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Stanford NLP 14

cnn

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal must get past big-serving home hope Andy Roddick to have a shot at his first title in 11 months at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. The Spanish fourth seed crushed No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-3 6-2 on Wednesday night to move into the semifinals of the ATP Tour event, which has already seen top-ranked Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray fall by the wayside. Sixth seed Roddick is hoping to repeat his 2004 victory, with the American in similarly dominant form as he dispatched Nadal's 33rd-seeded compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6-3 6-3. Nadal, twice a losing finalist in the southern American city, also reached the last four at Indian Wells two weeks ago on his return from a knee injury. "When you play against Andy, it always is a big challenge," he told the ATP Tour Web site. "His serve, and he's a very good competitor. He's a winner. Gonna be a very tough match, no? I think I have to play my best tennis to try to win." Roddick, who has not dropped a set so far, will take on a player who will return to No. 3 in the world rankings next week following defending champion Murray's second-round exit. He reached the final at Indian Wells before losing to Nadal's conqueror Ivan Ljubicic, and was also a semifinalist in Miami in 2008. "Sometimes when you're not playing well, everything feels a little bit forced. When you play a lot of matches and play a high level, it feels like everything kind of slows down a little bit," he told the ATP site.

cnn

All antidepressant drugs are not created equal, according to the authors of one of the few studies that have ever systematically analyzed and compared "new generation" medicines for treating depression. What qualities are important in an anti-depressant? Efficacy? Tolerance? Side effects? Cost? In the analysis of 12 drugs, two came out on top as the most effective and best tolerated as first-line treatments: sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro). Venlafaxine (Effexor) and mirtazapine (Remeron) rounded out the top four for effectiveness, but venlafaxine was also among the four drugs patients were most likely to quit taking because of side effects. Reboxetine (Edronax) was less effective than the rest. While psychiatrists treating depressed patients every day have had a sense of which medications are best, the current study "nails it," says Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., of the University of Toronto. Parikh, who wrote a comment accompanying the study that is published in the current issue of The Lancet, says the findings have "enormous implications" because, for the first time, they offer doctors an evidence-based, unbiased way to recommend treatment. And, he adds, they give patients a "gold standard of reliable information," especially since the study's authors plan to make their findings available free on the Web. Not so fast, says Gerald Gartlehner, M.D., M.P.H., who coauthored a review of the benefits and risks of the same 12 drugs published last November in the Annals of Internal Medicine. He and his colleagues concluded, based on their review done while Gartlehner was at the RTI-UNC Evidence-Based Practice Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina., that there was no clinically meaningful evidence that any one of the drugs was better than the rest. Instead, they argued, decisions on which drug to use should be based on factors such as cost and side effects.

wikipedia

Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the , which is engaged in business through its four operating components: electronics (AV, IT & communication products, semiconductors, video games, network services and medical business), motion pictures (movies and TV shows), music (record labels and music publishing) and financial services (banking and insurance). These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. The group consists of Sony Corporation, Sony Pictures, Sony Mobile, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Music, Sony Financial Holdings and others. Sony is among the semiconductor sales leaders and as of 2016, the fifth-largest television manufacturer in the world after Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, TCL and Hisense. The company's current slogan is "BE MOVED". Their former slogans were "make.believe" (2009–2014), "like.no.other" (2005–2009), "The One and Only" (1980–1982) and "It's a Sony" (1982–2002). Sony has a weak tie to the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) keiretsu, the successor to the Mitsui keiretsu. Sony began in the wake of World War II. In 1946, Masaru Ibuka started an electronics shop in a department store building in Tokyo. The company started with a capital of ¥190,000 and a total of eight employees. In May 1946, Ibuka was joined by Akio Morita to found a company called "Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo" 東京通信工業 (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The company built Japan's first tape recorder, called the Type-G. In 1958, the company changed its name to "Sony".

cnn

(CNN) -- Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, who embodied a vanishing breed of liberal Republicanism before switching to the Democratic Party at the twilight of his political career, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, his family announced. Specter died of complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at his home in Philadelphia, his family said. He was 82. The veteran Pennsylvania politician had overcome numerous serious illnesses over the past two decades, including a brain tumor. He had been in the public eye since serving as a member of the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Specter was elected to the Senate in 1980 and represented Pennsylvania for 30 years, longer than anyone in the state's history. His politically moderate image fit hand-in-glove in the politically blue Northeast, both with its Democratic centrists and its liberal Republicans. He was also one of America's most prominent Jewish politicians, a rare Republican in a category dominated by Democrats over the decades. And his name is synonymous with Pennsylvania, an idiosyncratic state that pushes and pulls between the two parties, and his home, the staunchly Democratic city of Philadelphia. In 2006, Philadelphia magazine called him "one of the few true wild cards of Washington politics ... reviled by those on both the right and the left." "Charming and churlish, brilliant and pedantic, he can be fiercely independent, entertainingly eccentric and simply maddening," the profile read. Former Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, called Specter "a mentor, colleague and a political institution" who "did more for the people of Pennsylvania over his more than 30-year career with the possible exception of Benjamin Franklin." And Pat Toomey, the Republican who now holds Specter's old Senate seat, praised him as "a man of sharp intelligence and dogged determination."

race

Meagan and her friend Samantha, both students, lived together in Denver. On mornings when Samantha had class, Meagan would watch her 2-year-old daughter, Hannah. Also part of the household was Meagan's pet, Willie, a parrot -- a particularly intelligent and chatty breed. He picked up quite a healthy vocabulary ("Silly Willie"was a favorite saying) and became a great mimic -- of cats, dogs, chickens and humans. One day with Samantha at school, Hannah sat in front of morning cartoons while Meagan cooked Pop-Tarts in the kitchen. When the toaster spat out the food, Meagan placed it at the center of the kitchen table to cool. She glanced at Hannah and, confident the child was fully engaged in the TV, slipped out quickly to use the bathroom. "I was gone maybe 30 seconds,"Meagan recalls."And suddenly, I heard the bird going crazy and shouting."She heard two very distinct words from the parrot's mouth."Mama! Baby! Mama! Baby!"Meagan ran out of the bathroom to find Hannah in the kitchen, holding the partly eaten Pop-Tarts, out of breath, her face and lips a terrifying shade of blue. And Willie was still crying. "Hannah had climbed up on a chair and gotten the Pop-Tarts and she was clearly choking on them,"says Meagan."I seized her and immediately started doing first aid until the piece came flying out."The bird quieted down and Meagan burst into tears, relief washing over her; Hannah was fine, already smiling her big smile. When Meagan told Samantha what happened,"She was so grateful, thanking me for what I did,"Meagan says."But I said, 'Don't thank me! It was Willie who was the hero!'"

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXII--FIXING THE BOUNDS Leonard came towards Normanstand next forenoon in considerable mental disturbance. In the first place he was seriously in love with Stephen, and love is in itself a disturbing influence. Leonard's love was all of the flesh; and as such had power at present to disturb him, as it would later have power to torture him. Again, he was disturbed by the fear of losing Stephen, or rather of not being able to gain her. At first, ever since she had left him on the path from the hilltop till his interview the next day, he had looked on her possession as an 'option,' to the acceptance of which circumstances seemed to be compelling him. But ever since, that asset seemed to have been dwindling; and now he was almost beginning to despair. He was altogether cold at heart, and yet highly strung with apprehension, as he was shown into the blue drawing-room. Stephen came in alone, closing the door behind her. She shook hands with him, and sat down by a writing-table near the window, pointing to him to sit on an ottoman a little distance away. The moment he sat down he realised that he was at a disadvantage; he was not close to her, and he could not get closer without manifesting his intention of so doing. He wanted to be closer, both for the purpose of his suit and for his own pleasure; the proximity of Stephen began to multiply his love for her. He thought that to-day she looked better than ever, of a warm radiant beauty which touched his senses with unattainable desire. She could not but notice the passion in his eyes, and instinctively her eyes wandered to a silver gong placed on the table well within reach. The more he glowed, the more icily calm she sat, till the silence between them began to grow oppressive. She waited, determined that he should be the first to speak. Recognising the helplessness of silence, he began huskily:

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Jayson McCarthy, 12, was born without fingers on his left hand. That didn't stop him from being able to do many tasks. But Jayson could not grasp more than one object at a time. So Jayson 's father, Paul, created a Prosthesis , using a 3D printer. Now Jayson has fingers that open and close. "It was a do-it-yourself, father-and-son adventure," says Paul. When Jayson was a baby, his doctor advised his parents not to give him a prosthetic hand until he was in his early teens. "The doctor said Jayson should first learn to get full use out of the hand he was born with," says Paul. As Jayson got older, his father looked into _ a prosthetic hand, which can cost as much as $30,000. Paul found a more affordable solution. One day, Paul discovered a video on the Internet about Robohand, a prosthesis created with a 3D printer. He downloaded the free instructions and called Robohand's creators for advice. They told him all he needed was a 3D printer--which costs around $2,000--and some materials. Luckily, Jayson 's school had recently purchased a 3D printer and it offered to help Paul build the hand for Jayson n. "We used a soccer shinguard , cardboard , and tape. They cost about $10," says paul. With his new hand, Jayson can do things better. "I can help my mom more, because now I can carry two grocery bags," he says. Jayson 's father has already built several hands for Jayson. Jayson helps design each one. He says there's one thing in particular that he wants to do with a future prosthesis. "The goal," he says, "is to be able to tie my shoelaces ."

wikipedia

Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné (), was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who formalised the modern system of naming organisms called binomial nomenclature. He is known by the epithet "father of modern taxonomy". Many of his writings were in Latin, and his name is rendered in Latin as (after 1761 Carolus a Linné). Linnaeus was born in the countryside of Småland, in southern Sweden. He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University, and began giving lectures in botany there in 1730. He lived abroad between 1735 and 1738, where he studied and also published a first edition of his " in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden, where he became professor of medicine and botany at Uppsala. In the 1740s, he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and 1760s, he continued to collect and classify animals, plants, and minerals, and published several volumes. At the time of his death, he was one of the most acclaimed scientists in Europe. The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau sent him the message: "Tell him I know no greater man on earth." The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote: "With the exception of Shakespeare and Spinoza, I know no one among the no longer living who has influenced me more strongly." Swedish author August Strindberg wrote: "Linnaeus was in reality a poet who happened to become a naturalist". Among other compliments, Linnaeus has been called " (Prince of Botanists), "The Pliny of the North," and "The Second Adam". He is also considered as one of the founders of modern ecology.

wikipedia

Yahoo! is a web services provider, wholly owned by Verizon Communications through Oath Inc. and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The original Yahoo! company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 2, 1995. Yahoo was one of the pioneers of the early Internet era in the 1990s. Marissa Mayer, a former Google executive, served as CEO and President of Yahoo until June 2017. It was globally known for its Web portal, search engine Yahoo! Search, and related services, including Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping, video sharing, fantasy sports, and its social media website. At its height it was one of the most popular sites in the United States. According to third-party web analytics providers, Alexa and SimilarWeb, Yahoo! was the highest-read news and media website, with over 7 billion views per month, being the sixth most visited website globally in 2016. According to news sources, roughly 700 million people visited Yahoo websites every month. Yahoo itself claimed it attracted "more than half a billion consumers every month in more than 30 languages". Once the most popular website in the U.S., Yahoo slowly started to decline since the late 2000s, and in 2017, Verizon Communications acquired most of Yahoo's Internet business for $4.48 billion, excluding its stakes in Alibaba Group and Yahoo! Japan which were transferred to Yahoo's successor company Altaba.

cnn

(CNN) -- When plans were announced to build a giant new transoceanic canal across Nicaragua, the young Hong Kong businessman leading the project acknowledged the widespread skepticism. "We don't want it to become an international joke," said Wang Jing, a 40-year-old with no significant engineering experience and a background he described as "very normal." That was in June 2013, when the Nicaraguan legislature, controlled by President Daniel Ortega, had just allowed Wang to move forward with his five-year project . It is not certain that the canal, which would be one of the most ambitious and expensive engineering projects on Earth, will ever get built. But it looks set to move forward, and even some of the most determined doubters are starting to reconsider. Last Thursday, the government and Wang's company, Nicaragua Canal Development Investment, announced that construction will start on Dec. 22. The development's estimated price tag -- $50 billion -- is four times the size of the entire Nicaraguan economy. The canal itself would be deeper, wider and longer than the Panama Canal, just a few hundred miles to the south. The Panama Canal's expansion is almost ready, which raises the question of why another costly canal is needed. The Nicaraguan opposition has called the project the biggest scam in the country's history, and engineering experts are divided over whether the project is feasible. Pedro Alvarez, chairman of civil engineering at Rice University, has expressed doubts that it will ever be completed. He worries that it will be abandoned. His greatest concern is severe damage to Lake Nicaragua, the largest freshwater reservoir in Latin America.

race

After killing Osama Bin Laden and dropping his body into the ocean to avoid causing more hatred fro, the Muslims , the American government recently released a video of Osama Bin Laden living in his safe house watching TV , which has been viewed millions of times . The following are comments made by viewers . A. Yeah , Osama got what he deserved , Iraq got what they deserved , and Afghanistan got what they deserved . Saddam got what he deserved , Hitler got what he deserved . The list goes on & on . B. I hate saying this but is believe America deserved 9/11 ... They have screwed up so many governments .... C. I'm American and I and my brother suspected the whole story about dropping him into the ocean . We feel if they really killed him they would keep his body for proof . D. All you Islamic haters are ignorant fools . The terrorists don't have anything to do with the religion . They say they are part of the Islamic Religion but they are not . Nuking ( kill somebody with nuclear bombs ) Pakistan will do nothing by the way . E. Please give me the 2 minutes of my life back that I watched your pointless and fake video . F. Man ? Why is this video fake ? Rather than shouting about how it's obviously not Osama , why not provide the arguments for it instead of coming off as if you simply want to deny it for the sake of denial . G. What a load of nonsense , an _ to any intelligent person , Bin Laden dead for ages ... watch Benazir Bhutto say so on YouTube a week before she herself was murdered . The Muslims murdered her for being an American spy ! H. I honestly don't know what to believe , but ... why did the terrorists confirm his death if it didn't happen .

