TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you're given a question, along with three passages, 1, 2, and 3. Your job is to determine which passage can be used to answer the question by searching for further information using terms from the passage. Indicate your choice as 1, 2, or 3.
PROBLEM: Question: When was the critic who coined the term "rockumentaries" born? Passage 1:Payton's big break came when she was cast as Harriet Winslow, the elevator operator on the ABC sitcom 'Perfect Strangers in 1987. Her performance was so well received by audiences that she was given her own sitcom, Family Matters, in 1989. Continuing her character Harriette Winslow from Perfect Strangers, she played a mother in an African-American middle-class family living in Chicago, Illinois. Payton left Family Matters partway through its final season, appearing for the last time on December 19, 1997. Payton's character was played by Judyann Elder in the show's remaining eight episodes. In 2002, Payton appeared on the "TV Moms" episode of the Anne Robinson version of The Weakest Link, and was the third one voted off. In 2003, Payton and her daughter appeared on a Mother's Day episode of Lingo, playing against fellow TV mom Meredith Baxter and her daughter. Baxter and her daughter won. In 2005, Jo Marie Payton provided the voice of Suga Mama in The Proud Family Movie. Her other television credits include Desperate Housewives, Reba, Girlfriends, Wanda at Large, Judging Amy, The Parkers, Will & Grace, The Hughleys, 7th Heaven, Moesha, The Jamie Foxx Show, 227, Silver Spoons, Small Wonder and The New Odd Couple. She also appeared in the Canadian TV mini series The Rev as Mama. In 2005, Payton co-hosted the 15th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards with Glynn Turman. In August 2009, Payton appeared on Meet the Browns as Shirley Van Owen. Payton recently hosted her own show on the Hometeam Network, Second Chance with Jomarie Payton. In 2012, Payton was in the GMC TV movie special From This Day Forward.
 Passage 2:In 1543, Europeans reached Japan for the first time when a junk belonging to the Chinese wokou pirate lord Wang Zhi carrying Portuguese traders shipwrecked on Tanegashima. The Portuguese introduced the arquebus to the Japanese during this chance encounter, which gave the Japanese, undergoing the bloody Sengoku period at the time, a powerful weapon with which they conducted their internecine wars. The discovery of Japan was attractive to Portuguese merchants and missionaries alike, for it gave the merchants a new market to trade their goods, and the Jesuit missionaries eyed Japan for new converts into Christianity. The warlords of Kyushu vied to get the Portuguese carrack (called the black ship by the Japanese) into their harbours, since the ship also brought considerable wealth to their fiefdoms in addition to the guns.
 Passage 3:Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that "the musical scenes are the best rock coverage since 'Woodstock.' The sound is first rate, for one thing, and director Pierre Adidge has some idea of why Cocker electrifies a crowd." Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film a "most satisfying, record-album of a movie" which "patronizes neither its audience nor its stars ... It is uncluttered, one of the best concert films so far." A review in Variety said, "Considerable technical expertise has gone into this production, and though the objective may be clear, it just hasn't turned out to be another 'Woodstock,' possibly because Joe Cocker's personality isn't all that endearing." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune rated the film three stars out of four and wrote, "'Mad Dogs' is distinguishable from other 'rockumentaries' because it deals almost exclusively with the musician and his music. There are few side trips to cultural comments." Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times stated, "As a film, 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' is a good concert. For much of the picture's 114 minutes, the camera is on Joe Cocker, by most standards the best and most exciting singer in rock music ... But 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen,' unfortunately, fails in the end to rise above this interesting, but clearly limited historical summary of the Cocker tour. As a film, it doesn't establish its own importance." A negative review by Tom Zito of The Washington Post advised readers to "Forget the film and try the record," explaining, "What emerges from all this is roughly two hours of footage that looks terrible on the screen and sounds almost as bad. The film is projected in an annoying square format, except for the moments when the screen area is broken up into some poorly coordinated split-screen effects. The camerawork is often sloppy ... the whole thing winds up looking and sounding like a cheap, imitation (indoor) 'Woodstock.'" James D. White of The Monthly Film Bulletin declared that "The music itself is excellent," but "The film's information content is minimal; and one's heart sinks as the screen is split into a double image for the first number and as the mandatory shots—of excited fans, of joint-rolling in a hotel bedroom, of an interview with a vacuous groupie—are inevitably wheeled out."


