaflies look rather bizarre. Similar to those of some osmylids (Osmylidae) at first glance, they have spindly legs on a bulky thorax, long antennae, and flexible, threadlike mouthparts. However, the second and third instars carry seven pairs of jointed, movable tracheal gills beneath their plump abdomen. These gills are possessed by no other extant insect family, and readily distinguish them from osmylid larvae.

Ecology and life cycle

[Cocoon and pupa.] Adult spongillaflies are crepuscular or nocturnal. They are omnivores, sometimes hunting small invertebrates, but mainly scavenging on such animals' carcasses, as well as on pollen and honeydew.

The females deposit their eggs singly or as small clutches on plants that droop over freshwater lakes or slow-moving rivers. A protective web is spun to cover the eggs. When the larvae hatch, they drop down into the water where they develop until pupation. They use their mouthparts to parasitize Spongillidae freshwater sponges (e.g. of the genus _Spongilla_, hence the name “spongillaflies”) and Phylactolaemata freshwater bryozoans by stinging into the host animals' body and sucking out cell contents. The antennae are stouter than they look and are used to aid in locomotion. Development to pupation takes between several weeks and one year.

[_Sisyra_ sp. larva] Spongillafly larvae leave the water and go to hidden places nearby to pupate, choosing locations like beneath rocks or behind tree bark. They spin a cocoon for pupation, but in temperate climates they overwinter in the cocoon as larvae, pupating only the following spring.

Systematics and taxonomy

Spongillaflies were formerly placed in the Osmyloidea, as their closest relatives were held to be the osmylids (Osmylidae) and the Nevrorthidae. This was due to the similar adaptations of the larvae of spongillaflies and osmylids. But this is apparently due to convergent evolution; actually, the spongillaflies seem to be closer to the brown lacewings (Hemerobiidae) than to the osmylids, but even more closely related to the dusty wings (Coniopterygidae). And even though they are not often placed in the superfamily Coniopterygoidea yet, they most likely form a clade with the Coniopterygidae and thus it would seem that the Coniopterygoidea, rather than being an unnecessarily monotypic taxon, is expanded to signify that the spongillaflies and the dusty wings are each other's closest relatives.

A few fossil genera are known, mainly from the Eocene like _“Sisyra” amissa_ which may or may not be the first record of the living genus.[1] The genus _Cratosisyrops_, from the Aptian Crato Formation, was suggested to be a spongillafly member, but later authors Perkovsky and Makarkin in 2015 noted the fossil lacks details to confidently place it in the family. The oldest members of the family are species in the subfamily Paradoxosisyrinae [2] from Cenomanian Burmese amber and _Prosisyrina_ from Santonian Taimyr amber.[3][4]

The family is currently divided into two subfamilies with the four extant genera and two of the extinct genera placed into Sisyrinae, while five extinct genera are placed into the subfamily Paradoxosisyrinae.[5]

SISYRIDAE

-   †Paradoxosisyrinae
    -   †_Buratina_[6]
    -   †_Khobotun_[7]
    -   †_Paradoxosisyra_
    -   †_Protosiphoniella_[8]
    -   †_Sidorchukatia_[9]
-   Sisyrinae
    -   _Climacia_
    -   †_Paleosisyra_
    -   †_Prosisyrina_
    -   _Sisyborina_
    -   _Sisyra_
    -   _Sisyrina_

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title: Sisyridae

question: Summarize the most interesting facts about the sisyridae.

answer: The spongillaflies look like brown lacewings, but their larvae are bizarre. They have spindly legs on a bulky thorax, long antennae, and flexible, threadlike mouthparts. The second and third instars carry seven pairs of jointed, movable tracheal gills beneath their plump abdomen. These gills are possessed by no other extant insect family, and readily distinguish them from osmylid larvae.

critique: The answer should mention the ecology and life cycle of the sisyridae.

critique: rephrase the first sentence for correctness.

critique: The answer should mention that the larvae parasitize freshwater sponges and bryozoans.

critique: The answer should mention that the larvae parasitize spongillidae freshwater sponges and phylactolaemata freshwater bryozoans.

critique: The answer should mention that the larvae parasitize Spongillidae freshwater sponges and Phylactolaemata freshwater bryozoans.

text: The answer focuses on details of the larvae, where it should instead include broader interesting facts.

category: coherence


text:
Phys Ed

[]

Credit...Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

-   May 3, 2017

If all of the children who currently are sedentary started exercising every day, societies could save enormous amounts of money in the coming decades and have healthier citizens as a whole, according to a remarkable new study. In the United States alone, we could expect to save more than $120 billion every year in health care and associated expenses.