race

Chris Medina was an outstanding star on a Monday night's audition of American Idol (,). He made the Americans moved for more than just his singing. Chris performed the famous band The Script's song "Breakeven" and he brought along his beloved fiancee , Juliana Ramos, who is limited to a wheelchair following a terrible car accident. There is a very touching emotional story behind them. Chris, an amazing singer, said he fell in love with Juliana the first moment he saw her and they became engaged soon afterwards. They had planned to get married two years after getting engaged. But shortly before they could hold each other's hands into the marriage hall, Juliana, suffered from a brain injury in a tragic car accident. On the exact day they were supposed to get married, Chris shared a song he wrote for his fiancee. "I'm giving all I've got to give/ To pull you through/ In your darkest hour, I will be your light," were some of his _ lyrics. Juliana's idol is Oprah Winfrey and Idol judge Steven could see that she remains a fan of Chris' music, accompanying him to the audition. Chris received a ticket to Hollywood, which Juliana proudly waved. While he is heading to Hollywood to pursue his dream of singing, Chris continues to take care of Juliana, alongside her mother. Chris' love story touched more than the Americans. It reached Irish rockers The Script, who spoke highly of the young man and his songs at the audition. "Chris Medina: not only are you a major talent, but you are one in a billion! Stay strong and never give up. This world needs more men like you." the band's guitarist, Mark Sheehan, said.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XVII Wingate, after several strenuous hours spent in Slate's office, returned to his rooms late that night, to find Peter Phipps awaiting him. There was something vaguely threatening about the bulky figure of the man standing gloomily upon the hearth rug, all the spurious good nature gone from his face, his brows knitted, his cheeks hanging a little and unusually pale. Wingate paused on the threshold of the room and his hand crept into his pocket. Phipps seemed to notice the gesture and shook his head. "Nothing quite so crude, Wingate," he said. "I know an enemy when I see one, but I wasn't thinking of getting rid of you that way." "I have found it necessary," Wingate remarked slowly, "to be prepared for all sorts of tricks when I am up against anybody as conscienceless as you. I don't want you here, Phipps. I didn't ask you to come and see me. I've nothing to discuss with you." "There are times," Phipps replied, "when the issue which cannot be fought out to the end with arms can be joined in the council chamber. I have come to know your terms." Wingate shook his head. "I don't understand. It is too soon for this sort of thing. You are not beaten yet." "I am tired," his visitor muttered. "May I sit down?" "You are an unwelcome guest," Wingate replied coldly, "but sit if you will. Then say what you have to say and go." Phipps sank into an easy-chair. It was obvious that he was telling the truth so far as regarded his fatigue. He seemed to have aged ten years.

cnn

(CNN) -- Barcelona moved five points clear in Spain as manager Pep Guardiola celebrated his 100th match in charge with a 4-0 victory at home to Racing Santander on Saturday. The injury-hit defending champions brushed off the pre-match loss of star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to romp into a 3-0 halftime lead as they put pressure on Real Madrid to win Sunday's home match against Villarreal. The Swede is in doubt for Tuesday's Champions League trip to German club Stuttgart due to a swollen ankle. Midfielder Andres Iniesta took advantage of some slack defending to pounce for his first goal this season in the seventh minute, hooking home a left-foot effort after the ball ran loose in his 300th outing for the club. France striker Thierry Henry, handed a rare start due to Ibrahimovic's absence, netted a free-kick in the 29th minute after driving a shot through the defensive wall for his first goal this year. Center-back Rafael Marquez marked his return from suspension with a similar effort nine minute later as he curled a set-piece over the wall and in off the post. Barca took their foot off the pedal in the second half, but 18-year-old Thiago scored his first senior goal in the 84th minute with a deflected shot after Lionel Messi set him up with a cutback. Captain Carles Puyol had to go off with a facial injury but is expected to face Stuttgart in the first leg of the last-16 tie. It was Guardiola's 71st victory since taking charge of the Catalan giants, and 14th-placed Racing never looked like inflicting his 11th defeat -- the 10th came against Atletico Madrid last weekend, Barca's first in La Liga this season.

mctest

Once upon a time, there was a cowgirl named Clementine. Orange was her favorite color. Her favorite food was the strawberry. She really liked her Blackberry phone, which allowed her to call her friends and family when out on the range. One day Clementine thought she needed a new pair of boots, so she went to the mall. Before Clementine went inside the mall, she smoked a cigarette. Then she got a new pair of boots. She couldn't choose between brown and red. Finally she chose red, which the seller really liked. Once she got home, she found that her red boots didn't match her blue cowgirl clothes, so she knew she needed to return them. She traded them for a brown pair. While she was there, she also bought a pretzel from Auntie Anne's.

race

Betty and I are best friends.Our birthdays are on the same day,so every year we have a birthday party together.But this year,we had a costume party instead. While we were writing the invitation,my mum came in and asked."Why not invite John?"John had been in our class for only a few months,but he was always getting better grades in math than anyone else in class.I wrinkled my nose and said,"Mum,he wears the same pants to school every day.How can he even afford a costume?"Mum said nothing.The next day,mum gave me an envelope with a shopping certificate in it."I thought it would be nice of you to give this to John,"Mum said.But how?We didn't want to make John embarrassed.We discussed it for a long time.Finally,Betty and I had a good idea. On the day of our party,kids arrived,dressed differently.John arrived,in an old sheet ,but still in the same brown pants as usual.We danced,ate snacks and played games in groups.Before eating the birthday cake,Betty said in a loud voice,"Now it's time for the great prize game.It's the following riddle..."It was a math game.None of us was surprised when John came up with the right answer first and walked off with the envelope. Everything went on well as we planned.John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt the next week.He felt happy.So did we. When we helped others,we need to find a proper way,or we may hurt them in another way.

cnn

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The trial of an Iraqi journalist charged with throwing his shoes at U.S. President George Bush has been postponed, Iraq's Council of Ministers and one of the journalist's lawyers said Tuesday. Amman protesters support Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist held for throwing his shoes at President Bush. Muntadhir Al-Zaidi was due to go on trial Wednesday, but the Criminal Court postponed it pending an appeal filed by his lawyers with the Federal Court of Appeal, a spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul Sattar Bayrakdar, said. Dhiya al-Saadi, who leads Al-Zaidi's 25-member legal team, confirmed the postponement. Al-Zaidi threw both of his shoes at Bush two weeks ago during a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad. Neither shoe hit the president, and others in the room quickly knocked Al-Zaidi to the ground before security officials arrested him. Many Iraqis hail Al-Zaidi, who faces a prison term if convicted, as a hero. More than 1,000 lawyers have volunteered to defend him, al-Saadi said. The lawyers' appeal asked the Federal Court to change Al-Zaidi's case from assaulting Bush to insulting him. If Al-Zaidi is convicted of the former, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, al-Saadi said. The lawyers are trying to persuade the appeals court that Al-Zaidi did not want to harm Bush by throwing the shoes, but simply wanted to insult him. By tradition, throwing a shoe is the most insulting act in the Arab world. Al-Saadi said he met with his client several days ago but was having difficulty meeting with him again. He did not give the reason he was not allowed to see Al-Zaidi but said many lawyers have trouble meeting with detainees in Iraqi or U.S. custody.

cnn

Cairo (CNN) -- Civil rights lawyers demanded the death penalty for former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday, joining prosecutor's calls for him to be executed. "We merged our voice with the prosecutor's closing arguments from last week's hearing and demanded the death sentence to Mubarak, his former interior minister Habib El Adly, and four of his aides for killing hundreds of protesters and injuring thousands more," attorney Khalid Abu Bakr told CNN. "We have proof Mubarak is directly responsible for the killings along with El Adly and his aides." Abu Bakr said Mubarak deserved to die for violating Egypt's criminal law 77. "His negligence and actions led to endangering the national security of the country," he said. The attorney also provided the court with a list of alleged suspects he wants indicted, including police officers he said where caught on camera firing their weapons on protesters. Another lawyer, Sameh Ashour, said he provided evidence to the court "of communication between security forces that prove the presence of snipers on rooftop buildings during the revolution." The judge, Ahmed Refaat, has set aside Monday and Tuesday to hear from at least 10 civil rights lawyers. The defense is expected to make its closing arguments later in the week. "The judge will then decide on a day to announce the final verdict," said Adel Saeed, the official spokesman of the General Prosecutor's office. "If he is fast, we may see a verdict before January 25th" -- the day the Egyptian uprising began last year.

wikipedia

Guam (i/ˈɡwɑːm/ or /ˈɡwɒm/; Chamorro: Guåhån;[needs IPA] formally the Territory of Guam) is an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States. Located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, Guam is one of five American territories with an established civilian government. The capital city is Hagåtña, and the most populous city is Dededo. In 2015, 161,785 people resided on Guam. Guamanians are American citizens by birth. Guam has an area of 544 km2 (210 sq mi) and a density of 297/km² (770/sq mi). It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, and the largest island in Micronesia. Among its municipalities, Mongmong-Toto-Maite has the highest density at 1,425/km² (3,691/sq mi), whereas Inarajan and Umatac have the lowest density at 47/km² (119/sq mi). The highest point is Mount Lamlam at 406 meters (1,332 ft) above sea level. The Chamorros, Guam's indigenous people, settled the island approximately 4,000 years ago. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to visit the island on March 6, 1521. Guam was colonized in 1668 with settlers, like Diego Luis de San Vitores, a Catholic missionary. Between the 1500s and the 1700s, Guam was an important stopover for the Spanish Manila Galleons. During the Spanish–American War, the United States captured Guam on June 21, 1898. Under the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded Guam to the United States on December 10, 1898. Guam is amongst the seventeen Non-Self-Governing Territories of the United Nations.

race

Elshijh, an Egyptian doctoral candidate at Beijing Language and Cultural University, said he felt fairly excited when he learned that Mo Yan had won the literary prize. "Mo's winning of the prize is pushing Egypt to translate more of his works into Arabic," Elshijh said, adding that there is already an Arabic edition of "Red Sorghum," but Egypt's Ministry of Culture recently announced that it will translate another of Mo's works from Chinese to Arabic. Although Chinese literature is getting more attention around the world, translated versions of Chinese works remain in small supply in places like the United States and Europe. Jonathan Chuck, an American who has been working in social media for three years in China, has read some ancient Chinese classics in Englishand can name several ancient poets such as Li Bai. Chuck said works of Chinese literature are hard to get in the United States, as bookstores simply don't carry many English translations. "Besides, China is considered a mysterious country and far away from our daily life." Chuck said when he was in school, pupils mostly studied Western literature translated from French, German and Portuguese, not literature translated from Asian languages. "China's Nobel prize will inspire more Westerners to notice Chinese literature, and I may read some of Mo's works," he added. Li Ling, a professor at Beijing Language and Cultural University, said Chinese literature has less of a market than English-language literature because Western culture is the dominant culture. Moreover, it is difficult to fully express some Chinese words in English, which can limit Chinese literature to a Chinese-literate audience, Li added. "Western readers are more picky about what they read," he said, explaining that if a Chinese book is not translated well, it would be " _ " to recommend it to Western readers. Li expects China's Nobel laureate to expand foreign readership.

wikipedia

Missouri is a state in the Midwestern United States. With over six million residents, it is the 18th most populous state. The largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. The capitol is in Jefferson City on the Missouri River. The state is the 21st most extensive in area. In the South are the Ozarks, a forested highland, providing timber, minerals, and recreation. The Mississippi River forms the eastern border of the state. Humans have inhabited the land now known as Missouri for at least 12,000 years. The Mississippian culture built cities and mounds, before declining in the 1300s. When European explorers arrived in the 1600s they encountered the Osage and Missouria nations. The French established Louisiana, a part of New France, and founded Ste. Genevieve in 1735 and St. Louis in 1764. After a brief period of Spanish rule, the United States acquired the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Americans from the Upland South, including enslaved African Americans, rushed into the new Missouri Territory. Many from Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee settled in the Boonslick area of Mid-Missouri. Soon after, heavy German immigration formed the Missouri Rhineland. Missouri played a central role in the westward expansion of the United States, as memorialized by the Gateway Arch. The Pony Express, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and California Trail all began in Missouri. As a border state, Missouri's role in the American Civil War was complex and there were many conflicts within. After the war, both Greater St. Louis and the Kansas City metropolitan area became centers of industrialization and business. Today, the state is divided into 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis.

cnn

(CNN)His voice, his posture and his threats are menacingly familiar. The black-clad ISIS militant shown in a video demanding a $200 million ransom to spare the lives of two Japanese citizens looks and sounds similar to the man who has appeared in at least five previous hostage videos. The knife-wielding masked man with a London accent, nicknamed "Jihadi John," has issued threats and overseen the beheadings of American and British captives. "You now have 72 hours to pressure your government in making a wise decision, by paying the $200 million to save the lives of your citizens," the man in the video that appeared Tuesday says in comments addressed to Japanese citizens. "Otherwise, this knife will become your nightmare." Q&A: Harsh realities of kidnappings, ransom The amount of money is the same as that recently pledged by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in humanitarian aid to Middle East countries that are affected by ISIS' bloody campaign in Iraq and Syria. Japan believes the deadline arrives Friday at 12:50 a.m. ET. And Chief Cabinet Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday the country will do its best to communicate with ISIS through a third-party nation. But mystery and confusion still surround the identity of Jihadi John. U.S. and British officials have said they believe they know who he is, but they haven't disclosed the information publicly. That could be because Western intelligence agencies believe they have more to gain from keeping quiet, says Aki Peritz, a former CIA officer. "They can put pressure on his family, put pressure on his friends," he told CNN. "Maybe they have a line to him. Maybe they know who his cousins are who are going to Syria who can identify him. However, if you publicly tell everybody who he is, his real identity, then maybe he'll go to ground and he'll disappear."

mctest

On the farm there was a little piggy named Andy. Andy was very sweet, but he was always dirty. He loved to roll around in the mud. None of the other piggies wanted to play with him. He wished they would be his friends. One day he was going on a walk on the farm. He walked by and saw his favorite big tree. He walked farther than he ever had before. He saw a bunch of pretty flowers. Then he saw something that he had never seen before. It was a river! He ran down to the river, shouting with joy. He got down low in the cool water swam around for a bit. He ran back to the farm where the other piggies were. He was finally clean. They all played games until dinner time. When it was time for dessert the piggies each got a cupcake. Looking at all his new friends, Andy smiled and took a big bite of his tasty treat.

cnn

(EW) -- After four years off of the silver screen, James Bond made his triumphant return this weekend in "Skyfall" — and the British spy's appeal was bigger than ever. The action thriller grossed a truly massive $87.8 million in its first three days (and an additional $2.2 million during Thursday night previews), making its debut the very best in the Bond series' 23-film history — by a huge margin. "Skyfall" shattered the previous opening weekend record for a Bond film, which was set in 2008 when "Quantum of Solace" bowed with $67.5 million. With the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday on the horizon and a straight "A" CinemaScore grade, it's likely that "Skyfall" will also become the first Bond movie to ever pass the $200 million mark at the domestic box office. (Of course, this is not accounting for inflation.) EW critics disagree on 'Skyfall' "Skyfall's" debut marks the seventh-best November opening weekend of all time — behind two "Twilight" films and four "Harry Potter" titles — and the film, which Sony and MGM spent about $200 million to make, garnered an impressive $25,050 per theater average from 3,505 theaters. "Skyfall's" per-theater average was even more impressive in IMAX locations, where the film found $13.1 million (15 percent of its weekend gross) from 320 screens, good for a $40,938 average. Daniel Craig, the sixth man to play Bond, has seen his popularity as the character surge since taking over the iconic role in 2006. His first Bond film, "Casino Royale," debuted with $40.8 million on the way to a $167.4 million finish. Two years later, "Quantum of Solace" opened 65 percent higher with $67.5 million on the way to $168.5 million total. (Reception for the film was tepid, which is why its endurance at the box office was so much weaker than "Casino Royale's.") And now "Skyfall" has improved upon "Quantum's" opening weekend by 30 percent. At this rate, Craig's next turn as Bond (due in 2014) could garner well over $100 million in its debut frame.

