Question: What named was given to the crossing by the Federal Railroad Administration?

Through the decades, Mr. Ingrasselino would respond as a police officer and chief to a number of tragedies at the crossing, where Midland Avenue intersects with New Jersey Transit tracks at a sharp angle through his Bergen County town. “It’s not even an accident waiting to happen,” said Mr. Ingrasselino, who retired in 2012. “It’s an accident that’s been happening, over and over. It’s ridiculous.” The grade crossing is, as it turns out, among the most dangerous in the country, according to a little-known metric devised by the Federal Railroad Administration called the “accident prediction value.” The measure takes into account certain physical characteristics of crossings and recent accidents.

Answer: “accident prediction value.”

Through the decades, Mr. Ingrasselino would respond as a police officer and chief to a number of tragedies at the crossing, where Midland Avenue intersects with New Jersey Transit tracks at a sharp angle through his Bergen County town. “It’s not even an accident waiting to happen,” said Mr. Ingrasselino, who retired in 2012. “It’s an accident that’s been happening, over and over. It’s ridiculous.” <hl> The grade crossing is, as it turns out, among the most dangerous in the country, according to a little-known metric devised by the Federal Railroad Administration called the “accident prediction value.” The measure takes into account certain physical characteristics of crossings and recent accidents. <hl>

Through the decades, Mr. Ingrasselino would respond as a police officer and chief to a number of tragedies at the crossing, where Midland Avenue intersects with New Jersey Transit tracks at a sharp angle through his Bergen County town. “It’s not even an accident waiting to happen,” said Mr. Ingrasselino, who retired in 2012. “It’s an accident that’s been happening, over and over. It’s ridiculous.” The grade crossing is, as it turns out, among the most dangerous in the country, according to a little-known metric devised by the Federal Railroad Administration called the <hl> “accident prediction value.” <hl> The measure takes into account certain physical characteristics of crossings and recent accidents.


Question: what had the biggest price jump?

What You’ll Pay In the third quarter of 2015, the median sales price of a condo in Clinton Hill was $849,000, an increase of 28 percent from the same period last year, according to Gregory J. Heym, the chief economist at Terra Holdings, who said the small size of the market can cause data fluctuations. For co-ops, the median was $542,000, an increase of 13 percent. The biggest price jump was in townhouse sales, according to Mr. Heym, with the median price in the third quarter of 2015 at $2.67 million, an increase of 59 percent over the same period last year.

Answer: townhouse sales

What You’ll Pay In the third quarter of 2015, the median sales price of a condo in Clinton Hill was $849,000, an increase of 28 percent from the same period last year, according to Gregory J. Heym, the chief economist at Terra Holdings, who said the small size of the market can cause data fluctuations. For co-ops, the median was $542,000, an increase of 13 percent. <hl> The biggest price jump was in townhouse sales , according to Mr. Heym, with the median price in the third quarter of 2015 at $2.67 million, an increase of 59 percent over the same period last year. <hl>

What You’ll Pay In the third quarter of 2015, the median sales price of a condo in Clinton Hill was $849,000, an increase of 28 percent from the same period last year, according to Gregory J. Heym, the chief economist at Terra Holdings, who said the small size of the market can cause data fluctuations. For co-ops, the median was $542,000, an increase of 13 percent. The biggest price jump was in <hl> townhouse sales <hl>, according to Mr. Heym, with the median price in the third quarter of 2015 at $2.67 million, an increase of 59 percent over the same period last year.

The biggest price jump was in <hl> townhouse sales <hl> , according to Mr. Heym, with the median price in the third quarter of 2015 at $2.67 million, an increase of 59 percent over the same period last year.


Question: What evidence did the doctors have to support their belief that Mr. Shin was subjected to torture and child labor?