The study is the first to use sophisticated computer simulations to arrive at a literal and sobering societal price tag for allowing our children to be sedentary.

Inactivity is, of course, widespread among young people today. Recent research shows that in the United States and Europe, physical activity tends to peak at about age 7 for both boys and girls and tail off continually throughout adolescence. More than two-thirds of children in the United States rarely exercise at all.

The immediate health consequences for inactive children and their families are worrisome. Childhood obesity, which is linked to lack of exercise, is common, as is the incidence of Type 2 diabetes and other health problems related to being overweight among children as young as 6.

But the long-term financial costs of inactivity in the young, both for them and society as a whole, have never been quantified.

So for the new study, which was published this week in Health Affairs, researchers with the Global Obesity Prevention Center at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and other institutions decided to create a bogglingly complex computer model of what the future could look like if we do or do not get more of our children moving.

The researchers began by gathering as much public data as is currently available about the health, weight and physical activity patterns of all 31.7 million American children now aged 8 to 11, using large-scale databases from the Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other groups.

The researchers fed this information into a computerized modeling program that created an electronic avatar for every American child today. In line with reality, two-thirds of these children were programmed to rarely exercise and many were overweight or obese.

The scientists then had the simulated children grow up. Using estimations about how calorie intake and activity patterns affect body weight, the program changed each virtual child’s body day-by-day and year-by-year into adulthood. Most became increasingly overweight.

As the simulated children became adults, the scientists then modeled each one’s health, based on obesity-associated risks for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer, and also the probable financial price of dealing with those diseases (adjusted for future inflation), both in terms of direct expenses for hospitalizations, drugs and so on, and lost productivity because of someone’s being ill.

The results were staggering. According to the computer model, the costs of today’s 8- to 11-year-olds being inactive and consequently overweight would be almost $3 trillion in medical expenses and lost productivity every year once the children reached adulthood and for decades until their deaths.

But when the researchers tweaked children’s activity levels within their model, the numbers began to look quite different. If they presumed that, in an imaginary America, half of all children exercised vigorously for about 25 minutes three times a week, such as during active recess or sports or, more ambitiously, ran around and moved for at least an hour every day, which is the amount of youth exercise recommended by the C.D.C., their virtual lives were transformed.

Most obviously, the incidence of childhood obesity fell by more than 4 percent, a change that resonated throughout the simulated children’s lives and society. There were about half a million fewer cases of adult-onset heart disease, diabetes, cancer and strokes in this simulation, and the society-wide costs associated with these illnesses dropped by about $32 billion every year if the children romped about for 25 minutes three times per week and by almost $37 billion if they moved for an hour every day.

The impacts were even more substantial when the researchers assumed that 100 percent of the children who are now sedentary got regular exercise.

In this scenario, the annual total costs during adulthood from obesity-associated medical expenses and lost productivity plummeted by about $62 billion when children were active three times a week and by more than $120 billion every year when all of the virtual children played and moved for at least an hour each day.

The implication of these numbers is that all of us, including people who are not parents, have selfish reasons to be concerned about childhood inactivity, says Bruce Lee, the director of the Global Obesity Prevention Program at Johns Hopkins and lead author of the study.

“We all will share the costs” of future medical treatments and lost work time among children who move too little now, he says.

Of course, this was a computer model and not a time machine, he says. It can provide predictions but not certainties. The simulations also relied on broad generalizations about how physical activity affects body weight and health, with the presumption being that more movement leads to less weight, which might not be true for all young people.

Still, this peek into our possible future strongly suggests that we should find ways now to encourage more children to move, Dr. Lee says. Show this study to school administrators who are mulling curtailing recess and physical education classes, he suggests. Talk to local planning authorities about more playing fields and parks. And if you are a parent, take your child for a bike ride, swim or jog.

question: Describe the selfish reasons why American adults should find ways to encourage activity in children.

answer: The costs of future medical treatments and lost work time among children who move too little now will be shared by all.

critique: The answer should mention the cost savings.

critique: The answer should mention the savings in healthcare costs.

critique: The answer should mention the financial savings.

question: Can the research be relied upon as absolutely accurate?

answer: No, it is a computer model and cannot provide certainties.

critique: The answer should mention that the model relies on broad generalizations.

critique: The answer should mention that the model is based on generalizations.

critique: The answer could be clearer in its pronoun use.

critique: "No, it is a computer model and cannot provide certainties." - the passage doesn't mention anything about the accuracy of the model.

question: Why should parents encourage their children to take a regular bike ride?

answer: Because it will save money in the future.