wikipedia

Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of , Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country. Organised prehistoric cultures began developing on current Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history saw the presence of the Thracians, Greeks, Persians, Celts, Romans, Goths, Alans and Huns. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian state dates back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 AD, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavs during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 led to the formation of the Third Bulgarian State. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both world wars. In 1946 it became a one-party socialist state as part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. In December 1989 the ruling Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, which subsequently led to Bulgaria's transition into a democracy and a market-based economy.

wikipedia

Rolling Stone is an American biweekly magazine that focuses on popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner, who is still the magazine's publisher, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its musical coverage and for political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. In the 1990s, the magazine shifted focus to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music. In recent years, it has resumed its traditional mix of content. Rolling Stone Press is the magazine's associated book publishing imprint. "Rolling Stone" magazine was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and Ralph Gleason. To get it off the ground, Wenner borrowed $7,500 from his own family and from the parents of his soon-to-be wife, Jane Schindelheim. The first issue carried a cover date of November 9, 1967, and was in newspaper format with a lead article on the Monterey Pop Festival. The cover price was 25¢ (equivalent to $ in 2016). In the first issue, Wenner explained that the title of the magazine referred to the 1950 blues song, "Rollin' Stone", recorded by Muddy Waters, the rock and roll band the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan's hit single "Like a Rolling Stone". Some authors have attributed the name solely to Dylan's hit single: "At [Ralph] Gleason's suggestion, Wenner named his magazine after a Bob Dylan song." "Rolling Stone" initially identified with and reported the hippie counterculture of the era. However, it distanced itself from the underground newspapers of the time, such as "Berkeley Barb", embracing more traditional journalistic standards and avoiding the radical politics of the underground press. In the very first edition, Wenner wrote that "Rolling Stone" "is not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces".

cnn

Editor's note: This story originally appeared on CNN.com on October 20. Barack Obama mentioned Ann Nixon Cooper on Tuesday in his presidential victory speech. Ann Nixon Cooper, 106 years old, lived during a time when blacks and women did not have the right to vote. ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ann Nixon Cooper, 106 years old, has seen presidents come and go in her lifetime and has outlived most of them. On a sunny fall morning, she left her weathered but well-kept Tudor home in Atlanta, Georgia, to vote early -- this time for Barack Obama. The African-American centenarian remembers a time not long ago when she was barred from voting because of her race. Now she hopes to see the day that Obama is elected as the nation's first black president. "I ain't got time to die," Cooper said with a smile. "Even if he didn't win, I was happy for him just to be nominated," said the former socialite. "The first black president -- isn't that something, at 106 years old?" Watch Obama say 'Yes we can' » At the Fulton County government center, Cooper was greeted by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. "I thought that I would accompany her today to support her, but also to say to all people that this is a choice we have," Franklin said. "As all Americans, we should cherish the right to vote and take every opportunity we have to vote our opinions. She is an inspiration to me personally, but she is also quite an inspiration to all Atlanta." Watch Cooper talk about her life and experiences »

cnn

(CNN) -- It is not easy to capture a man's life in 152 minutes, let alone a life as illustrious and complex as Nelson Mandela's. For London-born actor Idris Elba, who played the South African leader in the 2013 biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," the task was sure to feel Herculean. "I could never really articulate what it felt like to play Mandela properly in an interview," he admits in a phone conversation with CNN. Though the actor is British, and physically bears little resemblance to the late South African leader, Elba recalls the unexpectedly warm reception he received, particularly from extras on set -- many of whom were locals who lived through the apartheid era. "South Africa is very embracing. Even though I'm not from South Africa and was about to play Mandela, they still gave me a lot of love," he says. By the end of filming, many were even calling him "Madiba." The experience, life-changing in many ways, was bound to feel odd. For Elba, the best way to capture not just the man but the feeling of playing him on film, was through music. Next week will see the release of "Mi Mandela," a tribute to Mandela made up of songs written and produced by Elba himself, and performed by a mixture of South African and British talent, including Mumford & Sons, the Mahotella Queens and Maverick Sabre. "There were various sensations I experienced (playing Mandela), and I could never give an answer I was satisfied with. I think this album represents that answer. It allows me to express the feelings of playing him," says Elba.

wikipedia

Brunei, officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace (, Jawi: ), is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the country is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei's population was in . At the peak of the Bruneian Empire, Sultan Bolkiah (reigned 1485–1528) is alleged to have had control over most regions of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu Archipelago off the northeast tip of Borneo, Seludong (modern-day Manila), and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. The maritime state was visited by Spain's Magellan Expedition in 1521 and fought against Spain in the 1578 Castilian War. During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline. The Sultanate ceded Sarawak (Kuching) to James Brooke and installed him as the White Rajah, and it ceded Sabah to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and was assigned a British resident as colonial manager in 1906. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, in 1959 a new constitution was written. In 1962, a small armed rebellion against the monarchy was ended with the help of the British.

gutenberg

CHAPTER TWELVE. THE DARKEST HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN. Many months passed away, during which Andrew Black, clean-shaved, brushed-up, and converted into a very respectable, ordinary-looking artisan, carried on the trade of a turner, in an underground cellar in one of the most populous parts of the Cowgate. Lost in the crowd was his idea of security. And he was not far wrong. His cellar had a way of escape through a back door. Its grated window, under the level of the street, admitted light to his whirling lathe, but, aided by dirt on the glass, it baffled the gaze of the curious. His evenings were spent in Candlemaker Row, where, seated by the window with his mother, Mrs. Wallace, and the two girls, he smoked his pipe and commented on Scotland's woes while gazing across the tombs at the glow in the western sky. Ramblin' Peter--no longer a beardless boy, but a fairly well-grown and good-looking youth--was a constant visitor at the Row. Aggie Wilson had taught him the use of his tongue, but Peter was not the man to use it in idle flirtation--nor Aggie the girl to listen if he had done so. They had both seen too much of the stern side of life to condescend on trifling. Once, by a superhuman effort, and with an alarming flush of the countenance, Peter succeeded in stammering a declaration of his sentiments. Aggie, with flaming cheeks and downcast eyes, accepted the declaration, and the matter was settled; that was all, for the subject had rushed upon both of them, as it were, unexpectedly, and as they were in the public street at the time and the hour was noon, further demonstration might have been awkward.

mctest

One morning, Daddy, Ethan, and I went out shopping for Mother's day gifts. First we went to buy some flowers. I found a nice big bunch of pink roses that were very pretty. Then we went and bought a card. There were a lot to choose from, some of them had pictures of kids and some of them had pictures of animals. Daddy wanted to get one with a kid hugging his mommy but Ethan wanted the one with a cat on it, and I wanted the one with a dog on it. We ended up getting all three. Then we went to buy ingredients so we could cook breakfast. On Mother's day I helped Daddy make breakfast. We made chocolate pancakes and eggs. It was very messy but a lot of fun. Mommy loved getting breakfast in bed and she liked the flowers and cards. We also went out to go to the park after breakfast. It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun. I can't wait for mother's day to come by again!

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CHAPTER IX When William Wetherell and Cynthia had reached the last turn in the road in Northcutt's woods, quarter of a mile from Coniston, they met the nasal Mr. Samuel Price driving silently in the other direction. The word "silently" is used deliberately, because to Mr. Price appertained a certain ghostlike quality of flitting, and to Mr. Price's horse and wagon likewise. He drew up for a brief moment when he saw Wetherell. "Wouldn't hurry back if I was you, Will." "Why not?" Mr. Price leaned out of the wagon. "Bije has come over from Clovelly to spy around a little mite." It was evident from Mr. Price's manner that he regarded the storekeeper as a member of the reform party. "What did he say, Daddy?" asked Cynthia, as Wetherell stood staring after the flitting buggy in bewilderment. "I haven't the faintest idea, Cynthia," answered her father, and they walked on. "Don't you know who 'Bije' is? "No," said her father, "and I don't care." It was almost criminal ignorance for a man who lived in that part of the country not to know Bijah Bixby of Clovelly, who was paying a little social visit to Coniston that day on his way home from the state capital,--tending, as it were, Jethro's flock. Still, Wetherell must be excused because he was an impractical literary man with troubles of his own. But how shall we chronicle Bijah's rank and precedence in the Jethro army, in which there are neither shoulder-straps nor annual registers? To designate him as the Chamberlain of that hill Rajah, the Honorable Heth Sutton, would not be far out of the way. The Honorable Heth, whom we all know and whom we shall see presently, is the man of substance and of broad acres in Clovelly: Bijah merely owns certain mortgages in that town, but he had created the Honorable Heth (politically) as surely as certain prime ministers we could name have created their sovereigns. The Honorable Heth was Bijah's creation, and a grand creation he was, as no one will doubt when they see him.

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CHAPTER VII Tun work in the ironing-room slipped off, but the three days until Wednesday night were very long. She hummed over the fancy starch that flew under the iron at an astounding rate. "I can't see how you do it," Mary admired. "You'll make thirteen or fourteen this week at that rate." Saxon laughed, and in the steam from the iron she saw dancing golden letters that spelled WEDNESDAY. "What do you think of Billy?" Mary asked. "I like him," was the frank answer. "Well, don't let it go farther than that." "I will if I want to," Saxon retorted gaily. "Better not," came the warning. "You'll only make trouble for yourself. He ain't marryin'. Many a girl's found that out. They just throw themselves at his head, too." "I'm not going to throw myself at him, or any other man." "Just thought I'd tell you," Mary concluded. "A word to the wise." Saxon had become grave. "He's not... not..." she began, than looked the significance of the question she could not complete. "Oh, nothin' like that--though there's nothin' to stop him. He's straight, all right, all right. But he just won't fall for anything in skirts. He dances, an' runs around, an' has a good time, an' beyond that--nitsky. A lot of 'em's got fooled on him. I bet you there's a dozen girls in love with him right now. An' he just goes on turnin' 'em down. There was Lily Sanderson--you know her. You seen her at that Slavonic picnic last summer at Shellmound--that tall, nice-lookin' blonde that was with Butch Willows?"

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Now came great news! It came from a neighboring state, where the family's only surviving relative lived. It was Sally's relative -- a distant relative by the name of Tilbury Foster, seventy and single. Tilbury now wrote to Sally, saying he should shortly die, and should leave him thirty thousand dollars, cash; not for love, but because money had given him most of his troubles, and he wished to place it where there was good hope that it would continue its evil work. The _ would be found in his will, and would be officially handed over provided that Sally should be able to prove to the executors . As soon as Aleck had partially recovered from the strong emotions created by the letter, she sent someone to the relative's home and subscribed for the local paper. For the rest of the day Sally made confusion with his books, and Aleck could not keep her mind on her affairs, not even take up a flower-pot or book or a stick of wood without forgetting what she had intended to do with it. For both were dreaming. "Thirty thousand dollars!" All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it, Sally in planning how to spend it. There was no romance-reading that night. The children took themselves away early, for their parents were silent, disturbed, and strangely unentertaining. Two pencils had been busy during that hour -- note-making; in the way of plans. It was Sally who broke the stillness at last. He said, with excitement, "Ah, it'll be grand, Aleck! Out of the first thousand we'll have a horse and a buggy for summer, and a cutter and a skin lap-robe for winter." Aleck responded with decision and calmness. "You can spend a part of it. But the whole of the capital must be put right to work. "Why, yes. Yes, of course. Have you got it invested yet?" "No, there's no hurry about that; I must look around first, and think, er..., I've turned it over twice; once in oil and once in wheat." "Why, Aleck, it's splendid! What does it amount to?" "I think -- well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty thousand clear, though it will probably be more." "My! Isn't it wonderful? Good heaven! Luck has come our way at last, Aleck!" Then they went up to bed, but they left the candle burning in the sitting room. They did not remember until they were undressed; then Sally was for letting it burn; he said they could afford it, if it was a thousand. But Aleck went down and put it out. A good job, too; for on her way back she hit on a scheme that would turn the hundred and eighty thousand into half a million before it had had time to get cold.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XII GEORGE FACES DISASTER A fortnight had passed since the affair at the settlement when Hardie arrived at the Marston homestead toward supper-time. After the meal was over, he accompanied his host and Edgar to the little room used for an office. "As I've been busy since four this morning, I don't mean to do anything more," said George, "I suppose you don't smoke?" "No," Hardie answered. "It's a concession I can make without much effort to our stricter brethren. I'm inclined to believe they consider smoking almost as bad as drink. You agree with them about the latter?" "We try to be consistent," Edgar told him. "You see, I couldn't very well indulge in an occasional drink when I've undertaken to make those Sage Butte fellows abstainers. Anyhow, though you're by no means liberal in your view, you're practical people. As soon as I landed at Montreal, a pleasant young man, wearing a silver monogram came up to me, and offered me introductions to people who might find me a job. Though I didn't want one, I was grateful; and when I told him I wasn't one of his flock, he said it didn't matter. That kind of thing makes a good impression." "How are you getting on at the settlement?" George interposed. Hardie sat silent for a few moments, and George saw that his eyes were anxious and his face looked worn. "Badly," he said. "I feel I can talk to you freely, and that's really why I came, though I had another call to make."