Mr. Shin has been examined by doctors who believe he was subjected to torture and child labor, given the evidence of his scars and unnaturally bowed arms. We shouldn’t lose sight of that when discussing his lies. It’s easy to see how Mr. Shin was tempted to obscure the truth. For defectors, sometimes doing so is the only way to survive. My own story starts with my escape in 1997, when I was 17. I did not crawl through a tunnel or over an electrified-wire fence, nor was I spirited in disguise across the demilitarized zone. I lived near the border with China, and one night I simply left home and walked across the iced-over river that separated the two countries. I was fortunate that my family had close relationships with some of the border guards, so I was able to cross without incident. At the time, I thought I would return home after a brief visit. I stayed in hiding for a while, learning Chinese. Eventually my Chinese became so fluent that I could pass for a local. Still, I was terrified of being captured or betrayed, so I created a false identity. Staying in China provided me with the opportunity to adjust to life outside of North Korea, and to gain a sense of perspective, most importantly, by learning that so much of what I had been taught about my country was a lie. In the early days, I considered going to South Korea, but I had internalized everything I had been told my whole life: South Korea was the enemy. I believed going there would be a betrayal of my country — and that my family might be punished as a result. Ultimately, I learned that I could go to South Korea by giving up my real identity, which would ensure my family back home would be safe. Once I got there, I faced the same challenges as the 27,000 other defectors who have now made it to the South. They struggle from a lack of education and job skills, discrimination, loneliness and emotional turmoil. Many drop out of school. Suicide rates are unusually high. Many defectors who fail to acclimatize even return to the North. We have no way of knowing how many have returned — and it’s unclear what eventually happens to them — but Pyongyang has started using these “double defectors” for its propaganda.

Answer: his scars and unnaturally bowed arms

<hl> Mr. Shin has been examined by doctors who believe he was subjected to torture and child labor, given the evidence of his scars and unnaturally bowed arms . <hl> We shouldn’t lose sight of that when discussing his lies. It’s easy to see how Mr. Shin was tempted to obscure the truth. For defectors, sometimes doing so is the only way to survive. My own story starts with my escape in 1997, when I was 17. I did not crawl through a tunnel or over an electrified-wire fence, nor was I spirited in disguise across the demilitarized zone. I lived near the border with China, and one night I simply left home and walked across the iced-over river that separated the two countries. I was fortunate that my family had close relationships with some of the border guards, so I was able to cross without incident. At the time, I thought I would return home after a brief visit. I stayed in hiding for a while, learning Chinese. Eventually my Chinese became so fluent that I could pass for a local. Still, I was terrified of being captured or betrayed, so I created a false identity. Staying in China provided me with the opportunity to adjust to life outside of North Korea, and to gain a sense of perspective, most importantly, by learning that so much of what I had been taught about my country was a lie. In the early days, I considered going to South Korea, but I had internalized everything I had been told my whole life: South Korea was the enemy. I believed going there would be a betrayal of my country — and that my family might be punished as a result. Ultimately, I learned that I could go to South Korea by giving up my real identity, which would ensure my family back home would be safe. Once I got there, I faced the same challenges as the 27,000 other defectors who have now made it to the South. They struggle from a lack of education and job skills, discrimination, loneliness and emotional turmoil. Many drop out of school. Suicide rates are unusually high. Many defectors who fail to acclimatize even return to the North. We have no way of knowing how many have returned — and it’s unclear what eventually happens to them — but Pyongyang has started using these “double defectors” for its propaganda.