critique: The answer should mention the health benefits of exercise.

critique: The answer should make it clear that the savings are in healthcare costs.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: The future savings are predicted, not guaranteed.

critique: The article does not say that it will save money in the future.

critique: Because it will save society billions in the future

critique: It's omitted that the exercise will also result in healthier citizens.

question: Why have children become sedentary?

answer: Can be due to a lack of playing fields and parks. Also, modern technology has made sedentary life easier.

critique: The article does not answer this question.

critique: The article doesn't say anything about the lack of playing fields and parks.

critique: I don't think there is evidence to suggest that a lack of playing fields and parks is a cause for the sedentary lifestyle.

critique: The article does not say anything about the reason for children becoming sedentary.

critique: The article does not say anything about this.

critique: The article does not mention anything about playing fields and parks.


text:
[Ren Zhiqiang during an appearance in September at Wuhan University in Hubei Province.]

Credit...ChinaFotoPress, via Getty Images

-   Feb. 28, 2016

BEIJING — The microblog account of an outspoken property tycoon and critic of President Xi Jinping, which had nearly 38 million followers, was deleted by China’s Internet control bureau on Sunday.

An official statement said that the tycoon, Ren Zhiqiang, had exerted a “vile” influence on the country by spreading illegal information on the website, which was on the Sina Weibo platform.

Mr. Ren, a member of the Communist Party, had recently posted statements questioning a new policy on news media control announced by Mr. Xi on Feb. 19. The president visited the three main party and state media organizations that day and said that all Chinese news media had to serve the party. No Chinese leader since Mao Zedong had suggested so explicitly that spreading official propaganda should be the media’s top priority.

Mr. Ren said in his posts that the news media should serve the people, not the party. Those posts were quickly deleted, and a website managed by the propaganda unit of the Beijing municipal party committee then attacked Mr. Ren on Feb. 22, saying he was acting against the party.

Mr. Ren has long had a reputation for posting controversial messages online. That earned him the nickname the Cannon. In 2011, he stepped down as president of Beijing Huayuan Group, a property company, but he remained president of a publicly listed subsidiary until 2014. One official news report estimated his net worth in 2009 at around $22 million.

The Internet control bureau, the Cyberspace Administration of China, took the rare step on Sunday of publishing a long statement explaining why it had deleted Mr. Ren’s account. The bureau is led by Lu Wei, a party and government official who traveled with Mr. Xi to the United States in September to meet with top executives of American technology companies. He is in charge of ensuring that foreign technology companies in China abide by strict rules laid down by the party and the state.

The statement on Sunday, attributed to Jiang Jun, a spokesman for the bureau, said, “Internet users have reported that Ren Zhiqiang’s account had been continuously publishing illegal information, and the impact was vile.” It added that “Internet celebrities” and influential microblog personalities, known as Big Vs, “must correctly use their influence, exemplify obedience to laws and regulations, shoulder social responsibility and actively spread positive energy.”

Mr. Jiang said the “cyberspace administration will increase the intensity of enforcing Internet content laws, and asks for all online platforms to refuse to provide channels for illegal speech.”

The authority did not specify why Mr. Ren’s posts were illegal or which of them had violated the law. Mr. Ren could not be reached for comment.

In recent years, the party has been cracking down on writings by Big Vs, people who, like Mr. Ren, are labeled “verified users” by Internet companies and have millions of online followers, to ensure that they toe the party line. A signal moment in that campaign came in 2013, when the police arrested Charles Xue, a Chinese-American businessman with 12 million microblog followers, and paraded him on state television, saying he had solicited prostitutes.

The authorities have clamped down on Internet speech in other ways. In 2013, the nation’s top legal authorities said the criminal charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” could be applied to online writings.

Officials have also charged more Internet users with “spreading rumors,” including in cases where writers had been discussing the recent economic downturn and stock market turmoil.

question: What does the article say about microblogs?

answer: The microblog account of an outspoken property tycoon and critic of President Xi Jinping, which had nearly 38 million followers, was deleted by China's Internet control bureau on Sunday. The account was deleted because the tycoon, Ren Zhiqiang, had exerted a "vile" influence on the country by spreading illegal information on the website, which was on the Sina Weibo platform.

critique: The answer is a summary of the article, not a statement of facts.

question: What does the text say about communism?

answer: No answer

critique: The article mentions the Communist Party, which is a form of communism.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The article mentions that Ren Zhiqiang is a member of the Communist Party.

critique: The answer should mention that the Communist Party is mentioned in the text.

critique: The answer should mention that the Communist Party is mentioned in the article.