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The 18-meter-tall Rubber Duck arrived in Beijing on Friday. It was placed on waters in the International Garden Expo Park, where the Yongding River passes through. The Rubber Duck exhibition was designed by Dutch artist, Florentijn Hofman. It was part of the activities of Beijing Design Week, which ran from September 26 to October 3 in 2013. The Rubber Duck stayed in the park until September 23, then moved to the Summer Palace, a famous Beijing tourist spot, where it was on display until October 26. The duck is made of over 200 pieces of rubber. It was guarded not only by staff, but also by 10 volunteers wearing yellow T-shirts and hats with a rubber duck logo. Sun Yidong, a volunteer who guided visitors to the duck, said the art brought energy to the traditional Chinese park. "Seeing the giant Rubber Duck makes me feel like I'm a kid again." Sun said. Because of the rain on Friday, there were not too many people coming to see it. The Expo workers said they expected more people to come and visit the duck on weekends. Zhao Yan said she had been following news about the duck since 2007, when the duck began its journey. "I even considered going to Hong Kong to see it. It's great that the duck is in Beijing," Zhao said. Before arriving in Beijing, the Rubber Duck traveled to 13 cities in nine countries. "The aim of the Rubber Duck is simply to bring everyone back to their childhood again," said Zeng Hui, a leader of the Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee Office. "It can be a toy for adults." ,.

cnn

(CNN) -- Serbia will face France in the final of the Davis Cup after a tense 3-2 semifinal victory over the Czech Republic in front of a passionate home support in Belgrade. The Czechs led 2-1 after winning Saturday's doubles rubber, meaning the hosts had to claim victory in both reverse singles to secure their first-ever appearance in the final. World number two Novak Djokovic, who missed Friday's opening singles with a stomach complaint, drew the two nations level at 2-2 when he recovered from the loss of the opening set to defeat Czech No.1 Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4. It completed a miserable weekend for Wimbledon finalist Berdych, who lost both of his singles rubbers. That result means Janko Tipsarevic had to defeat the previously unbeaten Radek Stepanek to seal Serbia's final place and he did just that, winning 6-0 7-6 6-4 to send the 15,000 home supporters into raptures. There was less drama in the other semifinal, where France completed their domination over Argentina with a 5-0 whitewash victory in Lyon. The French led 3-0 going into the final day, meaning nothing rested on the results of the reverse singles rubbers. However, Gilles Simon's 7-6 6-7 6-3 defeat of Eduardo Schwank meant the whitewash became a possibility -- and it was completed when Arnaud Clement beat Horacio Zeballos 7-5 6-1. The victory ensures France, who dumped out holders Spain in the previous round, reached their first Davis Cup final since 2002.

wikipedia

The region, as part of Lorraine, was part of the Holy Roman Empire, and then was gradually annexed by France in the 17th century, and formalized as one of the provinces of France. The Calvinist manufacturing republic of Mulhouse, known as Stadtrepublik Mülhausen, became a part of Alsace after a vote by its citizens on 4 January 1798. Alsace is frequently mentioned with and as part of Lorraine and the former duchy of Lorraine, since it was a vital part of the duchy, and later because German possession as the imperial province (Alsace-Lorraine, 1871–1918) was contested in the 19th and 20th centuries; France and Germany exchanged control of parts of Lorraine (including Alsace) four times in 75 years. With the decline of the Roman Empire, Alsace became the territory of the Germanic Alemanni. The Alemanni were agricultural people, and their Germanic language formed the basis of modern-day dialects spoken along the Upper Rhine (Alsatian, Alemannian, Swabian, Swiss). Clovis and the Franks defeated the Alemanni during the 5th century AD, culminating with the Battle of Tolbiac, and Alsace became part of the Kingdom of Austrasia. Under Clovis' Merovingian successors the inhabitants were Christianized. Alsace remained under Frankish control until the Frankish realm, following the Oaths of Strasbourg of 842, was formally dissolved in 843 at the Treaty of Verdun; the grandsons of Charlemagne divided the realm into three parts. Alsace formed part of the Middle Francia, which was ruled by the youngest grandson Lothar I. Lothar died early in 855 and his realm was divided into three parts. The part known as Lotharingia, or Lorraine, was given to Lothar's son. The rest was shared between Lothar's brothers Charles the Bald (ruler of the West Frankish realm) and Louis the German (ruler of the East Frankish realm). The Kingdom of Lotharingia was short-lived, however, becoming the stem duchy of Lorraine in Eastern Francia after the Treaty of Ribemont in 880. Alsace was united with the other Alemanni east of the Rhine into the stem duchy of Swabia.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXV DOMINGO APPEARS The carriers had stopped in a deserted village one morning after a long and arduous march from the mission station, when Ormsgill, lying in the hot white sand, looked quietly at Nares, who sat with his back against one of the empty huts. "If I knew what the dusky image was thinking I should feel considerably more at ease," he said. "Still, I don't, and there's very little use in guessing. After all, we are a long way from grasping the negro's point of view on most subjects yet. They very seldom look at things as we do." Nares nodded. "Anyway, I almost fancy we could consider what he has told us as correct," he said. "It's something to go upon." The man he referred to squatted close by them, naked to the waist, though a few yards of cotton cloth hung from his hips. An old Snider rifle lay at his side, and he was big and muscular with a heavy, expressionless face. As Ormsgill had suggested, it certainly afforded very little indication of what he was thinking, and left it a question whether he was capable of intelligent thought at all. They had come upon him in the deserted village on the edge of a great swamp an hour earlier, and he had skillfully evaded their questions as to what he was doing there. It was an oppressively hot morning, and a heavy, dingy sky hung over the vast morass which they could see through the openings between the scattered huts. It stretched back bare and level, a vast desolation, towards the interior, with a little thin haze floating over it in silvery belts here and there, and streaking the forest that crept up to its edge. The carriers lay half-asleep in the warm sand, blotches of white and blue and ebony, and the man with the rifle appeared vacantly unconcerned. Time is of no value to the negro, and one could have fancied that he was prepared to wait there all day for the white men's next question.

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Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could do to help her 3-year-old son Michael prepare for it. She and her husband found out that the new baby was going to be a girl. Day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in his mom's tummy . Finally, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in a very serious condition. The doctor told the parents there was very little hope. They kept the baby girl in the intensive care unit (ICU, ). Karen was so sad. She decided to plan for her funeral . Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. "I want to sing to her," he would say. Finally Karen decided to take Michael to his sister. This may be the last time he sees her alive. Michael looked at his baby sister. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray." Instantly the baby girl seemed to _ . Her pulse rate began to calm down. "Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away." As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's breath became smooth. After a few days, the little girl was well enough to go home. The doctors called it a miracle . ,.

cnn

When no one wanted to build the world's tallest and fastest water slide, Jeff Henry built it himself. So when Verrückt was completed, and it was time to test the 168-foot coaster in his Kansas City, Kansas, water park, the choice of test riders was rather easy. The guinea pigs: Henry, owner of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts; Henry's assistant; and head designer John Schooley. "It was terrifying," Schooley said. "It was great fun, but it was actually terrifying." The slide finally opened to the public on Thursday, July 10, after several weeks of delays. Technical glitches forced the original May 23 opening date to be pushed back three times, a park spokesperson said. Officially certified by Guinness World Records in May, Verrückt -- which is German for "insane" -- is 5 feet taller than the previous record holder, a water slide at a Rio de Janeiro country club. Verrückt is precisely 168 feet 7 inches tall. To put that free fall in perspective, it's longer than a plunge at Niagara Falls. Schooley stressed, however, that the ride is more than a single drop, calling it an "extreme thrill" without comparison. "You have three or four experiences on the ride," he said. "There is a 3-second free fall before you get launched into a weightless situation for a few seconds, and then you come down like a roller coaster and have a long splash down." The origins of Verrückt are as extreme as the ride itself. According to Schooley, owner Henry was at a trade show and simply decided he wanted to build the tallest, fastest water slide at one of his five Schlitterbahn water parks. He immediately shopped the idea to vendors, who declined, but he refused to be denied.

cnn

Austin, Texas (CNN) -- Podcasting saved Kevin Smith's career. So said the filmmaker (and you can throw a few slashes after that title these days) at the South by Southwest festival here on Monday during a panel called, appropriately, "The Business of Kevin Smith." "I had no idea, but that would become the f---ing center of everything I'm doing now," said Smith, who broke into moves after making 1994's indie hit "Clerks" for roughly $25,000. "The ultimate freedom that allowed me to walk away from the 'heroin' [money] of the movie business -- what gave me the strength to walk away -- was [expletive] podcasting." Smith said he was working on "Zach and Miri Make a Porno," which he wrote and directed, when he realized the passion that led him to make movies like "Dogma" and "Chasing Amy" was gone. "For a while I became a filmmaker and for a while a professional director," he said. "But I really felt like I'm an artist." Smith said he decided to take advantage of his access to celebrities and gift of gab to launch a new project. And he deployed a technique he said has always served him well: do what you love and what you're good at, then figure out how to make money doing it. And that led to "SModcast," a weekly podcast that he and friend/co-producer Scott Mosier launched in 2007 and do to this day. It was free. But as its online audience grew, the opportunities to make money arose.

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(CNN) -- NASCAR's Hall of Fame class for 2015 includes Bill Elliott, one of its most popular drivers ever, and Wendell Scott, the only African-American to win a top-level race, the auto racing sanctioning body announced Wednesday. Three other drivers -- Fred Lorenzen, Joe Weatherly and Rex White -- will be inducted at a ceremony on January 30 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Elliott won one Winston Cup title and 44 races in his 37-year career, including two victories at the Daytona 500. Known as "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville", a reference to his Georgia hometown, Elliott won the series top circuit championship in 1988. He was voted NASCAR's most popular driver a record 16 times. In 1963, Scott became the only African-American to win a race at NASCAR's highest level, taking a 100-mile feature at Jacksonville, Florida, on December 1. He also was the first African-American to race full time in NASCAR's premier series, called the Grand National Series at the time. Scott made the top 10 in 30% of the races in his 13-year Grand National career. He was portrayed in the 1977 movie "Greased Lightning" by Richard Pryor. He died in 1990. Lorenzen was considered one of the sport's first superstars and won 26 races while running a part-time schedule in the 1960s and early 1970s. Weatherly was a two-time champion, in 1962 and in 1963, when he raced for nine different teams. White was a short-track specialist in the early days of NASCAR. And since there were few super speedways, White finished in the top five about half the time. He won the 1960 championship and 28 races in his career (only twice at tracks longer than a mile).

wikipedia

The House of Bourbon is a European royal house of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty (). Bourbonic kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma. Spain and Luxembourg currently have monarchs of the House of Bourbon. The royal Bourbons originated in 1272 when the heiress of the lordship of Bourbon married the youngest son of King Louis IX. The house continued for three centuries as a cadet branch, while more senior Capetians ruled France, until Henry IV became the first Bourbon king of France in 1589. Bourbon monarchs then united to France the small kingdom of Navarre, which Henry's father had acquired by marriage in 1555, ruling both until the 1792 overthrow of the monarchy during the French Revolution. Restored briefly in 1814 and definitively in 1815 after the fall of the First French Empire, the senior line of the Bourbons was finally overthrown in the July Revolution of 1830. A cadet Bourbon branch, the House of Orléans, then ruled for 18 years (1830–1848), until it too was overthrown. The Princes de Condé were a cadet branch of the Bourbons descended from an uncle of Henry IV, and the Princes de Conti were a cadet branch of the Condé. Both houses were prominent French noble families well known for their participation in French affairs, even during exile in the French Revolution, until their respective extinctions in 1830 and 1814.

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Ray Rice is a human who made a mistake that he'd never made before and that he won't make again, wife Janay Rice said in an interview that aired Monday. "Ray knows me, and there's no way. He knows what he would have to deal with. ... I'm not going to sit there in silence and let something happen to me. And God forbid, in front of my child, just let it happen? There's no way." It was Janay Rice's second interview since her husband, a former running back for the Baltimore Ravens, viciously knocked her out in a casino elevator in Atlantic City, New Jersey, after a night of heavy drinking. Images from inside the elevator would change the pair's lives, as Ray Rice was indefinitely suspended by the NFL, and Janay Rice became a poster child for domestic violence. The most shocking clip shows the 200-pound football player punching his then-fiancee, sending her head into the wall before she collapses unconscious to the floor. Surveillance video shows Ray Rice drag her partially out of the elevator and callously dump her limp body face-first on the ground. "He said he was just terrified," Janay Rice told the "Today" show in an interview that aired Monday. "He was in such shock that this just happened, he didn't know how to function." Opening up Sitting next to her mother, Candy Palmer, and occasionally fending off sniffles and dabbing her eyes with a tissue, Janay Rice said she was angry and hurt by her husband's violence, but it also hurt to see his career pulled out from under him, to lose the "support system" that the Ravens provided and to be forced to "pick up and move."

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One day in my class, Maria shared her feelings about money, "Money worries me. I think I want to live without money because I hate it. I HATE MONEY." We were all touched by Maria's words as they reminded us of the spiritual burdens that money managing can bring to us. After class I offered to help Maria deal with her financial problems. She hesitated to accept my offer, and I could see from the expression on her face that she was afraid of what it might involve. I quickly promised her that I wouldn't make her do more than she was able to. I told her frankly that I didn't enjoy managing my money any more than she did hers and wouldn't burden her with guilt, judgments, or impossible tasks. All I would ask her to do was to let me help her look at her fears and try to make some sense of them. Maria still resisted my offer, and I can remember the excuses she gave me as they were the repeated complaints I had heard from so many people. "I'11 never understand money," she said. "My facts are meaningless." "I don't deserve to have money." "I never have enough," "I have too little to manage." "My financial position isn't worth looking at." and the most _ one of all, "I just can't do it." Going home that day, I couldn't get Maria out of my mind: Her attitude conveyed the same negativity and fear that I believed annoyed many people. I was sure it was this attitude that prevented people from managing their money effectively. My counseling has taught me that these anxieties are inseparably connected to our self-doubts and fear for survival. Many of us are terrified of handling our money because we don't believe we can do it well, and to do it wrong would put our very existence at risk. On a deeper level we know that money is not the source of life, but sense of worth drives us to act as if it were. It locks us up in self-doubts and prevents us from tapping into the true source of our management power, our spirit.

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(CNN) -- AC Milan withstood a brave comeback from Arsenal to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League Tuesday despite a 3-0 defeat in the second leg at the Emirates. The Italian champions had led 4-0 from the first leg last month and few bar the most optimistic of Arsenal fans gave Arsene Wenger's men any hope of retrieving the deficit. But first-half goals from Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and captain Robin van Persie gave the English Premier League side the perfect platform to complete a remarkable recovery. Koscielny headed home from a corner, Rosicky took advantage of a defensive mistake after a Theo Walcott run and van Persie slotted home a penalty after the excellent Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain was fouled. Milan were all at sea, but regrouped strongly after the break and blunted the Arsenal onslaught. Van Persie uncharacteristically fluffed the best chance for the home side to make it 4-4 on aggregate, but after fine work by Gervinho his effort was saved by Christian Abbiati. "I felt he wanted to chip the keeper because he was down but Abbiati got up very quickly but he reacted well and unfortunately we couldn't score, Wenger told Sky Sports. "I hoped in the final 10 or 15 minutes to create some more goal chances, but it didn't happen." At the other end, Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to life and twice came close to scoring the Milan goal which would have completely killed off the tie. But at the finish it was the Milan players who were celebrating, while Arsenal will be boosted in their challenge for a Champions League spot in the EPL and remain in the FA Cup.