Mr. Shin has been examined by doctors who believe he was subjected to torture and child labor, given the evidence of <hl> his scars and unnaturally bowed arms <hl>. We shouldn’t lose sight of that when discussing his lies. It’s easy to see how Mr. Shin was tempted to obscure the truth. For defectors, sometimes doing so is the only way to survive. My own story starts with my escape in 1997, when I was 17. I did not crawl through a tunnel or over an electrified-wire fence, nor was I spirited in disguise across the demilitarized zone. I lived near the border with China, and one night I simply left home and walked across the iced-over river that separated the two countries. I was fortunate that my family had close relationships with some of the border guards, so I was able to cross without incident. At the time, I thought I would return home after a brief visit. I stayed in hiding for a while, learning Chinese. Eventually my Chinese became so fluent that I could pass for a local. Still, I was terrified of being captured or betrayed, so I created a false identity. Staying in China provided me with the opportunity to adjust to life outside of North Korea, and to gain a sense of perspective, most importantly, by learning that so much of what I had been taught about my country was a lie. In the early days, I considered going to South Korea, but I had internalized everything I had been told my whole life: South Korea was the enemy. I believed going there would be a betrayal of my country — and that my family might be punished as a result. Ultimately, I learned that I could go to South Korea by giving up my real identity, which would ensure my family back home would be safe. Once I got there, I faced the same challenges as the 27,000 other defectors who have now made it to the South. They struggle from a lack of education and job skills, discrimination, loneliness and emotional turmoil. Many drop out of school. Suicide rates are unusually high. Many defectors who fail to acclimatize even return to the North. We have no way of knowing how many have returned — and it’s unclear what eventually happens to them — but Pyongyang has started using these “double defectors” for its propaganda.

Mr. Shin has been examined by doctors who believe he was subjected to torture and child labor, given the evidence of <hl> his scars and unnaturally bowed arms <hl> .


Question: What do these products allow borrowers to do?

These products allow borrowers to close on a short-term construction loan, which covers the building phase, and the longer-term permanent financing in one transaction. This all-in-one option is more convenient and less expensive than separate closings. But it is still unclear how lenders are supposed to handle the disclosure for these loans under the new regulations, as well as for stand-alone construction loans, according to Mr. Weinberg. “And whenever there are gray areas, lenders move away from the margins to make sure they don’t cause compliance violations,” Mr. Weinberg said. Lender nervousness might ease in coming months, however. After pressure from industry leaders, who warned that lenders weren’t ready for the massive change and that consumers might suffer, the bureau announced plans to postpone the implementation date to Oct. 1 from Aug. 1. The bureau’s director, Richard Cordray, also said that once the rules go into effect, he would allow for a good-faith enforcement grace period as lenders adjust. The new rules are intended to make the mortgage process more transparent for consumers, mainly by providing them with simpler forms and giving them more time to review final loan terms before closing. The nearly 1,900-page rules integrate the Truth in Lending and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Acts.

Answer: close on a short-term construction loan

<hl> These products allow borrowers to close on a short-term construction loan , which covers the building phase, and the longer-term permanent financing in one transaction. <hl> This all-in-one option is more convenient and less expensive than separate closings. But it is still unclear how lenders are supposed to handle the disclosure for these loans under the new regulations, as well as for stand-alone construction loans, according to Mr. Weinberg. “And whenever there are gray areas, lenders move away from the margins to make sure they don’t cause compliance violations,” Mr. Weinberg said. Lender nervousness might ease in coming months, however. After pressure from industry leaders, who warned that lenders weren’t ready for the massive change and that consumers might suffer, the bureau announced plans to postpone the implementation date to Oct. 1 from Aug. 1. The bureau’s director, Richard Cordray, also said that once the rules go into effect, he would allow for a good-faith enforcement grace period as lenders adjust. The new rules are intended to make the mortgage process more transparent for consumers, mainly by providing them with simpler forms and giving them more time to review final loan terms before closing. The nearly 1,900-page rules integrate the Truth in Lending and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Acts.

These products allow borrowers to <hl> close on a short-term construction loan <hl>, which covers the building phase, and the longer-term permanent financing in one transaction. This all-in-one option is more convenient and less expensive than separate closings. But it is still unclear how lenders are supposed to handle the disclosure for these loans under the new regulations, as well as for stand-alone construction loans, according to Mr. Weinberg. “And whenever there are gray areas, lenders move away from the margins to make sure they don’t cause compliance violations,” Mr. Weinberg said. Lender nervousness might ease in coming months, however. After pressure from industry leaders, who warned that lenders weren’t ready for the massive change and that consumers might suffer, the bureau announced plans to postpone the implementation date to Oct. 1 from Aug. 1. The bureau’s director, Richard Cordray, also said that once the rules go into effect, he would allow for a good-faith enforcement grace period as lenders adjust. The new rules are intended to make the mortgage process more transparent for consumers, mainly by providing them with simpler forms and giving them more time to review final loan terms before closing. The nearly 1,900-page rules integrate the Truth in Lending and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Acts.