critique: The text clearly implies that communism was used by the Chinese government to justify their recent crackdowns on the social media. The Communist Party has long wanted to control the media and has fought tooth and nail for that control much to the people's detriment.

question: What does the text say about Mr. Ren?

answer: Mr. Ren is an outspoken property tycoon and critic of President Xi Jinping. He had a net worth of around $22 million in 2009.

critique: He also was a member of the Communist Party.

critique: The answer should mention that Ren's microblog account was deleted.

critique: The response misses to mention that Mr. Ren had a microblog account with nearly 38 million followers that got deleted by China's Internet control bureau.

critique: The answer should mention that Mr. Ren's microblog account was deleted.

question: What does the text say about misinformation?

answer: No answer

critique: The response misses to answer the instruction in the task.

critique: The answer should mention that the article does not mention misinformation.

critique: The answer should mention that the article doesn't talk about misinformation.

critique: The article does mention misinformation.


text:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The man walked into my hostel. I could see it in him that he was tired, but so were all the travelers that walked El Camino de Santiago.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hay... habi...habitaciones... para alquilar?" He asks, pulling a wallet from his back pocket.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"There are rooms here," I say "but they are not for rent, they are for the pilgrims." I pick up his pack and start to walk down the hall.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm sorry, I'm not a pilgrim." he says following me down the hall.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes you are." I tell him. "You walk El Camino de Santiago."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You don't understand. I'm just hiking- excursionismo." He says.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No, no, I understand, I have seen many pilgrims, very few like you, but I have seen you before." I tell him as we enter his room. All of the rooms are small and they have two bunked beds. I will let him choose his own when he decides to stay so I set his bag down. "Cafe?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uh, yes please, thank you." He says. I gesture down the hall towards the kitchen and we walk. He does not say anything so I put the kettle on to boil.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Please sit, it is getting late and other pilgrims will be coming soon, excuse me. I walk to the front hall and open the door and turn on the light. They will know to come inside to sleep and to eat and prepare for tomorrow.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The water is boiling." He calls to me from the kitchen.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Then take it off." I say to him as I walk back into the kitchen. "Do not burn your hand. the handle get quite hot." but it is too late, he drops the kettle spilling the hot water on the ground.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ow, I'm so sorry." he says.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It is no trouble, now I will have clean floors." I smile at him. "Please, run your hand under the tap." I say getting a dishrag from the drawer I bend down to wipe away the water.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No please," he says, "let me." taking the rag from my hands and a knee.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That is why you are here, and that is why you are a pilgrim." I say.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Excuse me?" he says looking up at me.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am now a very old man, and I have seen many pilgrims. You are hurt but you will not tend to yourself."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's not that bad." he says, continuing to wipe the floor. the rag and his hands and the water are steaming.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh nieto, I understand. This is why you walk alone on this path. There are those who would walk with you but you think you must be alone." I say, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now go put your hand under cool water." He stands.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's late, I don't think I should have any coffee." he says wringing out the rag. He hangs it over the edge of the sink.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes, better to turn in, the way is still long for you, for all of us." I say. "I will see you in the morning and then we will have cafe." He turns to leave, "goodnight pilgrim."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Goodnight, abuelo." he says. I walk into the hall and sit in my chair and wait for the rest to come to my hostel, hot and weary they will stay here for the night on El Camino de Santiago.

title: [Flashfiction] El Camino de Santiago

question: What does the text say about the hiker?

answer: The hiker is a man who walked into the hostel. He is tired and asks to rent a room. The hostel owner tells him his rooms are not for rent. He is a pilgrim and one of the few who walks the El Camino de Santiago alone.

critique: Tell us what happened when the hiker spilled water on the floor.

text: The hiker says he is not a pilgrim but the narrator claims he is because he does not tend to himself and that his rooms are for pilgrims. It is not stated that the hiker is one of few who walks the El Camino de Santiago alone.

category: accuracy

question: What does the text say about the hostel owner?

answer: The hostel owner clearly seems proud to have met another pilgrim. The narrator, who is an old man, is present and welcomes all new arrivals, whom he refers to as "pilgrims," like the man he just met. He talks directly to the new arrival and seems keen to share his knowledge, wisdom, and history while creating an atmosphere of comfort in the hostel.

critique: The response contains inaccurate information.

critique: The answer should mention that the old man is the owner of the hostel.

text: The narrator is not old.

question: What does the text say about the town where the hostel is located?

answer: No answer

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

text: The hostel is located on the path that leads to El Camino de Santiago.

category: coverage


text:
Click, clack. Click, clack. The sounds of metal against metal reverberated through the entire ship as the captain walked towards the guard rail on the starboard side. Every other step the captains prosthetic leg stuck the ships metal surface and rang out. From just below the knee a metal contraption attached to his leg. Hinges and blots dotted the device and ever few steps a release valve opened and steam hissed out. The device was solid bronze and extremely heavy and as such, it required a lot of strength to take a single step, much less walk across the ship.