SOLUTION: 3

PROBLEM: Question: What year was Allmusic established? Passage 1:Jonathan Widran of AllMusic said "It's too early in her career to know whether this powerhouse singer/songwriter will ever reach the heights of Contemporary Christian Music's other Grant, but a bevy of top producers come on board this sparkling debut to launch Natalie Grant towards this goal. All of these studio wizards (Eric Foster White, Tommy Sims, and Michael Lloyd) are better-known for their secular pop music, and the variety of atmospheres they create poise Grant for crossover pop success. It also helps that the lyrics Grant sings are designed as inspirational, rather than preachy. Torchy tracks like 'I Am Not Alone' and rock-driven anthems like 'I Will Be' could definitely lead both teenagers looking for substance, and adult contemporary audiences, to a deeper examination of important spiritual issues. Grant's wide-ranging pipes (yes, think potential diva) would surely sound great without all the production energy, but nearly every up-tempo tune here is an irresistible mix of pop/rock and modern soul flavors. The title track is all thump and hook, and some of the vocal texturing will remind fans of Point of Grace. Another POG-like tune, 'Days Like These', is driven by jangly alternative pop guitars. A few tracks touch on simple exotica, most notably "Love Without Limits" with its swirling flamenco strings. Amidst the playful spirit is Grant's most heartfelt tune, a lush and teary, almost breathless tribute to her father, 'Always Be Your Baby' This tune alone indicates that we're dealing with a major new talent whose deeper life extends from the spiritual into the musical." Christianity Todays Russ Breimeier stated "In a relatively short time Natalie Grant has earned a reputation for three things rather unique to her five-year career. First, she's released every album on a different record label. Both Benson and Pamplin have since closed their doors—'the curse' will likely end with Curb, which is relatively secure under the wings of Warner Brothers' Christian Music Division. Second, the Seattle-born artist is well-known for her protestations about being labeled a 'pop diva'. There is typically a negative connotation to the 'd'-word that flies in the face of Natalie's humble servant attitude and her desire to focus her music on the goodness of God. Unfortunately for her, the diva label is an apt description of her musical styling, which leads into the third unique trait. Despite her diminutive size, Natalie has an impressively big voice with enough nuance to hold her own among any of the classic pop divas (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, take your pick), earning her multiple Dove nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year. Undeterred by collapsing record labels and pop music stereotypes, Natalie admirably presses on with Deeper Life, her third effort, by stretching her own artistic skills. Her previous album, Stronger (released in 2001), featured her first attempts at songwriting by co-writing a handful of tracks. On Deeper Life, she co-writes nearly every song. Additionally, Natalie steps up as co-producer of this album, joining a slew of A-list pop producers and songwriters: Tommy Simms (CeCe Winans, Anointed), Eric Foster White (Jessica Simpson, Whitney Houston), Bryan Lenox (Michael W. Smith, Ronnie Freeman), Bernie Herms (Plus One), and Rob Graves (songwriter and guitarist on Joy Williams's By Surprise). The approach on this project was to create an album that relied less on programmed pop and more on live musicians, and the results are indeed stunning. I daresay this is Natalie's best-sounding album yet. But we must keep it in perspective. This is still R&B-flavored; adult contemporary pop a la Mariah Carey, Jaci Velasquez, Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, and many others. It is most certainly not (as suggested by the press bio) the classic rock sound of Sheryl Crow or the modern pop/rock of Avril Lavigne. Christian adult contemporary and inspirational pop speaks for itself—some find it meaningful and poignant, while others find it clichéd and boring. In that spirit, the songs of Deeper Life are best explored for what they are—you'll know by the titles, lyrics, and styles if this music matches or offends your tastes. Nevertheless, there's no getting around Natalie's vocal prowess or the superior production, which means you're bound to be impressed with Deeper Life if you enjoy first-rate pop." Heather Marsden of Cross Rhythms claimed "This is Natalie Grant's third album and is positive proof that her new home at Curb Records is working well for her. The album opens with the upbeat title track 'Deeper Life', a poppy feel good song that's easy to pick up and sing along. 'Days Like These' and 'I Will Be' are in a similar style without being repetitions of the first song. The songs 'That's When I Give Up (On Loving You)', 'Live for Today' and 'I Desire' have a more acoustic rock kind of sound—similar to that of Michelle Branch. The bonus track 'No Sign of It' has been featured in the new Gwyneth Paltrow film View from the Top. Deeper Life contains some of Grant's best work, it's a great record with a good message, sure to please her growing number of fans and draw in some new ones." JesusFreakHideout's Shaun Stevenson remarked "Things haven't always been easy for Natalie Grant. After changing record companies twice, Grant has finally found a home with Curb Records. And now, with the release of Deeper Life, Grant is sure headed in the right direction with a solid third album. Albums are always opening with something upbeat these days, and Deeper Life opens things off in the right direction. With plenty of signature Grant sounds, the song really reflects what this album is all about: seeking the deeper life in Jesus Christ. Natalie Grant sure has something going for her. With this newest album, containing some of her strongest work to date, she's really outdone herself. A solid record, a solid message, and a solid musical base, Deeper Life is sure to please fans of Grant's previous work, and it's also sure to bring in new listeners. Trouble has come to Natalie Grant in the past, but now, there's no sign of it, and her skies are definitely clear today."
 Passage 2:In 2000, they released the self-titled demo, Transistor Revolt. Tintari left the band in the fall of that year before the recording of their full-length album. He was later replaced by Brandon Barnes of "Pinhead Circus". The band then signed with independent record label Fat Wreck Chords in 2001. They then released their debut album The Unraveling and spent the rest of the year touring. In 2002, Mr. Precision left and was replaced by Todd Mohney. The band returned to the studio in December 2002 to work on their second full-length album, Revolutions per Minute in 2003 and toured for the 2003 Warped Tour, which gained the band some success. Rise Against then signed to Dreamworks Records in late 2003 to begin the recording of their third record, but Dreamworks was shortly absorbed by the Universal Music Group, and Rise Against found itself with Major label Geffen Records. Todd Mohney, the band's guitarist at the time, left and was replaced by Chris Chasse and began the recording of their new album Siren Song of the Counter Culture. Siren Song of the Counter Culture was released on August 10, 2004 peaking at number 136 on the Billboard 200 album charts, gaining the band major critical and commercial success with the singles "Give It All, "Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening".
 Passage 3:On June 28, 2007, Fernández was taken 24th overall in the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, who subsequently traded his draft rights along with James Jones to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash. Rudy Fernández announced at a press conference on Friday, June 6, 2008, that he would leave DKV Joventut to join the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2008–09 NBA season, and he signed a contract with the Blazers on July 1. "They [Portland] have shown a lot of interest in getting me and have assured me that I will be an important part in the team", he said. Fernández joined the NBA team on September 22, 2008. He became the eighth Spaniard to play in the NBA. For the 2008–09 NBA season he joined several other fellow Spaniards in the league that included Pau and Marc Gasol, Jose Calderón, and Trail Blazers teammate Sergio Rodríguez. He entered the NBA following his participation with the Spain national team at the 2008 Olympic basketball tournament in Beijing, China.