These products allow borrowers to <hl> close on a short-term construction loan <hl> , which covers the building phase, and the longer-term permanent financing in one transaction.


Question: What separated Mr. Kohlberg and his protégés?

Yet Mr. Kohlberg and his protégés grew apart, separated by philosophies over corporate strategy and lifestyle. Where Mr. Kravis and Mr. Roberts were willing to pursue large-scale, hostile takeovers, Mr. Kohlberg instead chose to focus on smaller deals, always on friendly terms. By the time Mr. Kohlberg retired from the sector altogether in 1994, the leveraged-buyout business — since renamed “private equity” — was on its path to becoming immense, eventually making billionaires of Mr. Kravis and Mr. Roberts, as well as rivals like Stephen A. Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group and David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group. Mr. Kohlberg maintained a less ostentatious life, shunning the high-roller social soirees for tennis, reading and later yoga.

Answer: corporate strategy and lifestyle

<hl> Yet Mr. Kohlberg and his protégés grew apart, separated by philosophies over corporate strategy and lifestyle . <hl> Where Mr. Kravis and Mr. Roberts were willing to pursue large-scale, hostile takeovers, Mr. Kohlberg instead chose to focus on smaller deals, always on friendly terms. By the time Mr. Kohlberg retired from the sector altogether in 1994, the leveraged-buyout business — since renamed “private equity” — was on its path to becoming immense, eventually making billionaires of Mr. Kravis and Mr. Roberts, as well as rivals like Stephen A. Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group and David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group. Mr. Kohlberg maintained a less ostentatious life, shunning the high-roller social soirees for tennis, reading and later yoga.

Yet Mr. Kohlberg and his protégés grew apart, separated by philosophies over <hl> corporate strategy and lifestyle <hl>. Where Mr. Kravis and Mr. Roberts were willing to pursue large-scale, hostile takeovers, Mr. Kohlberg instead chose to focus on smaller deals, always on friendly terms. By the time Mr. Kohlberg retired from the sector altogether in 1994, the leveraged-buyout business — since renamed “private equity” — was on its path to becoming immense, eventually making billionaires of Mr. Kravis and Mr. Roberts, as well as rivals like Stephen A. Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group and David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group. Mr. Kohlberg maintained a less ostentatious life, shunning the high-roller social soirees for tennis, reading and later yoga.

Yet Mr. Kohlberg and his protégés grew apart, separated by philosophies over <hl> corporate strategy and lifestyle <hl> .


Question: What years did the Yankees win the world series 4 times in a row?

But some telling evidence points to trouble for the Yankees and a boon for the Mets, suggesting that New York might be turning into a Mets town for the first time since their championship season of 1986. “It certainly feels like something’s happening,” said Greg Prince, a blogger for the website Faith and Fear in Flushing. “Winning certainly can change the equation, especially winning that hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s not that the other team in New York isn’t winning, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of spark to it, while what’s happening to the Mets feels fresh and novel.” It is not just a feeling. By the measures of attendance and television viewership, the Mets are surging while their crosstown rivals are sliding a bit. It is an improbable reversal of fortune, given that the Yankees have dominated the market so clearly since they won four World Series from 1996 to 2000, capped by a triumph over the Mets in the so-called Subway Series.