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PANAMA CITY, Panama (CNN) -- Ricardo Martinelli, the multimillionaire owner of a supermarket chain, was inaugurated as president of Panama on Wednesday. Ricardo Martinelli is a pro-business conservative who defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party. National Assembly President Jose Luis Varela performed the swearing-in and placed the presidential sash on Martinelli, a pro-business conservative who defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party in May. The citizens of Panama "want things to be done differently," Varela said at the inauguration. "An attitude of change starts today." In his first speech as president, Martinelli promised a smaller government budget but raises for public workers. Public safety, an issue that the outgoing administration of Martin Torrijos struggled to maintain, will be a priority, Martinelli said. "Our prisons will be rehabilitation centers, not schools for criminals," he said. Panama will also work with Mexico and Colombia to combat drug trafficking in the region, Martinelli said. Among the dignitaries at the inauguration was deposed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a military-led coup Sunday. The Organization of American States has condemned the coup, and Zelaya has continued to carry out his presidential duties. The son of Italian immigrants, Martinelli, 57, is a self-made businessman who is chairman of the Super 99 supermarket chain, one of the largest private companies in Panama. The U.S.-educated president previously served as minister and chairman of the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority and formerly was director of social security for Panama, according to his Web site.

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CHAPTER TWENTY. BENJY'S ENJOYMENTS INTERRUPTED, AND POLOELAND OVERWHELMED WITH A CATASTROPHE. One pleasant morning, towards the end of summer, Benjamin Vane went out with his gun in the water-tramp on the large lake of Paradise Isle. Leo and he had reached the isle in one of the india-rubber boats. They had taken Anders with them to carry their game, and little Oblooria to prepare their dinner while they were away shooting; for they disliked the delay of personal attention to cooking when they were ravenous! After landing Benjy, and seeing him busy getting himself into the aquatic dress, Leo said he would pull off to a group of walruses, which were sporting about off shore, and shoot one. Provisions of fowl and fish were plentiful enough just then at the Eskimo village, but he knew that walrus beef was greatly prized by the natives, and none of the huge creatures had been killed for some weeks past. About this time the threatened war with the northern Eskimos had unfortunately commenced. The insatiable Grabantak had made a descent on one of Amalatok's smaller islands, killed the warriors, and carried off the women and children, with everything else he could lay hands on. Of course Amalatok made reprisals; attacked a small island belonging to Grabantak, and did as much general mischief as he could. The paltry islet about which the war began was not worthy either of attack or defence! Then Amalatok, burning with the righteous indignation of the man who did not begin the quarrel, got up a grand muster of his forces, and went with a great fleet of kayaks to attack Grabantak in his strongholds.

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(CNN) -- Jared Gabay is like many other college students. When he has a big test coming up, he turns to what's called a "study drug" for a little extra boost. "I'm more driven. I don't focus on anything else," the Auburn University senior says about taking the drugs. "If I have a paper, that's all I'm doing. No distractions, no socializing, just on with it. " Gabay takes the prescription drug Adderall, designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. He doesn't have ADHD or a prescription, but the drug is not hard for him to get. "It's easy -- not sketchy or perceived in a bad way," he says. "Maybe a simple text or a phone call. 'Hey mind if I get some Adderall? I've got a long night ahead of me.'" After taking the pill he hits the books in his fraternity house room, pulling an all-nighter studying. It's a scene that is playing out at college campuses across the United States. Alan DeSantis, a professor and researcher at the University of Kentucky, has tracked study drug use there. "It's abused more than marijuana and easier to get," he says. DeSantis' research found that 30% of students at the university have illegally used a stimulant, like the ADHD drugs Adderall or Ritalin. The numbers increase with upperclassmen. Half of all juniors and seniors have used the drugs, the study found, and 80% of upperclassmen in fraternities and sororities have taken them. Adderall is an amphetamine and can be habit forming. The federal government lists it as a schedule II drug. Drugs in that category have, according to U.S. law "the highest abuse potential and dependence profile of all drugs that have medical utility."

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John was an old man who lived in New York City. John used to work at the Post Office before he quit. John has a grandson named Timmy. Timmy came to visit John and brought his friends David, Roger, and Bill. John gave them each a glass of lemonade to drink. Timmy wanted his friends to try his grandfather's meat soup. John was known to be a good cook. He enjoyed cooking burgers, fish, pizza, and soup. John's meat soup was his favorite recipe. John asked his grandson to go to the store to buy the food. He wanted Timmy to buy some meat. Timmy took some money from John and went to Kroger. Timmy thought of buying ground beef, chicken, turkey, and sausage. He bought three pounds of ground beef. He took it back to John, who had started making the soup in his kitchen. John cooked the ground beef and added it to the soup. They let the soup cook for two hours and then John tested it to see if it was ready to eat. The soup tasted delicious. Timmy and his friends loved it and told John they would be back for more.

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Today we tell about Louisa May Alcott. She wrote . In 1868, an American publisher asked Louisa May Alcott to write a book for girls. At first, she was not sure if she wanted to do it. She said she didn't like girls. However, she decided to write the book finally. She told about her experiences growing up in the northeast of the United States. The book was quite interesting. became one of the most popular children's books in American literature. It was published in more than 50 languages. Alcott was born in Pennsylvania in 1832. The Alcotts did not have much money. She tried teaching, sewing and taking care of children. She did not like any of these jobs. At the age of 16, she wrote her first book, . Her stories were exciting, but unreal. She sold them to newspapers and magazines for money. The first volume of came out in 1868. It made Alcott famous and get a lot of money. She continued writing other popular books for young people. These books included , and . Alcott wrote many exciting stories about love. But she was single all her life. She continued to help her family during the last years of her life.

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(CNN) -- Gillette said Saturday it was "limiting" golfer Tiger Woods' role in its marketing programs to give him the privacy he needs to work on family relationships after disclosures of his "infidelity." In a statement, the Boston, Massachusetts-based body grooming company said it supports Woods' decision to take "an indefinite break" from professional golf. On his Web site Friday, Woods admitted to infidelity and said he was taking a break from the sport to focus on his family. "In the midst of a difficult and unfortunate situation, we respect the action Tiger is taking to restore the trust of his family, friends and fans," Gillette spokesman Mike Norton said in the statement. "We fully support him stepping back from his professional career and taking the time he needs to do what matters most. We wish him and his family the best. "As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs," Norton said. Woods' Friday posting said: "After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person." "I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children," Woods' statement said. "I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try."

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Musa teaches English at Chunmiao Primary School in Wuhan. He had never heard of China's idol of selflessness before he arrived in the country, but this unusual young man from Nigeria is carrying on the good work of China's hero soldier. Musa's week begins with a crowded two-hour bus ride for a flag-raising ceremony at Chunmiao Primary School with old classrooms for the children of migrant workers on the outside parts of Wuhan.An hour later, he steps in front of a room full of expectant students, some of whom recently organized a dance exhibition for their foreign teacher. The dance showed the spirit of Lei Feng (1940-1962), a soldier who was idolized across China for his selflessness. It was especially meaningful to Musa because the students call him "foreign Lei Feng". "I know Lei Feng, he is a good man. Everyone should learn from Lei Feng," he says. Born to a family of diplomats in 1985, he is the second of nine children and the eldest son. Musa was expected to become a diplomat like his father, who worked in Canada from 2007.In 2008, Musa was picked by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study in China for a master's degree in sociology . With the hope of joining the foreign service, he then went on to study for a doctor's degree in international relations at Central China Normal University.

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CHAPTER XX HEDA'S TALE That evening when I was lying on my bed outside the cave, I heard the tale of Anscombe and Heda. Up to a certain point he told it, then she went on with the story. "On the morning after our arrival at this place, Allan," said Anscombe, "I woke up to find you gone from the hut. As you did not come back I concluded that you were with Zikali, and walked about looking for you. Then food was brought to us and Heda and I breakfasted together, after which we went to where we heard the horses neighing and found that yours was gone. Returning, much frightened, we met Nombe, who gave me your note which explained everything, and we inquired of her why this had been done and what was to become of us. She smiled and answered that we had better ask the first question of the king and the second of her master Zikali, and in the meanwhile be at peace since we were quite safe. "I tried to see Zikali but could not. Then I went to inspan the horses with the idea of following you, only to find that they were gone. Indeed I have not seen them from that day to this. Next we thought of starting on foot, for we were quite desperate. But Nombe intervened and told us that if we ventured out of the Black Kloof we should be killed. In short we were prisoners. "This went on for some days, during which we were well treated but could not succeed in seeing Zikali. At length one morning he sent for us and we were taken to the enclosure in front of his hut, Kaatje coming with us as interpreter. For a while he sat still, looking very grim and terrible. Then he said--

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXIV. SAINT MARTIN'S EVE Uneasy in his mind, seeking some way to tell the thing and acquit himself of the painful task before him, Garnache took a turn in the apartment. Mademoiselle leaned against the table, which was still burdened by the empty coffin, and observed him. His ponderings were vain; he could find no way to tell, his story. She had said that she did not exactly love this Florimond, that her loyalty to him was no more than her loyalty to her father's wishes. Nevertheless, he thought, what manner of hurt must not her pride receive when she learned that Florimond had brought him home a wife? Garnache was full of pity for her and for the loneliness that must be hers hereafter, mistress of a vast estate in Dauphiny, alone and friendless. And he was a little sorry for himself and the loneliness which, he felt, would be his hereafter; but that was by the way. At last it was she herself who broke the silence. "Monsieur," she asked him, and her voice was strained and husky, "were you in time to save Florimond?" "Yes, mademoiselle," he answered readily, glad that by that question she should have introduced the subject. "I was in time." "And Marius?" she inquired. "From what I heard you say, I take it that he has suffered no harm." "He has suffered none. I have spared him that he might participate in the joy of his mother at her union with Monsieur de Tressan."

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"Ceci, wake up. It's an earthquake!" That's what Cecilia Wallace heard her mother shouting on the early morning of February 27th. Cecilia is a 7th-grader. She, her parents and her brother, Sam, were in Chile's capital city, Santiago, the day a big earthquake hit Chile. And like just about everyone else, they were shaken out of their sleep. "It was so frightening," Sam wrote. "The shaking was so huge that I will never go on a ride again." Cecilia and Sam wrote about their earthquake experiences. Their reports were later posted on the website. Cecilia, Sam and their parents were staying in an apartment on the 15th floor of a building. They were lucky. Their building stayed standing, because it was built to withstand earthquakes. Not everyone was as lucky as the Wallace family. More than 800 people died. Many older buildings fell down during the earthquake. The damage in Santiago wasn't as bad as in other parts of Chile. So the supermarkets were open for business on the morning of the quake. But it wasn't business as usual. "The supermarkets have been crazy with people rushing to buy their food for the next while," Sam wrote. Not everyone was able to get money to buy food that morning. So Cecilia and Sam made food bags to _ to people who were begging outside the supermarket. "We gave some to a kid of my age. I made sure he got cookies and bread." Sam and Cecilia's mother wrote that the kids also collected money for the Red Cross. It's certainly an experience Cecilia, Sam and their parents will never forget. Thankfully, they lived to tell their stories.

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A study by the World Institute for Development Economics Research at United Nations University reports that the richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000. The three richest people in the world possess more financial assets than the lowest 48 nations combined. The combined wealth of the "10 million dollar millionaires" grew to nearly $41 trillion in 2008. A January 2014 report by Oxfam claims that the 85 wealthiest individuals in the world have a combined wealth equal to that of the bottom 50% of the world's population, or about 3.5 billion people. According to a Los Angeles Times analysis of the report, the wealthiest 1% owns 46% of the world's wealth; the 85 richest people, a small part of the wealthiest 1%, own about 0.7% of the human population's wealth, which is the same as the bottom half of the population. More recently, in January 2015, Oxfam reported that the wealthiest 1 percent will own more than half of the global wealth by 2016. An October 2014 study by Credit Suisse also claims that the top 1% now own nearly half of the world's wealth and that the accelerating disparity could trigger a recession. In October 2015, Credit Suisse published a study which shows global inequality continues to increase, and that half of the world's wealth is now in the hands of those in the top percentile, whose assets each exceed $759,900. A 2016 report by Oxfam claims that the 62 wealthiest individuals own as much wealth as the poorer half of the global population combined. Oxfam's claims have however been questioned on the basis of the methodology used: by using net wealth (adding up assets and subtracting debts), the Oxfam report, for instance, finds that there are more poor people in the United States and Western Europe than in China (due to a greater tendency to take on debts).[unreliable source?][unreliable source?] Anthony Shorrocks, the lead author of the Credit Suisse report which is one of the sources of Oxfam's data, considers the criticism about debt to be a "silly argument" and "a non-issue . . . a diversion."

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Political corruption in Zimbabwe threatens efforts to save millions of people from malaria in the southern African country, according to aid agency officials. HIV-positive 13-year-old orphan Evans Mahlangu, left, and his brother Edmond, 8, had to jump Zimbabwe's border with Mozambique to get anti-retroviral drugs. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has demanded that Zimbabwe's government return $7.3 million placed in the country's reserve bank to pay for the distribution medicine that can cure malaria, according to the group's spokesman. A senior western diplomat in Zimbabwe told CNN he believes the money was taken by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government to fund political activities. He accused reserve bank governor Gideon Gono of involvement. "This could put millions of people in Zimbabwe at risk of malaria in the current malaria season," said John Linden, spokesman for the group which is a leading international financing institution for those diseases. Linden said his group has given Zimbabwe until Thursday to repay the money or else no more aid will be sent to the country. "At this stage we do not have confidence in the reserve bank's ability to release the money when needed, so we have demanded that all the money be released immediately," Linden said. The money was intended to train thousands of health workers to distribute the malaria cure, medicine that is already available but sits on shelves. CNN's Kim Norgaard in Johannesburg, South Africa contributed to this report.

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(CNN) -- A Florida judge's ruling Wednesday will allow a foreign-born high school basketball player who was ruled ineligible and his team to compete in the playoffs, even though they could ultimately be stripped of any title they win. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Spencer Eig temporarily barred the Florida High School Athletic Association from disqualifying Brian Delancy, who was born in the Bahamas, and Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School from the district playoffs, which begin Thursday. Delancy "is very happy and relieved and he feels happy for his teammates," said attorney David Baron, who helped represent the athlete, 19, and two other players. The board of the athletic association, which said Krop did not file proper paperwork on Delancy's eligibility and immigration status, on Tuesday ruled he was ineligible and that the top-ranked team must forfeit the 19 games it won when the senior guard played. Eig did not rule on Delancy's eligibility, but granted a temporary injunction to allow Krop to play until a full slate of hearings and appeals can take place within the athletic association, Roger Dearing, the association's executive director, said it was too late to appeal Eig's ruling and Krop will compete. But, he said, the ruling is not the end of the matter. Dearing said the association will hear new appeals after the tournament, likely in April. Now that Krop is in the playoffs, North Miami High School will be bumped from the four-team field in the district playoffs, Dearing said. "There is no win for kids here," said Dearing. "What about the schools that played fair?"