He continued his difficult trek until he reached the railing. Leaning against it he looked over to his right and saw one of his passengers staring out across the night sky. She stood there silent, not even noticing the captains presence, completely enthralled by the view in front of her.

“Its beautiful isn’t it?” the captain said, breaking the silence. The female passenger could only manage a nod and did so without breaking eye contact with the view.

The captain gave a small chuckle.

 “I used to be just like you, the first time I saw all of this” he motioned with his arm, swinging it about.

Hundreds of feet below them the giant city spread out in every direction, seemingly never ending. The snow capped mountains that sat in the center of the city shined as the sun just barely peaked over the tip of the highest peak. The setting sun cast enough light to see the city as it feel asleep. And just enough darkness to see the stars coming to life. Their light brightening the night sky.

“When I first saw it I knew that I would never be able to go back. And I haven’t, I have called this ship home ever since.” the captain said after a few moments of silence.

The female passenger pointed down to the ships running through the rivers that cut through the city. and spoke for the first time

“They don’t even know what they are missing.” she said almost in shock.

“And that is the way of things, you never really know what you are missing until you have held it in your hands and you wonder were has it been your entire life.” The captain sighed.

“I have meet so many river boat captains who say that airship travel is impractical and unorthodox and unsafe. They neglected to mention it is beautiful.”

“The airship is a relatively new invention, compared to boats. New is scary, and new is confusing. They say that only the foolish mess with the scary and confusing.” he gave a quick laugh “And as such, I am a fool among fools.”

The passenger looked at the captain and asked him.

“How did you first come to fly on this ship?” she asked.

“Ah.” he sighed “Now there is a story. Have you ever heard of Jeremiah the Mad?” the captain say the lack of recognition on the passengers face and continued. “I assumed as much, he was way before your time. Anyways, Jeremiah was a captain like I am myself on board a very similar vessel such as this one. Only he was not a captain of a passenger vessel, he was a thief and a murder and was greatly feared through out the water district.” the captain paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

“I suppose you can see were this story is going, my family owned a shipping company. The Eastern Trading Company as it was called back then. My family has just commissioned the build of a new line of passenger ships and the first one was ready for its maiden voyage.” the captain stopped once again and leaned against the railing, his mechanic leg hissing.

“My father thought is was a good idea if my family and I were on board the ship for its voyage. The first night of the voyage the ship was attacked and boarded by Jeremiah the Mad and his crew. We fought back and they killed my family. I lost my leg.” He raised his mechanic leg as he said this, then continued his story.

“I was twelve years old.” he said quietly. The passenger next to him stood staring with her eyes wide open.

“Oh my god I am so sorry!” she exclaimed. The captain gave a small smile.

“The past is the past, no use feeling sorry for what already happened” he said. The passenger stood silent, not
saying a word. The captain then turned and started to limp away. Click, clack. Click,  clack. As he walked away the passenger realized he never answered her question.

“wait!” she yelled “you never answered, how did you come to fly on this ship?”

The captain stopped and turned around to face her.

“But I did tell you, you are standing on the ship that used to belong to Jeremiah the Mad.” he said.

“What?” she said in shock. “how did you get his ship?”

“That is a story for another time.” he answered. He turned and continued to walk away, leaving her in absolute shock. As he walked away he spoke over his shoulder.

“Best be getting under shelter, a storm is picking up” he said as he disappeared under the deck.

The passenger just stood in shock watching the captain disappear. She turned and faced the guard rail and ran her hand over it, whipping dust off it. Something caught her eye. Looking down she could faintly see a symbol scathed into the railing. It read.

J

title: The Airship (first story)

question: What does the story say about how the captain first come to fly on the airship?

answer: The captain tells the passenger that his family owned a shipping company back then and that they commissioned a new fleet of passenger ships. He said that he and his family were on board for the maiden voyage when Jeremiah the Mad and his crew raided the ship. They killed his family and wounded his feet, which he lost to infection. Because of that, he got his prosthetic leg.

critique: The answer is inaccurate about the captain's leg.

critique: The answer is a summary of the story, not the story itself.

critique: This is not accurate to the story. The captain's story was not about his family and his lost leg.

critique: The captain's leg is not lost to infection.

critique: The captain's leg is not mentioned as being lost to infection.

text: This answer is not accurate. The captain somehow managed to acquire the ship, which belonged to Jeremiah the Mad. He doesn't answer the specifics of how he came to be on the ship.

question: What does the story say about where the ship is going?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the ship is going to the city.

critique: The answer should mention that the ship is on its maiden voyage.