Answer: 1996 to 2000

But some telling evidence points to trouble for the Yankees and a boon for the Mets, suggesting that New York might be turning into a Mets town for the first time since their championship season of 1986. “It certainly feels like something’s happening,” said Greg Prince, a blogger for the website Faith and Fear in Flushing. “Winning certainly can change the equation, especially winning that hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s not that the other team in New York isn’t winning, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of spark to it, while what’s happening to the Mets feels fresh and novel.” It is not just a feeling. By the measures of attendance and television viewership, the Mets are surging while their crosstown rivals are sliding a bit. <hl> It is an improbable reversal of fortune, given that the Yankees have dominated the market so clearly since they won four World Series from 1996 to 2000 , capped by a triumph over the Mets in the so-called Subway Series. <hl>

But some telling evidence points to trouble for the Yankees and a boon for the Mets, suggesting that New York might be turning into a Mets town for the first time since their championship season of 1986. “It certainly feels like something’s happening,” said Greg Prince, a blogger for the website Faith and Fear in Flushing. “Winning certainly can change the equation, especially winning that hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s not that the other team in New York isn’t winning, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of spark to it, while what’s happening to the Mets feels fresh and novel.” It is not just a feeling. By the measures of attendance and television viewership, the Mets are surging while their crosstown rivals are sliding a bit. It is an improbable reversal of fortune, given that the Yankees have dominated the market so clearly since they won four World Series from <hl> 1996 to 2000 <hl>, capped by a triumph over the Mets in the so-called Subway Series.

It is an improbable reversal of fortune, given that the Yankees have dominated the market so clearly since they won four World Series from <hl> 1996 to 2000 <hl> , capped by a triumph over the Mets in the so-called Subway Series.


Question: What kind of hairstyle did Pavel Premdes get?

“They all come to the salon before going out,” Mr. Fernandéz said of his nearly 20 clients a night. His own balding hair closely cropped, Mr. Fernandéz said he started in a state-run barbershop but had creative differences with his partners. “Back then there was no styling and they wouldn’t even wash hair,” he remembered. “I wanted to be different.” His dream is to start a chain and help bring Cuban men’s style back to the glory days. “It’s like the ’50s in Havana,” Pavel Premdes, 26, said as he had his hair touched upward in a “Grease”-like wave. “Dorian is bringing it back.” As another client showed off a cellphone picture of his girlfriend in librarian glasses straddling a pool table, an assistant to Mr. Fernandéz stood under an elevated glass chamber that looks like the cockpit of a helicopter that had crashed into the salon. It is used for hair straightening.

Answer: “Grease”-like wave

“They all come to the salon before going out,” Mr. Fernandéz said of his nearly 20 clients a night. His own balding hair closely cropped, Mr. Fernandéz said he started in a state-run barbershop but had creative differences with his partners. “Back then there was no styling and they wouldn’t even wash hair,” he remembered. “I wanted to be different.” His dream is to start a chain and help bring Cuban men’s style back to the glory days. <hl> “It’s like the ’50s in Havana,” Pavel Premdes, 26, said as he had his hair touched upward in a “Grease”-like wave . <hl> “Dorian is bringing it back.” As another client showed off a cellphone picture of his girlfriend in librarian glasses straddling a pool table, an assistant to Mr. Fernandéz stood under an elevated glass chamber that looks like the cockpit of a helicopter that had crashed into the salon. It is used for hair straightening.

“They all come to the salon before going out,” Mr. Fernandéz said of his nearly 20 clients a night. His own balding hair closely cropped, Mr. Fernandéz said he started in a state-run barbershop but had creative differences with his partners. “Back then there was no styling and they wouldn’t even wash hair,” he remembered. “I wanted to be different.” His dream is to start a chain and help bring Cuban men’s style back to the glory days. “It’s like the ’50s in Havana,” Pavel Premdes, 26, said as he had his hair touched upward in a <hl> “Grease”-like wave <hl>. “Dorian is bringing it back.” As another client showed off a cellphone picture of his girlfriend in librarian glasses straddling a pool table, an assistant to Mr. Fernandéz stood under an elevated glass chamber that looks like the cockpit of a helicopter that had crashed into the salon. It is used for hair straightening.

“It’s like the ’50s in Havana,” Pavel Premdes, 26, said as he had his hair touched upward in a <hl> “Grease”-like wave <hl> .


Question: Who was the second female justice ever appointed to the Supreme Court?