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Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual name because he wants to be different. People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary, or that have special sound. They chose the "new name" for themselves instead of the name their parents gave them when they were born. Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country. In many countries, a woman changes her family name to her husband's after she gets married. But today, many women are keeping their own family name and not using their husband's. Sometimes, women use their own name in some situations and their husband's in other situations. And some use both their own name and their husband's.

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(CNN) -- Elmore Leonard is something of a living legend among lovers of crime fiction. A favorite of millions of readers, a hero to scores of writers, he's been called "America's greatest crime writer." The 86-year old author has been writing bestselling books for sixty years, mostly Westerns and crime novels. Many of them have been turned into hit movies, including "3:10 to Yuma," "Get Shorty" and "Out of Sight." Now, Leonard returns to one of his favorite characters in his newest book, his 45th novel to be exact, titled simply, "Raylan." That would be U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. The laid back, Stetson-wearing lawman first appeared in Leonard's novels, "Pronto" and "Riding the Rap" and again in the 2001 short story, "Fire in the Hole" which became the basis for the hit TV show, "Justified," starring Timothy Olyphant as the title character. The actor and the show are winning over fans, critics and Leonard himself. So much so that Leonard has returned to writing about "Raylan." The book just hit store shelves the same week the show had its third season premiere. Leonard, gracious and unassuming, shows no signs of slowing down at this point in his career. The author spoke to CNN from his home in Michigan. The following is an edited transcript. CNN: What brought you back to Raylan? Leonard: I've always liked him. He's just one of my favorites. Now when I see him on the screen I can't believe it. He acts exactly the way I write him. He's so laid back and he always has the best line in the scene. He's perfect, boy. The way he talks I hear him just the way I heard him when I'm writing it. He's kind of laid back but if you call him on anything, he says, "if I have to pull my gun I will shoot to kill," and he's serious about that but he doesn't have to sound that serious, he just states it.

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(CNN) -- Oscar-winning actress Celeste Holm died at her home in New York on Sunday at the age of 95, her niece, Amy Phillips, confirmed. Holm, a star of the Broadway stage and movies, was admitted to New York's Roosevelt Hospital a week ago, but her husband took her home to her Manhattan home on Friday, Phillips said. "She passed peacefully in her home in her own bed with her husband and friends and family nearby," she said. Holm won the best supporting actress Academy Award for "Gentleman's Agreement" in 1947. She was nominated for the same honor in 1949 for "Come to the Stable" and 1950 for "All about Eve," according to the Academy database. Holm's stage career began in 1936 in a Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, stock company, which led to an understudy role in a touring production of "Hamlet" with Leslie Howard, according to her official biography. Her Broadway debut in "The Time of Your Life" in 1939 was a small part, but it brought her to the attention of New York critics. Four years later, she was cast as Ado Annie in the smash "Oklahoma!" because of her ability to "sing bad," the biography said. She signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox that began her film career in 1945, after she toured Europe entertaining troops with the USO. Her first Fox movie was "Three Little Girls in Blue" in 1946, a supporting role that earned her star billing for the musical "Carnival in Costa Rica" in 1947.

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican authorities were searching Wednesday for two politicians accused of belonging to the Familia Michoacana drug cartel, which is blamed for killing more than 30 federal police officers in a series of attacks since Saturday. Drug violence is up in Michoacan state, shown by recent attacks on police in at least a half-dozen cities. Julio Cesar Godoy Toscano, elected July 5 to the lower house of Congress, is accused of being in charge of protection for the cartel, said Monte Alejandro Rubido Garcia, head of the National Public Security Council. Godoy Toscano is half-brother to Michoacan's governor, Leonel Godoy Rangel, who Wednesday urged his relative to surrender. Authorities also said they are searching for Saul Solis Solis, alias "El Lince," who lost his bid for a congressional seat this month. He is accused of being in charge of the cartel's activities in the Huacana area. Solis is a cousin of Enrique Plancarte Solis, a Familia Michoacana leader, Rubido said. Both suspects report to Servando Gomez Martinez, known as "La Tuta," Rubido said. Godoy Toscano was elected as a member of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party, known as the PRD. The party said Wednesday it would not protect Godoy Toscano or any member who has broken the law. Godoy Rangel, the Michoacan governor, told a radio station there's nothing he could do to help his fugitive brother. "I cannot protect anyone, not even my children," the government-run news agency Notimex quoted him as saying. He said Wednesday that he has no intention of resigning, because he has done nothing wrong, Notimex said.

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The rule of law is the legal principle that law should govern a nation, as opposed to being governed by arbitrary decisions of individual government officials. It primarily refers to the influence and authority of law within society, particularly as a constraint upon behaviour, including behaviour of government officials. The phrase can be traced back to 16th century Britain, and in the following century the Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford used the phrase in his argument against the divine right of kings. The rule of law was further popularized in the 19th century by British jurist A. V. Dicey. The concept, if not the phrase, was familiar to ancient philosophers such as Aristotle, who wrote "Law should govern". Rule of law implies that every citizen is subject to the law, including law makers themselves. In this sense, it stands in contrast to an autocracy, dictatorship, or oligarchy where the rulers are held above the law. Lack of the rule of law can be found in both democracies and dictatorships, for example because of neglect or ignorance of the law, and the rule of law is more apt to decay if a government has insufficient corrective mechanisms for restoring it. Government based upon the rule of law is called nomocracy.

gutenberg

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. SHOWS THAT ELOQUENCE DOES NOT ALWAYS FLOW WHEN IT IS EXPECTED, AND THAT GLUMM BEGINS A NEW COURSE OF ACTION. On examination it was found that Glumm's hurt was not severe. He had merely been stunned by the force of the blow, and there was a trifling wound in the scalp from which a little blood flowed. While Kettle held a helmet full of water, and Erling bathed the wound, the latter said: "How comes it, Kettle, that ye discovered our straits, and appeared so fortunately?" Kettle laughed and said: "The truth is, that accident brought me here. You know that I had all but wrought out my freedom by this time, but in consideration of my services in the battle at the Springs, Ulf set me free at once, and this morning I left him to seek service with King Harald Haarfager." "That was thankless of thee," said Erling. "So said Ulf," rejoined Kettle; "nevertheless, I came off, and was on my way over the fells to go to the King when I fell in with Hake the berserk--though I knew not that it was he--and joined him." Erling frowned, and looked enquiringly at Kettle as he said: "But what possessed thee, that thou shouldst quit so good a master for one so bad, and how comes it thou hast so readily turned against the King's men?" "Little wonder that you are perplexed," said Kettle, "seeing that ye know not my motive. The truth is, that I had a plan in my head, which was to enter Harald's service, that I might act the spy on him, and so do my best for one who, all the time I have been in thraldom, has been as kind to me as if he had been my own father."

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Dick was driving a large American car. As soon as the race started, he pulled out in front. As the race went on, he kept the first place. And he was far ahead of Wilson, the man in the second place. When the race was almost over, some people stood up and left. "Why did stay?" they thought. They were sure they knew who would win. But things did not go as they thought. A strange noise came from Dick's car. It slowed down. Something was wrong. Dick knew his car would not go far. His only hope was that he would make it to the finish. But on his last lap , the car stopped. Wilson's car roared by. Dick saw it go by. He knew he could not win now. "But I can finish the race," he thought. And he got out of his car. So did his assistant. They began to push the car to the finish. Wilson went by them again and again. He was on his last lap. He was going to win. Dick and his friend did not care. They went on pushing. At first, all eyes were on Wilson. He crossed the line. And the race was over. He won! Dick and his friend pushed on. At last, the car crossed the line. By then all the people shouted for them. They shouted more than they did for Wilson. This was a different kind of winner!

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Three friends, Tom, David and John, came to New York for their holiday. They stayed in a very large hotel. Their room was on the 45thfloor. In the evening, the three men went to the cinema and came back to the hotel very late. "I'm very sorry," said the man of the hotel, "but our lifts do not work tonight. If you don't want to walk up to your room, I'll make beds for you in the hall . " "No, thanks," said Tom, "we don't want to sleep in the hall. We will walk up to the 45thfloor. But I know how to make it easier. On the way to our room, I'll tell you some jokes. Then you, David, will sing us some songs. Then you, John, will tell us some stories, all right?" So they began to walk upstairs. Tom told them many jokes. David sang them some songs. At last they came to the 34thfloor. They were tired and had a rest. "Well," said Tom. "Now it's your turn, John. After all these jokes and songs, tell us a long and interesting story with a sad ending. " "OK, I'll tell a sad story," said John, "It's not long but very sad. I forgot to bring the key to our room with me. It's still in the hall. "

cnn

(CNN) -- The rapper Common wants to take hip-hop in a new direction, he says, and he has an unsuspecting ally -- President-elect Barack Obama. Common says he was looking for a new sound on his eighth album, "Universal Mind Control." Obama "is going to change hip-hop for the better," predicted the rapper, whose eighth album, "Universal Mind Control" (G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen), hits shelves Tuesday. "I really do believe we as hip-hop artists pick up what's going on in the world and try to reflect that," he told CNN, outlining his belief that mainstream as well as so-called "conscious" rappers -- the more socially aware -- will pick up on what he sees as the more optimistic prospects of an Obama presidency. "I think hip-hop artists will have no choice but to talk about different things and more positive things, and try to bring a brighter side to that because, even before Barack, I think people had been tired of hearing the same thing," he said. Likewise, "Universal Mind Control," with its hook-heavy, synthed-out tracks, represents a "broadening" of hip-hop's audience -- one that demands evolution rather than hackneyed revamps of old beats, rhythms and rhymes, Common said. Listen to clips from the album and Common's interview with CNN.com » Not that Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., is altogether removed from the temptations of his hip-hop brethren. He serves as a spokesman for Lincoln Navigator and purports on his new album to "rebel in YSL," a reference to designer Yves Saint Laurent. Money is also a weakness, as Common -- No. 14 on Forbes magazine's 2008 list of richest rappers -- regularly invokes the greenbacks he makes and spends. iReport.com: Talk Grammy Awards and more showbiz with Todd

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Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences.Due to his old age,he was going bald,which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool.Therefore,biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool. Unlike marine mammals,which have a layer of blubber to keep them warm,penguins depend on their waterproof feathers.Without them,Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water. "He was cold:he would shake,"said Pam Schaller,a senior biologist.Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm.Then she got another idea:if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific,why not make one for Pierre? Schaller designed the suit,which covered Pierre's body and had small openings for his flippers. "I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps.and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable."she said. One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit,but in fact,they accepted his new look.He swam freely and got along with others well,although he was the only penguin with a black stomach. Schaller couldn't say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers,but" certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable". Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XII THE CLEVERNESS OF OLD MAN COYOTE Who thinks the quickest and the best Is bound to win in every test. _Bowser the Hound._ The meeting of Reddy Fox and Old Man Coyote just outside the gate to Farmer Brown's henyard had been wholly unexpected to both. Reddy had been so eager to get inside that gate that when he turned the corner at the henyard he hadn't looked beyond the gate. If he had looked beyond, he would have seen Old Man Coyote just coming around the other corner. As for Old Man Coyote, he had been so surprised at sight of Reddy Fox that he had growled before he had had time to think. He was sorry the very instant he did it. "That certainly was a stupid thing to do," muttered Old Man Coyote to himself, as he watched Reddy Fox run away in a panic. "I should have kept out of sight and let him open that gate and go inside first. There may be traps in there, for all I know. When there's likely to be danger, always let some one else find it out for you if you can." Old Man Coyote grinned as he said this. Reddy Fox sat down at a safe distance to watch what Old Man Coyote would do. Inside, Reddy was fairly boiling with disappointment and anger. He felt that he hated Old Man Coyote more than he hated anybody else he knew of. He hated him, yet there wasn't a thing he could do about it. He didn't dare fight Old Man Coyote. All he could do was to sit there at a safe distance and watch.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXI The great night came and passed with fewer thrills than any one had imagined possible. Horlock himself undertook the defence of his once more bitterly assailed Government and from the first it was obvious what the end must be. He spoke with the resigned cynicism of one who knows that words are fruitless, that the die is already cast and that his little froth of words, valedictory in their tone from the first, was only a tribute to exacting convention. Tallente had never been more restrained, although his merciless logic reduced the issues upon which the vote was to be taken to the plainest and clearest elements. He remained studiously unemotional and nothing which he said indicated in any way his personal interest in the sweeping away of the Horlock regime. He was the impersonal but scathing critic, paving the way for his chief. It was Dartrey himself who overshadowed every one that night. He spoke so seldom in the House that many of the members had forgotten that he was an orator of rare quality. That night he lifted the debate from the level of ordinary politics to the idyllic realms where alone the lasting good of the world is fashioned. He pointed out what government might and should be, taking almost a Roman view of the care of the citizen, his early and late education, his shouldering of the responsibilities which belong to one of a great community. From the individual he passed to the nation, sketching in a few nervous but brilliant phrases the exact possibilities of socialistic legislation; and he wound up with a parodied epigram: Government, he declared, was philosophy teaching by failures. In the end, Miller led fourteen of his once numerous followers into the Government lobby to find himself by forty votes upon the losing side.

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It was a great day for a picnic and a picnic was a great way to start the summer holiday. Fred brought his classmates John and Betty to a wonderful picnic place. After lunch, John said they should play football. When the ball came to Fred, he kicked it into some long grass. "I'll get it," he said and hurried off to find the ball. Moments later after there was a shout and out came Fred holding his leg. "I've been bitten by a snake!" As the others rushed over to help, Fred laughing. "Ha! I'm not really hurt." But Betty didn't laugh, "I can't believe you did that, Fred. I was really frighten for you." The friends then decided to go for a swim. John and Betty jumped into the water. Fred was standing on a long rock by the riverbank and said, "Watch and jump" They shouted excitedly as he went under the water, but as the seconds passed he didn't come back to the top. The friends became worried. Suddenly they heard Fred's laugh. "Won't you ever learn? I swam behind this tree when I jumped." "Very funny, Fred?" said John angrily. "Anyway, I'm feeling tired and I'm going for a sleep." Betty joined him. Fred, however, moved to a narrow part of the river and jumped in. Although he was a good swimmer, the water there was moving much faster and Fred found himself being _ away. He managed to catch hold of a tree, but he was very tired now and with the water still moving fast, couldn't pull himself out. Back at the picnic place, as Betty and John were preparing to sleep, they heard Fred's cries for help. John looked at Betty and said, "Does he really think we're so foolish? Wake me up in an hour. It'll be time to go back home then."

gutenberg

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. A DAY OF CALM FOLLOWED BY A NIGHT OF STORM. A fine-toned manly voice was heard, as the boat approached the mission smack, singing one of the popular hymns which are now pretty well-known throughout the fishing fleets. "No mistaking that voice," said David Bright turning an amused look on Billy; "Singin' Peter won't knock off till he's under the sod or under the sea." "Then he'll never knock off at all," returned Billy, "for Luke there has bin tellin' me that we only begin to sing rightly a song of praise that will never end when we git into the next world." "That depends, lad, on whether we goes up or down." "Well, I s'pose it does. But tell me, daddy, ain't the hand very bad? I'm so awful sorry, you know." "It might ha' bin worse, Billy, but don't you take on so, my boy. We'll be all right an' ship-shape when we gets it spliced or fixed up somehow, on board the mission-ship." The hand was not however, so easily fixed up as David Bright seemed to expect. "Come down an' let's have a look at it, David," said the skipper, when the vessel's deck was gained. By that time Singing Peter had stopped his tune, or, rather, he had changed it into a note of earnest sympathy, for he was a very tender-hearted man, and on terms of warm friendship with the master of the _Evening Star_. "It's a bad cut," said Peter, when the gaping gash in the poor man's palm was laid bare, and the blood began to flow afresh. "We'll have to try a little o' the surgeon's business here. You can take a stitch in human flesh I daresay, skipper? If you can't, I'll try."