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

critique: There is not enough information in the passage to describe where the ship is going.

critique: The article does not say where the ship is going.

critique: The story does not say where the ship is going.


text:
The _KĀWĀLĀ_ ( or ; also called _SALAMIYA_, ) is an end-blown cane flute used in Arabic music. It is similar to the _ney_ but has six finger holes, while the _ney_ has seven (including one in the back). The _kawala_ comes in up to nine different sizes, according to the _maqam_.

The kawala is a single reed Egyptian flute that is played by blowing through its end. Though very similar to the ney, a highly popular flute in traditional Middle Eastern music, the kawala does not have a hole in the back as the ney does. The kawala has the fundamental tonal structure customary among the Egyptian folk music community, and the basis for many folk melodies, instrumental or vocal.

The kawala is hollow and has four knots, with six fingerholes in a straight line along it. The instrument has up to nine different sizes, according to the scale required in a musical composition. Most often played today at religious festivals and weddings, it has its origin as a shepherds tool, used to guide their flock. For this reason the seems to assist in any musical composition that contains a “call-and-response” sequence.

Players

Ahmed El Arnab is considered one of the most prestigious kawala players in Egypt and worldwide. Living in a small village of Sharqia governorate in Egypt, he has been traveling worldwide playing with many Egyptian sufi singers, including Sheikh Yassine Al-Tohamy and other western composers. He also regularly participates in national folklore carnivals (Mawlid) all over Egypt. He is one of the oldest surviving players in Egypt whose unique signature is the ability to produce various sound effects on the instrument using the circular breathing technique.

Ibrahim Shahin – who used to play in Mawawil – was another well-known Egyptian kawala player. He was an internationally travelled musician who once played regularly at events in his village and at larger shows in Egypt.

Technique

Sound is produced from a kawala by blowing into its upper (mouth) opening with a technique known to instrumentalists as circular breathing. With this technique, a musician breathes in through the nose while retaining a reservoir of previously inhaled air in his puffed-out cheeks, controlling its output to achieve an even and continuous flow of air while continuing to inhale regularly through the nose. This technique is similar to that used with the bagpipe, and has the effect of producing a long, continuous, even tone from the instrument.

The kawala is unique among other instruments in that both a scale and a glissando can be produced, which allows the musician the flexibility to play any note and thus any key, granting tonal flexibility. The uses of the kawala have been generally confined to religious chant. However, gradually the instrument has come to be used in other areas of folk music, and has gained a foothold in every corner of Egypt.

Production

The maker of the kawala selects his reeds while they are still in the earth, and scoops out the inside, hollowing them out so that they stop growing taller but instead grow thicker and harder. The reeds are left in the earth until they are ripe for harvest, at which point they are culled and left in the sun to dry out completely. Then comes the stage of dividing each stalk into segments of four knots each, starting at the thinner end, so that a musician gets (in order) a leading pipe and a following pipe in a 1:2 ratio (two follower pipes for each leader). The maker is careful to select the leader and its follower from the same stalk so as to ensure uniformity in the color of the tone. The internal divisions that divide the reed into chambers at each knot from the inside are then removed, resulting in a hollow pipe open at both ends. Any excess is then trimmed away, together with the remainder of the internal divisions, for a smooth, even interior texture.

title: Kawala

question: What are the musical properties of the kawala?

answer: It is a single reed Egyptian flute that is played by blowing through its end. It has six fingerholes in a straight line along it. The kawala has the fundamental tonal structure customary among the Egyptian folk music community, and the basis for many folk melodies, instrumental or vocal. The kawala is hollow and has four knots, with six fingerholes in a straight line along it. The instrument has up to nine different sizes, according to the scale required in a musical composition. Most often played today at religious festivals and weddings, it has its origin as a shepherds tool, used to guide their flock. For this reason the seems to assist in any musical composition that contains a “call-and-response” sequence.

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

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

critique: The kawala's musical properties are already summarized in the first sentence. The rest of the answer is unnecessary.