Justice Ginsburg was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980. In 1993, President Bill Clinton elevated her to the Supreme Court, making her the court’s second female justice, following Sandra Day O’Connor. (Justice Ginsburg is the subject of a tribute biography, “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.) Meanwhile, Ms. Steinem was an editor at Ms. for nearly 20 years, becoming the public face of the women’s movement. (She continues at the magazine as an adviser.) She has traveled extensively, speaking out for women’s and human rights, winning numerous awards for her work in media and advocacy, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. Her new book, “My Life on the Road,” was published last month.

Answer: Justice Ginsburg

<hl> Justice Ginsburg was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980. <hl> In 1993, President Bill Clinton elevated her to the Supreme Court, making her the court’s second female justice, following Sandra Day O’Connor. (Justice Ginsburg is the subject of a tribute biography, “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.) Meanwhile, Ms. Steinem was an editor at Ms. for nearly 20 years, becoming the public face of the women’s movement. (She continues at the magazine as an adviser.) She has traveled extensively, speaking out for women’s and human rights, winning numerous awards for her work in media and advocacy, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. Her new book, “My Life on the Road,” was published last month.

<hl> Justice Ginsburg <hl> was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980. In 1993, President Bill Clinton elevated her to the Supreme Court, making her the court’s second female justice, following Sandra Day O’Connor. (Justice Ginsburg is the subject of a tribute biography, “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.) Meanwhile, Ms. Steinem was an editor at Ms. for nearly 20 years, becoming the public face of the women’s movement. (She continues at the magazine as an adviser.) She has traveled extensively, speaking out for women’s and human rights, winning numerous awards for her work in media and advocacy, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. Her new book, “My Life on the Road,” was published last month.


Question: which is ruled this year that plans should be evaluated under sticter standards?

Pay is also on the rise as courts crack down on compensation plans for non-executive directors. A Delaware court ruled this year that plans should be evaluated under stricter standards, particularly where directors were deciding on equity compensation. The Equilar study found that 97.8 percent of S.&P. 500 company directors had some of their pay in cash, 36 percent had some stock and 59.4 percent had restricted stock units. In health care, 70 percent of the companies offered stock units as part of director pay. In financial services, only 48 percent offered units. Director roles matter, too. Non-executive board chairmen had a median retainer of $387,500, up 12.7 percent from 2010.

Answer: A Delaware court

Pay is also on the rise as courts crack down on compensation plans for non-executive directors. <hl> A Delaware court ruled this year that plans should be evaluated under stricter standards, particularly where directors were deciding on equity compensation. <hl> The Equilar study found that 97.8 percent of S.&P. 500 company directors had some of their pay in cash, 36 percent had some stock and 59.4 percent had restricted stock units. In health care, 70 percent of the companies offered stock units as part of director pay. In financial services, only 48 percent offered units. Director roles matter, too. Non-executive board chairmen had a median retainer of $387,500, up 12.7 percent from 2010.

Pay is also on the rise as courts crack down on compensation plans for non-executive directors. <hl> A Delaware court <hl> ruled this year that plans should be evaluated under stricter standards, particularly where directors were deciding on equity compensation. The Equilar study found that 97.8 percent of S.&P. 500 company directors had some of their pay in cash, 36 percent had some stock and 59.4 percent had restricted stock units. In health care, 70 percent of the companies offered stock units as part of director pay. In financial services, only 48 percent offered units. Director roles matter, too. Non-executive board chairmen had a median retainer of $387,500, up 12.7 percent from 2010.


Question: What percentage of water did the state get in December?

And now, as the end of the official rainy season approaches — this state gets 90 percent of its water from December through April, most of it in December and January — California is facing a punishing fourth year of drought. Temperatures in Southern California soared to record-high levels over the weekend, approaching 100 degrees in some places. Reservoirs are low. Landscapes are parched and blighted with fields of dead or dormant orange trees. And the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is counted on to provide 30 percent of the state’s water supply as it melts through early summer, is at its second-lowest level on record.