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JAKARTA, INDONESIA ---Walking with long steps and his smile lighting up a rainy afternoon, Barack Obama seems to have arrived to visit a school he attended as a boy.But wait.He's not real Obama.The US president is back in Washington, D.C.. So who is this guy?He's IIham Anas,34,magazine photographer who has taken advantage of his perfect resemblance to Obama and turned it into his own wealth.[ Since 2007, Anas' s face and big smile have been seen on Southeast Asian TV and the Internet, and in advertisements.Anas's resemblance to the president has turned his life around 180 degrees. When his sister first mentioned the resemblance, _ .Then a friend asked him to pose as Obama in front of a US flag.He also refused."I'm a photographer, not an object for the camera," he said. However, as soon as he accepted the idea, his career took off.The father of two children is rarely at home these days.Recently a group of reporters followed him on a tour of the school Obama once attended.Anas sat in the classroom where the present US president once studied.He spoke a few lines in English.The moment he opened his mouth, however, the differences became clear."Obama is a baritone ,"Anas said."I'm not.I sound like a little boy." He is also shorter than the president, but he makes up for that by practicing Obama's typical actions. He used to dislike looking into the mirror because of his average appearance.Now he no longer considers himself as an average guy, but a superstar.Looking like a president is a good thing, Anas says."How else could a person like me travel the world and meet all kinds of people? I'm really just a shy guy." He says he has made a request to meet President Obama when he arrives, but he hasn't heard back from the president's schedules. Now, Anas hopes that Obama will win a second term in the White House."The longer he's in office, the longer my fame will last," he said.

mctest

Todd lived in a town outside the city . Unlike the city the town was peaceful and quiet and full of trees, flowers and animals. One day his dad came in from work and said "Come on, son, I'm going to take you to the city." Todd was very exited so he put on his shoes and ran to the car. When they got to the city Todd was very surprised there were so many cars and people, everyone seemed to be in a hurry. There were no trees, no flowers, and no animals. Todd was so happy to get back home. When his mom asked him about his trip to the city Todd said,"There's no place like home."

cnn

(CNN) -- An Alaskan beat out 300 hirsute competitors from around the globe to take the top honor at the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships on Saturday. Dan Sederowsky of Sweden shows off his moustache in Anchorage. David Traver may have had home-court advantage: He was a favorite of the crowd at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, in both the "freestyle" category, where just about anything goes, and the overall championship. His winning move? He wove his beard into a basket-like cone that resembled a snowshoe. There were 17 officially sanctioned categories in the competition: eight styles of moustache, four varieties of partial beard and goatee combinations, and five categories of full beards. The facial hair Olympics got its start in 1990 in Germany, and the German team typically dominates the event. Photo gallery: best beards and moustaches » This year's contest is the second time the World Beard and Moustache Championships have been held in the United States -- Carson City, Nevada, hosted the event in 2003. Video: Contestants strut their stuff in Anchorage » Since 1995, the contest has been held every two years. This year, competitors from 14 nations showed off their whiskers for the judges and a raucous crowd at the Anchorage venue. Karl-Heinz Hille of Germany came in second overall with a first-place finish in the Imperial Partial Beard category, and Jack Passion of San Francisco, California, placed third overall with his winning entry in the Natural Full Beard category.

wikipedia

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an extended term for information communication technology (ICT) which stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. The term "ICT" is also used to refer to the convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and management. However, ICT has no universal definition, as "the concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis." The broadness of ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form, e.g. personal computers, digital television, email, robots. For clarity, Zuppo provided an ICT hierarchy where all levels of the hierarchy "contain some degree of commonality in that they are related to technologies that facilitate the transfer of information and various types of electronically mediated communications". Skills Framework for the Information Age is one of many models for describing and managing competencies for ICT professionals for the 21st century.

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Way back in 1662,John Evelyn,a brilliant Englishman known for his detailed diaries,wrote About disastrous effects of coal-burning on the city of London .In it,he described an infernal scene of smog.air filled with "Columns and Clouds of Smoke''given out by small industries and residences that burned coal for fuel. I found the description in the 2003 book When Smoke Ran like Water,by epidemiologist and environmental advocator Devra Davis.In it,Davis looks back at several historic pollution events and their disastrous effect on human human health-and at how these phenomena were often Ignored or even actively covered up by then people in charge at that time. As Davis points out,John Evelyn was ahead of his time when writing about how London's polluted air affected the well-being of its residents.It wasn't until nearly 300 years later,after what became well-known as the Great Smog of 1952,that the government began to address the problem in a systematic way. For four days.Between December 5th"and 9th",due to all accident of the weather pattern,the city was buried in a heavy fog .People were still burning coal for fuel,and low-grade coal at that time, because 0f wartime condition.A temperature inversion trapped the smoke from the city's fires, creating a black cloud in which people could barely find their way down the most familiar streets Some tried to protect themselves,but most people simply went about their business But l952's fog was far worse than any other in memory.In the same week of the previous year, 1852 people had died in London;inl952,that number was 4703 And the deaths didn't stop when the weather changed and the fog lifted.Davis and her colleagues analyzed data from the next several months and found that about 13000 more people died between December and March than one would have predicted from historical averages Many of them died of pneumonia .The government, she writes.Tried to blame a bad flu season.Her detailed analysis found that explanation simply did not pan out. Davis writes that even today in this country ,we still have not completely absorbed the lessons 0f similar events.Sixty years the killer fog lifted in London,people are dying preventable deaths and suffering life.changing illnesses,simply because they must breathe the air of the cities where they live

wikipedia

Switzerland (/ˈswɪtsərlənd/), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a country in Europe. While still named the "Swiss Confederation" for historical reasons, modern Switzerland is a federal directorial republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities, called Bundesstadt ("federal city").[note 3] The country is situated in Western and Central Europe,[note 4] and is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found: among them are the two global and economic centres, Zürich and Geneva.

wikipedia

The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. Only a few invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, adult sea squirts and starfish do not have a brain; diffuse or localised nerve nets are present instead. The brain is located in the head, usually close to the primary sensory organs for such senses as vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. The brain is the most complex organ in a vertebrate's body. In a typical human, the cerebral cortex (the largest part) is estimated to contain 15–33 billion neurons, each connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons. These neurons communicate with one another by means of long protoplasmic fibers called axons, which carry trains of signal pulses called action potentials to distant parts of the brain or body targeting specific recipient cells. Physiologically, the function of the brain is to exert centralized control over the other organs of the body. The brain acts on the rest of the body both by generating patterns of muscle activity and by driving the secretion of chemicals called hormones. This centralized control allows rapid and coordinated responses to changes in the environment. Some basic types of responsiveness such as reflexes can be mediated by the spinal cord or peripheral ganglia, but sophisticated purposeful control of behavior based on complex sensory input requires the information integrating capabilities of a centralized brain.

wikipedia

The War of 1812 (18121815) was a conflict fought between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their respective allies. Historians in Britain often see it as a minor theater of the Napoleonic Wars; in the United States and Canada, it is seen as a war in its own right. Since the outbreak of war with Napoleonic France, Britain had enforced a naval blockade to choke off neutral trade to France, which the United States contested as illegal under international law. To man the blockade, Britain impressed American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy. Incidents such as the "Chesapeake–Leopard" Affair inflamed anti-British sentiment. In 1811, the British were in turn outraged by the "Little Belt" Affair, in which 11 British sailors died. British political support for a Native American buffer state, which conducted raids on American settlers on the frontier, hindered American expansion. On June 18, 1812, President James Madison, after receiving heavy pressure from the War Hawks in Congress, signed the American declaration of war into law. Senior figures such as Lord Liverpool and Lord Castlereagh believed it to have been an opportunistic ploy to annex Canada while Britain was fighting a war with France. The view was shared in much of New England.

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children's books of all time, and many adults enjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland: she has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work. The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer's real name. His real name was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much. Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice's Adventures under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success. One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll's works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems. Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular 1999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus.

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Lucy Li is only an 11-year-old girl, but she's the youngest person to qualify for a US Women's Open Golf Tournament . She qualified for the US Women's Open in May 2014. And today she is playing with some of the best female golfers in the world. Earlier this week Li said that she wasn't nervous . "I just want to have fun and play the best I can and I really don't care about the result. I can learn a lot from these great players." Li doesn't spend all her time golfing. Her favourite subjects are Maths, History, and Science and she loves to read. She also loves medicine, diving, badminton, dancing and table tennis. But golf is her favourite sport. "I like golf because it's different from other sports. Anybody can play it," she said. Some golfers are worried that Li isn't quite ready. "When I found out she qualified, I said, where does she go from here? You qualify for an Open at 11, and what do you do next? If it was my daughter, I wouldn't let her play in the US Open at 11, but that's just me," said world champion Stacy Lewis.

cnn

(CNN) -- Edgar Hernandez didn't expect to learn that he was pre-diabetic at age 16. When his mother burst into tears at the doctor's office, it hit him hard. He was 370 pounds and couldn't stand to look at himself. It was tough being a fat kid, but things became unbearable in high school. Edgar was seeing a therapist for depression symptoms. He was frequently bullied in gym class. Kids would point at his "fat wobbling everywhere," especially as he struggled to keep up. "I tried my best to ignore it. But there were times when I just gave in and started crying," said Edgar, who lives in a suburb of St. Louis and is now 18. Everyone in his family had a weight problem; his parents developed type 2 diabetes in their forties. But Edgar was the biggest. "He would eat two really big burritos or sandwiches a day, packed with cheese, sour cream, a lot of bread, butter," his older brother Mario said. "He would be watching TV, playing video games." After receiving the sobering blood test result at the doctor's office, Edgar went home and cried. And then something new happened: He owned up to his weight problem. "It was time to stop blaming others for my choices and make a choice to take responsibility," he said. He dried his tears, threw on his jacket and began jogging. He only got about half a mile before he stopped and threw up. That was a year and a half ago. Edgar, who is 5-foot-9, went on to drop nearly 200 pounds. He now weighs 185 pounds. He has traded his double-XL shirts and size 48 pants for medium T-shirts and 33-inch pants.

cnn

(CNN) -- Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid icon, Nobel peace laureate and South Africa's first black president, celebrated his 90th birthday Friday by doing something he had indicated he would not do again -- grant an interview to journalists. Mandela sits at the 6th Nelson Mandela Lecture in Soweto, Johannesburg. A cheerful-looking Mandela welcomed CNN's Robyn Curnow, along with reporters from two other organizations, into the sitting room of his home in Qunu, a small village in the rolling hills of South Africa's eastern Cape region where he grew up. "What day is this?" Mandela joked, pretending not to realize it was his birthday. He used a smile to dodge Curnow's first question of what was his favorite memory from his long life. He did say he was very happy to have lived to be 90. Mandela credited his longevity to the way he conducted his life. He is known to be disciplined with his diet and exercise. Asked if, in hindsight, he wishes he had spent more time with his family, he answered yes. "I don't regret it because the things that attracted me were things that pleased my soul." Graca Machel, whom he married on his 80th birthday, sat nearby and Mandela was surrounded by grandchildren. Watch what Mandela's grandchildren have to say » Mandela then lamented the gap between rich and poor in South Africa. "Poverty still grips our people. If you're poor, you're not likely to live for long," he said. Watch CNN's Mandela interview » This was Mandela's first meeting with reporters since he announced in 2004 that he would give no more interviews. While he stayed out of the spotlight over the last four years, he has stayed busy with his charitable causes.

cnn

Dearborn, Michigan (CNN) -- Steve Bengelsvorf and Terry Flynn are chatting over beers on a hot, humid Wednesday night at Bamboozles, a Dearborn, Michigan, bar and restaurant, and a common pit stop for nearby factory workers. Both these clean-cut men sitting at the bar in polo-style shirts have a lot in common. They work at the nearby Severstal steel company. They're nearing retirement. And they both have strong opinions about who the next president should be. But their politics are as different as their taste in beer. "I'm not for Obamacare, I'm not for his immigration policies, I don't particularly agree with 100% of his economic policies," Bengelsvorf said. For the record, he's a Bud Light guy -- and a Mitt Romney supporter. "We can't go further into debt, and Obama is putting us further and further into debt by all these stimulus plans." Flynn, a Miller Lite guy, supports President Barack Obama. If it weren't for the Obama-backed health care law, Flynn said his friend's unemployed son (a recent college graduate) wouldn't have health insurance coverage. CNN Poll: Health care ruling has not impacted race for White House, so far When it comes to the economy, Flynn admits it's taking too long to recover from the recession. But he said that "going back to the policies that got us into this mess is not the direction we want to go." Severstal supplies steel to the big three automakers -- Ford, General Motors and Chrysler -- so Flynn's and Bengelsvorf's jobs are tied to the auto industry.

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London (CNN) -- A Pakistani woman went on trial in London Monday, charged with keeping a woman from Tanzania as a slave. Saeeda Khan, 68, is accused of overseeing the visa and travel arrangements that brought Mwanahamisi Mruke, 45 from her home in Tanzania to London in October 2006. When Mruke arrived in London, prosecutor Caroline Haughey told the jury, she was expecting to work as Khan's housekeeper. In fact, the prosecution alleged, Khan treated her "as a possession, not a person." Mruke regularly worked 18-hour days, and would be summoned by the sound of a bell to attend to Khan. She was not allowed to leave the house, except to visit the supermarket or for medical appointments, and always accompanied by Khan, the prosecution said. In addition, the jury of nine women and three men was told, Khan kept Mruke's passport and would listen in on her phone calls back home. When Mruke's parents were dying, the jury heard, Khan forbade her to travel home, with the result that she did not get the chance to say goodbye to them before they died, nor did she get the opportunity to attend their funeral. The jury was shown pictures of what the prosecution said was a mattress and a single blanket, the bed on which Mruke was forced to sleep in the kitchen of Khan's three-bedroom house in Harrow, northwest London. The jury also heard that Khan had failed to honor an employment agreement relating to Mruke. That document - which, the prosecution said, Mruke had no recollection of signing - described two forms of payment to Mruke.