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

critique: Everything after the first sentence is unnecessary and should be omitted.

text: "The kawala is hollow and has four knots, with six fingerholes in a straight line along it. The instrument has up to nine different sizes, according to the scale required in a musical composition. Most often played today at religious festivals and weddings, it has its origin as a shepherds tool, used to guide their flock. For this reason the seems to assist in any musical composition that contains a “call-and-response” sequence." - this is irrelevant and should be removed.

question: What does the article say about how to make haunting music?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention the use of circular breathing.


text:
It had been thought that nothing intangible could ever take the place of actually feeling and experiencing events in life. Video games were great for an escape, but couldn't beat experiencing something important to a person. Sure people had dreamed of the concept of a virtual reality for well over a century. The idea was first made popular to the masses by a movie 150 years ago called The Matrix, where all that one experienced was essentially a program made to appear real.

And so it went until 2130 when man finally made a respectable attempt at merging themselves with technology. The body we learned could truly be but a vessel delivering the mind to a place falling between reality and dreams. All thanks to one company - OmniLife - which made the first virtual reality chamber, called a Cocoon. When the amount of money at stake made evident by the consumers money couldn't be raised fast enough from entrepreneurs looking to cash in on the next craze. This huge financial backing led to the product developing faster then anyone anticipated. The research made another break-through seemingly every month and never really slowed down.

Huge companies, GE, IBM, and many others had their own version of the nuclear arms race of the 2100s, except it was much more harmless then that, companies today were racing with cocoon applications. Still the technology was as cutting edge as it could get.

There were black market apps made, though no one really knew exactly who made them. The more risque experiences of life were now available. They were relatively harmless at first, and as long as you knew someone to "jailbreak" - excuse the old 2010 phrase - your cocoon for you then these more morally ambiguous experiences could be had.

Churches shunned Cocoons as evil, and the faithful resisted for a while. But when cocoon apps began to bring the bible's lessons to the coon-world many churches used them as a tool for teaching. But even for the faithful the other apps were too tempting. Nearly everyone began to incorporate them into their weekends. It was pure pleasure.

Most people recognized the dangerous possibilities that arose from these new time consuming machines. Yet everything had been alright so far, so most people didn't bother creating any stir in regards to taking measures to avoid the downsides that co-inside with Cocoons. Society had their fun right in front of them, resisting was too hard, and the companies too large.

Next thing you know the majority of Americans spent 50% of their weekends in a cocoon. People stop showing up for jobs. There was software for just about everything - fucking, swimming, shopping, even for sleeping - a random, somewhat nonsensical software played like a dream.

The black market developed a much darker side - rape, murders, torture, riots - it could all be done in the virtual world, twisting already twisted minds further and allowing the depraved to get their first taste of blood. When those sick people had their crimes down in the virtual world they wanted to cause real people pain. Thousands began to go missing.

Cocoons weren't all bad - quite the contrary most were relatively clean fun. Cave v3.2 was the best selling software of 2142 - the cave went on for years of playing time, it was extraordinary. Clean experiences which were too dangerous, or simply unobtainable, for any ordinary person were there for the taking. Climbing Mt. Everest could be "done" by a 400 pound man with asthma. Sure there wasn't the feeling of accomplishment, but the view was spectacular.

As the apps for cocooning became more sophisticated it began to dominate the life of the majority of Americans. The technology developed and while at one time only the basic parts of taste could be had - sweet and sour - now eating food in the virtual world was indistinguishable from real life. Touch became increasingly refined too, silk felt like real silk, and skin felt like real skin. Society spent more and more time in the coon-world.

It wasn't good for humanity. Why cut your grass when you can cocoon? Why work? The cocoons were quickly regulated, and no longer was it a private industry, but the government now made the cocoons. Time limits were installed and for a few years things began to return to normal. People were angry with the government though, they had their lives inside the cocoon to get back to. There was an uprising. Suddenly people were being taken from their homes by those sworn to protect us, forced into cocoons which gave the experience of civil unrest, such as riots, but the app ended by giving the user a truly horrific experience so that no one would think a riot would be a good idea. Still the civil uprising won and the regulations were gone.

Something had to be done, there were still the people who chose to live a real life. No one had any answers. Cocoon users began attaching feeding tubes to cocoons, as well as other medical tools so that people's bodies didn't degrade into just skin and bone from those who refused to exit their cocoons even for nourishment or medication. It was everything that we all feared, but only few spoke about a decade ago. No one knew what to do.

The government had a secret meeting and a decision was made "for the greater good."

91% of the population cocooned with an average of 92% of their time. But the few people who decided to live life in reality began to notice a difference in cocooners even when they weren't cocooning. They seemed to be much more mellow, with a low range of moods, it was like they were on auto-run. No one who cocooned noticed the difference, they were essentially hypnotized.