Answer: 90 percent

<hl> And now, as the end of the official rainy season approaches — this state gets 90 percent of its water from December through April, most of it in December and January — California is facing a punishing fourth year of drought. <hl> Temperatures in Southern California soared to record-high levels over the weekend, approaching 100 degrees in some places. Reservoirs are low. Landscapes are parched and blighted with fields of dead or dormant orange trees. And the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is counted on to provide 30 percent of the state’s water supply as it melts through early summer, is at its second-lowest level on record.

And now, as the end of the official rainy season approaches — this state gets <hl> 90 percent <hl> of its water from December through April, most of it in December and January — California is facing a punishing fourth year of drought. Temperatures in Southern California soared to record-high levels over the weekend, approaching 100 degrees in some places. Reservoirs are low. Landscapes are parched and blighted with fields of dead or dormant orange trees. And the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is counted on to provide 30 percent of the state’s water supply as it melts through early summer, is at its second-lowest level on record.


Question: What is the term used for shirts that weren't made or distributed by the artists themselves?

Commercialism has long been one of hip-hop’s prime ambitions. Yet “Rap Tees” (powerHouse) suggests that for many years hip-hop had in fact been under-merchandised. It’s striking how many of the best shirts weren’t official or for sale. Several were promotional items, given out to tastemakers and fans. And many weren’t by the musicians at all, but bootlegs made on the cheap and distributed broadly. That means that this book begins as a document of the hip-hop industry’s efforts to branch out beyond music, and by the end shifts to the flea markets, swap meets, sidewalk stalls and parking lots where street-level entrepreneurs, recognizing that rabid fans were also underserved customers, collected money that the rappers and their record labels were leaving on the table.

Answer: bootlegs

Commercialism has long been one of hip-hop’s prime ambitions. Yet “Rap Tees” (powerHouse) suggests that for many years hip-hop had in fact been under-merchandised. It’s striking how many of the best shirts weren’t official or for sale. Several were promotional items, given out to tastemakers and fans. <hl> And many weren’t by the musicians at all, but bootlegs made on the cheap and distributed broadly. <hl> That means that this book begins as a document of the hip-hop industry’s efforts to branch out beyond music, and by the end shifts to the flea markets, swap meets, sidewalk stalls and parking lots where street-level entrepreneurs, recognizing that rabid fans were also underserved customers, collected money that the rappers and their record labels were leaving on the table.

Commercialism has long been one of hip-hop’s prime ambitions. Yet “Rap Tees” (powerHouse) suggests that for many years hip-hop had in fact been under-merchandised. It’s striking how many of the best shirts weren’t official or for sale. Several were promotional items, given out to tastemakers and fans. And many weren’t by the musicians at all, but <hl> bootlegs <hl> made on the cheap and distributed broadly. That means that this book begins as a document of the hip-hop industry’s efforts to branch out beyond music, and by the end shifts to the flea markets, swap meets, sidewalk stalls and parking lots where street-level entrepreneurs, recognizing that rabid fans were also underserved customers, collected money that the rappers and their record labels were leaving on the table.


Question: The new part added to meet emissions standards has the same diametere as what?

WOLFSBURG, Germany —  Volkswagen said on Wednesday that it would be able to bring its diesel cars into line with European clean-air standards by updating engine software and installing a small, tube-shaped part roughly the same diameter as the cardboard tube in a roll of paper towels. The technical patch that Volkswagen presented at company headquarters here is valid only for Europe, where it will be installed beginning next year. Modifying Volkswagen diesel cars sold in the United States will be more complicated because of stricter rules on emissions of nitrogen oxides, pollutants harmful to the environment and human health.

Answer: the cardboard tube in a roll of paper towels

<hl> WOLFSBURG, Germany — Volkswagen said on Wednesday that it would be able to bring its diesel cars into line with European clean-air standards by updating engine software and installing a small, tube-shaped part roughly the same diameter as the cardboard tube in a roll of paper towels . <hl> The technical patch that Volkswagen presented at company headquarters here is valid only for Europe, where it will be installed beginning next year. Modifying Volkswagen diesel cars sold in the United States will be more complicated because of stricter rules on emissions of nitrogen oxides, pollutants harmful to the environment and human health.