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Something caught my eyes when I was walking down the street. Two silver coins were shining in a melting snow bank, so I dug through the snow looking for more. Of course, I just ended up with really cold hands. I slipped the two coins into my pocket and went home, colder but richer. I began to think about how to spend the money... Two days later, Mary and her little sister were searching the snow banks. "Finders are keepers" was my first thought. I didn't want to hand them out even though Susy was already crying. " I dropped them right here," she said between tears. Her hands were cold and red for digging in the snow. Maybe they slid down the street with the melting snow. Let's dig over here." Mary's voice sounded confident. "They'll never know" was my second thought, and I walked past them. " Phil, have you seen two sliver coins?" asked Mary. Susy looked up from digging. _ . "Tell a lie" was my third thought. "As a matter of fact," I hesitated ,"I dug two coins out of that snow bank just a few days ago. I wondered who might have lost them." Susy hugged me with a big smile, "Oh, thank you, thank you."

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CHAPTER II DEW OF MORNING Outside, the Ingleside lawn was full of golden pools of sunshine and plots of alluring shadows. Rilla Blythe was swinging in the hammock under the big Scotch pine, Gertrude Oliver sat at its roots beside her, and Walter was stretched at full length on the grass, lost in a romance of chivalry wherein old heroes and beauties of dead and gone centuries lived vividly again for him. Rilla was the "baby" of the Blythe family and was in a chronic state of secret indignation because nobody believed she was grown up. She was so nearly fifteen that she called herself that, and she was quite as tall as Di and Nan; also, she was nearly as pretty as Susan believed her to be. She had great, dreamy, hazel eyes, a milky skin dappled with little golden freckles, and delicately arched eyebrows, giving her a demure, questioning look which made people, especially lads in their teens, want to answer it. Her hair was ripely, ruddily brown and a little dent in her upper lip looked as if some good fairy had pressed it in with her finger at Rilla's christening. Rilla, whose best friends could not deny her share of vanity, thought her face would do very well, but worried over her figure, and wished her mother could be prevailed upon to let her wear longer dresses. She, who had been so plump and roly-poly in the old Rainbow Valley days, was incredibly slim now, in the arms-and-legs period. Jem and Shirley harrowed her soul by calling her "Spider." Yet she somehow escaped awkwardness. There was something in her movements that made you think she never walked but always danced. She had been much petted and was a wee bit spoiled, but still the general opinion was that Rilla Blythe was a very sweet girl, even if she were not so clever as Nan and Di.

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CHAPTER II. THE PATH OF PHILANTHROPY Mrs. Cecil Grainger may safely have been called a Personality, and one of the proofs of this was that she haunted people who had never seen her. Honora might have looked at her, it is true, on the memorable night of the dinner with Mrs. Holt and Trixton Brent; but--for sufficiently obvious reasons--refrained. It would be an exaggeration to say that Mrs. Grainger became an obsession with our heroine; yet it cannot be denied that, since Honora's arrival at Quicksands, this lady had, in increasing degrees, been the subject of her speculations. The threads of Mrs. Grainger's influence were so ramified, indeed, as to be found in Mrs. Dallam, who declared she was the rudest woman in New York and yet had copied her brougham; in Mr. Cuthbert and Trixton Brent; in Mrs. Kame; in Mrs. Holt, who proclaimed her a tower of strength in charities; and lastly in Mr. Grainger himself, who, although he did not spend much time in his wife's company, had for her an admiration that amounted to awe. Elizabeth Grainger, who was at once modern and tenaciously conservative, might have been likened to some of the Roman matrons of the aristocracy in the last years of the Republic. Her family, the Pendletons, had traditions: so, for that matter, had the Graingers. But Senator Pendleton, antique homo virtute et fide, had been a Roman of the old school who would have preferred exile after the battle of Philippi; and who, could he have foreseen modern New York and modern finance, would have been more content to die when he did. He had lived in Washington Square. His daughter inherited his executive ability, many of his prejudices (as they would now be called), and his habit of regarding favourable impressions with profound suspicion. She had never known the necessity of making friends: hers she had inherited, and for some reason specially decreed, they were better than those of less fortunate people.

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CHAPTER XVI. THE PANNIER He was still pacing there when an hour or so before sunset--some fifteen hours after setting out--they stood before the entrance of a long bottle-necked cove under the shadow of the cliffs of Aquila Point on the southern coast of the Island of Formentera. He was rendered aware of this and roused from his abstraction by the voice of Asad calling to him from the poop and commanding him to make the cove. Already the wind was failing them, and it became necessary to take to the oars, as must in any case have happened once they were through the coves narrow neck in the becalmed lagoon beyond. So Sakr-el-Bahr, in his turn, lifted up his voice, and in answer to his shout came Vigitello and Larocque. A blast of Vigitello's whistle brought his own men to heel, and they passed rapidly along the benches ordering the rowers to make ready, whilst Jasper and a half-dozen Muslim sailors set about furling the sails that already were beginning to flap in the shifting and intermittent gusts of the expiring wind. Sakr-el-Bahr gave the word to row, and Vigitello blew a second and longer blast. The oars dipped, the slaves strained and the galeasse ploughed forward, time being kept by a boatswain's mate who squatted on the waist-deck and beat a tomtom rhythmically. Sakr-el-Bahr, standing on the poop-deck, shouted his orders to the steersmen in their niches on either side of the stern, and skilfully the vessel was manoeuvred through the narrow passage into the calm lagoon whose depths were crystal clear. Here before coming to rest, Sakr-el-Bahr followed the invariable corsair practice of going about, so as to be ready to leave his moorings and make for the open again at a moment's notice.

wikipedia

Saint Pierre and Miquelon, officially the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France, situated in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near the Newfoundland and Labrador province of Canada. It is the only part of New France that remains under French control, with an area of 242 km and a population of 6,080 at the January 2011 census. The islands are situated at the entrance of Fortune Bay, which extends into the southwestern coast of Newfoundland, near the Grand Banks. They are from Brest, the nearest point in Metropolitan France, but only from the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland. Saint-Pierre is French for Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. The present name of Miquelon was first noted in the form of "Micquelle" in the Basque sailor Martin de Hoyarçabal's navigational pilot for Newfoundland. It has been claimed that the name "Miquelon" is a Basque form of Michael; Mikel and Mikels are usually named Mikelon in the Basque Country. Therefore, from Mikelon it may have been written in the French way with a "q" instead of a "k". Though the Basque Country is divided between Spain and France, most Basques live on the south side of the border and speak Spanish, and Miquelon may have been influenced by the Spanish name Miguelón, an augmentative form of Miguel meaning "big Michael". The adjoined island's name of "Langlade" is said to be an adaptation of "l'île à l'Anglais" (Englishman's Island).

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Sydney is a young city. Its history goes back just over 200 years. But in Australia, it is the oldest city. It is also the country' s largest city. Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and the most popular city of Australia. The climate of Sydney is very good. It' s not too cold during the winter and not too hot during the summer. The sky is blue, the air is fresh, and birds sing in the garden. People who live in Sydney seem to have an easy life style. They will tell you, "Don't worry. " Many people think that Sydney is one of the most attractive cities in the world. It has many tall and modern buildings. Among them, Center point Tower is the tallest. Standing on the 305-metre(80 storeys)tower, you will have a great view of the city. Sydney is famous for its deep harbor . The harbor has many bays and beautiful surf beaches. Among them, Bondi beach is the most popular. Sydney Harbor is not only beautiful, it also serves as a large port. Ships carry wool, wheat and meat from Sydney to other countries. People living in Sydney like to call themselves Sydneysiders. They are mostly friendly and easygoing. When they are not working, they love to have a good time at the beach, swimming and sailing.

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Sam's granddad was going to take Sam and his two brothers, James and Evan on vacation. They could choose to go to the lake or the beach. If they chose the lake, they would get to go on their granddad's boat. If they chose the beach, there would be sand to dig in. All three boys began to clap and cheer for the beach! The boys left their house in their granddad's van to drive to the beach. They drove by their school on the way. The boys were glad to be out for the summer. On the road, the boys played a game. Whoever counted the most big trucks would be the winner. James counted one hundred and five trucks. This was more than Sam or Evan counted. Evan pointed out the window at a man dressed all in black riding a black motorcycle. The man had a long beard. When they got to the beach, their granddad told them to put on sunscreen so they would not get sun burned. The boys grabbed their pails and shovels and ran down on to the sand near the water. Their granddad brought a chair to sit on and a large umbrella to give him shade. He also brought some noodles for the boys to float on if they went into the water. Sam found a piece of wood washed up on the beach. He used it make a bridge over large hole that the boys had dug.

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CHAPTER VI THE VANISHING LADY At precisely half-past nine on the following evening Duncombe alighted from his _petite voiture_ in the courtyard of the Grand Hotel, and making his way into the office engaged a room. And then he asked the question which a hundred times on the way over he had imagined himself asking. A man to whom nervousness in any shape was almost unknown, he found himself only able to control his voice and manner with the greatest difficulty. In a few moments he might see her. "You have a young English lady--Miss Poynton--staying here, I believe," he said. "Can you tell me if she is in now?" The clerk looked at him with sudden interest. "Miss Poynton is staying here, sir," he said. "I do not believe that she is in just now. Will you wait one moment?" He disappeared rapidly, and was absent for several minutes. When he returned he came out into the reception hall. "The manager would be much obliged if you would step into his office for a moment, sir," he said confidentially. "Will you come this way?" Duncombe followed him into a small room behind the counter. A gray-haired man rose from his desk and saluted him courteously. "Sir George Duncombe, I believe," he said. "Will you kindly take a seat?" Duncombe did as he was asked. All the time he felt that the manager was scrutinizing him curiously. "Your clerk," he said, "told me that you wished to speak to me." "Exactly!" the manager answered. "You inquired when you came in for Miss Poynton. May I ask--are you a friend of hers?"

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Children who spend more time reading with their parents have a greater chance of becoming better readers than those who don't. With help from their parents, children can learn techniques to improve their reading skills. "A lot of parents think after their child learns to read, they should stop reading to them," Donna George said. "They are sadly mistaken." George offers her services to parents at the Title I Learning Centers. She said reading aloud to children may be the most valuable thing parents can do. "It is better for children to hear things at a higher level than where they are," George said. "Parents are their child's first teacher." Parents help their children build listening, phonics , comprehension and vocabulary skills when they read aloud to them. Before parents can identify reading problems, they should escape the enemy----television and limit the time their children spend watching television. George suggested not allowing kids to have a TV in their bedrooms, setting a schedule of when kids can watch or keeping a list of how many programs children watch. Louise Joiners said while her 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son enjoy reading, the television sometimes becomes a _ . So she tries to build the situation by suggesting books the entire family will enjoy reading together, like the Harry Potter series. Parents who do not read themselves should not depend on their children being enthusiastic about it. If parents would read to their children at least 15 minutes every day, children would not have so many problems in school. It is the parents' job to help build that desire in their children, and of course to know what kind of books to read is also important.

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On June 26, 2000, two scientists, called Francis Collins and Craig Venter, told the world that they could read the whole "map" of the human body: DNA. DNA is something that everybody has, and it tells the body what to do. DNA is the reason that we look like our mother and father, because we get some of their DNA to make our own. People have been trying to understand the human body for a long time. In 1860, Gregor Mendel discovered a special reason why we look the same as other people in our family. It is because of small things named "genes" in our body. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick made another discovery and found out that those small parts are real messages written in the DNA with a special language. In 1961, Marshall Nirenberg and Johann Matthaci found a message in DNA showing how DNA tells the cell to build its parts. Scientists have now found all the words in the DNA map, but we still do not understand what they all do. By understanding what just one "word" means, we can help save more people from several illnesses. Most people hope that this will help make better medicine and help sick people. Other people worry that when people begin to know more words and find out lots of other information, we might use it in a wrong way, just to make people more attractive, or stop sick people from getting jobs. Man would have to meet a lot of trouble if DNA technic wasn't limited in use.

cnn

Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- At a prize ceremony honoring peace, Adán Cortés says violence and injustice sent him rushing toward the stage. In a matter of seconds, the 21-year-old Mexican student's face was seen around the world last week as he stood in front of Malala Yousafzai at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. "Please Malala, Mexico," he repeated as he unfurled a Mexican flag on the stage at Oslo's City Hall, where the 17-year-old laureate was about to become the youngest person ever to receive the prestigious award. Oslo police have come under fire over the incident, with critics asking how someone who wasn't on the ceremony's guest list managed to slip through security checkpoints and make it to the front of the room, standing just steps away from Yousafzai and other dignitaries before security hauled him out of the auditorium. Speaking to CNN at an Oslo detention center on Sunday, Cortés said he knows it was a drastic move. But he felt like he had no choice and wanted only a few seconds to speak about Mexico's problems on a global stage. "My motivation was to show solidarity with all the things that have happened in my country, ultimately, well, the 43 missing students, who are suspected to be dead and burned, that was my main motivation," he said. "I am tired of so many injustices that we have lived in Mexico, for decades." The students' case has sparked national outrage in Mexico and drawn global attention to the country's continued struggles to deal with police corruption and drug-related violence.

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One hot summer day in August my family and I wanted to go to the beach. We had not gone to the beach in a very long time and felt that today was a great day to do it. We piled everyone into the car-my mom, my dad, my sister, my dog, and me. I begged mom and dad to let me sit in the front seat, but they said no. I had to sit next to the smelly dog instead for the whole trip. When we got to the beach and opened the car door our dog raced down to the water to play. I grabbed the large umbrella we brought and walked down to the sand with mom and dad. After we had found a spot, they let me go play in the water. It felt really good to cool off in the ocean water on such a hot day. As I swam around I saw many cool things, like fish, seaweed, and shells. I brought the interesting shells that I found to a bucket I had on the beach and threw them in. They would be great to add to my collection at home. When I got tired of swimming, my sister and I wanted to make a sand castle. We built towers using buckets and dug a huge ditch with our shovels. When our castle was complete we were about to take a picture, but then the dog ran it over and smashed it. I was about to yell at the dog, but then mom said it was getting late and we had to go home. When we got home I was wiped out from playing all day, so I went to sleep almost immediately. It was a very good day that I'll always remember.