Hospital workers then began to notice a correlation between the disease of Uralomex (a horrific alzheimer's like disease) and cocoon users. Since any evidence of the correlation was stuck in the hospital's government produced software, there was only the word of doctors and nurses - the few who didn't cocoon at all - to explain the worrying new trend. People began to die by the millions.

*I wasn't sure where to go from here. Thanks for reading if you got this far. I would love to expand on any advice about on what direction to take. I'll write a more concrete ending tomorrow but for now that is the ending.*

title: Virtually Lifeless

question: Summarize the theme of this story.

answer: The theme of this story is the loss of a person's soul by excessively coocooning. The story also demonstrates how a person's body can be used for this practice as well.

critique: The story does not mention anything about the loss of a person's soul.

critique: While the practice does concern the line between TV and artificial reality, the theme is not loss of "person's soul" but mindless desire.

critique: The story does not mention anything about a person's soul.

critique: "The story also demonstrates how a person's body can be used for this practice as well." - this sentence is confusing and should be deleted.

critique: This answer is not related to the theme of the story.

critique: It is not stated that the theme is the loss of a person's soul by excessively coocooning. The story also demonstrates how a person's body can be used for this practice as well.

critique: The response contains inaccurate information.

text: The answer should talk about the almost universal inability of humans in the story to resist escaping reality and the extremely negative effects of that on every aspect of real life.

question: Summarize how the Cocoons were received by different sectors of society.

answer: The Cocoons were initially shunned by the Church, who saw them as evil. However, when Cocoon apps began to bring the Bible's lessons to the coon-world, churches used them as a tool for teaching. The faithful resisted for a while, but the other apps were too tempting. Nearly everyone began to incorporate them into their weekends. The black market developed a much darker side - rape, murders, torture, riots - it could all be done in the virtual world, twisting already twisted minds further and allowing the depraved to get their first taste of blood. When those sick people had their crimes down in the virtual world, they wanted to cause real people pain. The government made the cocoons, but people were angry with the government and there was an uprising. The regulations were gone, and people began to attach feeding tubes to cocoons.

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

critique: This outlines the fate of society, not the reaction.

critique: The response is almost entirely made up of the plot of the story and does not answer the question.

critique: "When those sick people had their crimes down in the virtual world, they wanted to cause real people pain." - extraneous information.

text: The answer should indicate that most people recognized that there were dangerous possibilities with cocoons but ignored them and tried them anyway. As they began to experience cocoons, they began to be addicted, until cocooning dominated the majority of American life.

question: Summarize some of the foreseen consequences of a population's becoming reliant on the Cocoon for pleasure, experience, and entertainment.

answer:
For starters, the Cocoon is a time-consuming machine, and it has the potential to be addictive. The Cocoon can be used for any number of things, from playing games to shopping to sleeping. The Cocoon can also be used to experience things that are impossible to experience in real life.

The Cocoon can also be used for darker purposes, such as murder and torture. The Cocoon can also be used to experience civil unrest, which can lead to riots. The Cocoon can also be used to experience disease, which can lead to death.

critique: The Cocoon can also be used to experience disease, which can lead to death. - this is redundant and should be removed.

critique: "The Cocoon can also be used for darker purposes, such as murder and torture. The Cocoon can also be used to experience civil unrest, which can lead to riots. The Cocoon can also be used to experience disease, which can lead to death." - this is all irrelevant and should be removed.

critique: The response contains some inaccurate information.

critique: Tense errors - "The Cocoon can also be used for darker purposes, such as murder and torture. The Cocoon..."

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

critique: The Cocoon can also be used to experience disease, which can lead to death. - this is inaccurate. The Cocoon can't be used to experience disease.

text: The answer should mention things predicted by the text such as human's failure to do normal things like cut their grass, go to work for society to keep going. The text also mentioned detectable health/mental issues and people began to die in droves from these issues. So, in a way, humanity being destroyed is a foreseeable outcome.

question: Considering this information about the Cocoon, what are some actions societies could take to prevent abuse of the Cocoon, or to alleviate social and health issues resulting from excessive time spent in the Cocoon?

answer: It is not stated.

critique: The passage does state that the government made the cocoons and installed time limits, but the regulations were eventually removed.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The story does mention some actions societies could take to prevent abuse of the Cocoon.

critique: The answer is wrong. The story does have some ideas about what to do.

critique: It is not stated what specific actions societies could take, but the article does mention some options.

critique: The question is asking for a response, so the answer should be a response.

critique: The article provided suggestions though they were not strictly implemented. Hence the responses should acknowledge this.

critique: There are many ways societies could alleviate social and health issues resulting from excessive time spent in the Cocoon.