SOLUTION: 1

PROBLEM: Question: Which of the opera companies that Albers sang for was established earliest?  Passage 1:The epsilon axe is a type of battle axe named for its similarity to the Greek letter epsilon (ϵ). The epsilon axe was widely used throughout the Middle East, its usage spread from there and grew in popularity to be used in eastern Europe and Russia as well as the Nordic countries. The axe is also depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics with the warrior carrying both the epsilon axe and a shield thus leaving some to believe that this weapon was used also as a one handed weapon. Bronze examples of the Assyrian design are kept in the British Museum. Some historians have called the epsilon axe the "poor man's" kopesh, it is possible that the epsilon axe would be assigned to less valuable or "irregular" infantry while main forces would be equipped with the kopesh.
 Passage 2:After Antwerp, Albers was engaged as Principal Baritone at the Opéra de Bordeaux and went on to sing at the Royal Opera House in London and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. He was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in 1898 and sang with the company both on tour and in New York City. He made his company debut on 8 November 1898 as Mercutio in the Met's touring performance of Roméo et Juliette in Chicago. He remained with the company through 1899, appearing 36 times in eight different operas and tackling his first Wagnerian role, Wolfram in Tannhäuser. On his return to Europe he sang regularly at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels from 1901 to 1906 and added several more Wagnerian roles to his repertoire: Telramund in Lohengrin; Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Wotan in Das Rheingold, Siegfried, and Die Walküre; and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde. A highly versatile singer, he also appeared in the title roles of La Monnaie's productions of Hamlet, Rigoletto, Hérodiade, and Le roi Arthus, as well as singing Count di Luna in Il trovatore, Iago in Otello, and Baron Scarpia in Tosca.
 Passage 3:In 2010, Sims collaborated on the Lecrae album Rehab, featuring on the song "High", also featuring Sho Baraka, and co-wrote and provided backing vocals to the song "Killa." That same year, she designed the cover to Deitrick Haddon's soundtrack album Blessed & Cursed - Voices of Unity, which included her song "So What". Sims also provided art direction for Juanita Bynum's album More Passion and creative design for Thankful by Myron Williams. In 2011, Sims wrote for and contributed vocals to Blacklight by Tedashii and The Good Life (2012) by Trip Lee, and featured on the song "Fantasy" from the latter album. She also featured on the single "Hello" from KB's forthcoming album Weight & Glory (2012), an album to which she also contributed some song-writing. She also featured on two songs by Pro, "Get In" from PSA Vol. 2 and "Drink from His Cup" from Dying to Live, the song "Survivor" by Da' T.R.U.T.H. from his album The Whole Truth, the "Battle Song" by Lecrae from his album , and Canon's song "Poppin' Off" from the album Blind World. Additionally, that year Sims co-founded the hip hop group High Society, along with Sho Baraka, J.R., and Swoope. The group released its first single, "One Moment", on June 20, and a second single, "Devil", on October 31, 2011.


SOLUTION:
2