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Volkswagen said on Wednesday that it would be able to bring its diesel cars into line with European clean-air standards by updating engine software and installing a small, tube-shaped part roughly the same diameter as <hl> the cardboard tube in a roll of paper towels <hl>. The technical patch that Volkswagen presented at company headquarters here is valid only for Europe, where it will be installed beginning next year. Modifying Volkswagen diesel cars sold in the United States will be more complicated because of stricter rules on emissions of nitrogen oxides, pollutants harmful to the environment and human health.

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Volkswagen said on Wednesday that it would be able to bring its diesel cars into line with European clean-air standards by updating engine software and installing a small, tube-shaped part roughly the same diameter as <hl> the cardboard tube in a roll of paper towels <hl> .


Question: What's the best depiction of Tempest's character Kevin?

Writing in language that is, at once, musical and street tough, cadenced and conversational, Ms. Tempest creates portraits that feel both immediate and finely etched. There’s Kevin, “steady and plain,” and his restless wife, Jane, who’s “ready for change,” and Brian, unhappily married to Mary, with an angry son named Clive. Brian has an affair with Jane, who gives birth to his child Thomas — who, as family dramas so often play out in myths — will have a fateful encounter with Clive. Tommy, gifted and hungry, falls in love with Gloria — “the kind of girl whose scars run deep” — but even as he starts to achieve his dream of becoming an artist, he risks losing everything he’s dreamed of out of carelessness and self-absorption.

Answer: “steady and plain,”

Writing in language that is, at once, musical and street tough, cadenced and conversational, Ms. Tempest creates portraits that feel both immediate and finely etched. <hl> There’s Kevin, “steady and plain,” and his restless wife, Jane, who’s “ready for change,” and Brian, unhappily married to Mary, with an angry son named Clive. <hl> Brian has an affair with Jane, who gives birth to his child Thomas — who, as family dramas so often play out in myths — will have a fateful encounter with Clive. Tommy, gifted and hungry, falls in love with Gloria — “the kind of girl whose scars run deep” — but even as he starts to achieve his dream of becoming an artist, he risks losing everything he’s dreamed of out of carelessness and self-absorption.

Writing in language that is, at once, musical and street tough, cadenced and conversational, Ms. Tempest creates portraits that feel both immediate and finely etched. There’s Kevin, <hl> “steady and plain,” <hl> and his restless wife, Jane, who’s “ready for change,” and Brian, unhappily married to Mary, with an angry son named Clive. Brian has an affair with Jane, who gives birth to his child Thomas — who, as family dramas so often play out in myths — will have a fateful encounter with Clive. Tommy, gifted and hungry, falls in love with Gloria — “the kind of girl whose scars run deep” — but even as he starts to achieve his dream of becoming an artist, he risks losing everything he’s dreamed of out of carelessness and self-absorption.


Question: What was the speed of the fastball that struck out Harper?

Afterward, Manager Terry Collins said Cuddyer had been available, but he had waited too long, and the right situation had never arisen, so Cuddyer remained on the bench. The Mets’ lone hit with runners in scoring position Monday came, of course, from their pitcher, Harvey. With the bases loaded in the fourth, he flipped a single into right field, scoring two runs. He had hit a two-run homer in his previous start, in a two-run Mets win. “Just try to put the ball in play,” Harvey said. The Mets’ pitchers have set an example for the whole team, compiling 17 R.B.I., the most of any pitching staff in baseball. Harvey retired the final 14 batters he faced. Some of the outs were well hit, but he pitched as if he wanted to compensate for those five early runs. Ending with a flourish, he struck out Harper looking at a stinging 98-mile-per-hour fastball, on his 99th and final pitch.

Answer: 98-mile-per-hour

Afterward, Manager Terry Collins said Cuddyer had been available, but he had waited too long, and the right situation had never arisen, so Cuddyer remained on the bench. The Mets’ lone hit with runners in scoring position Monday came, of course, from their pitcher, Harvey. With the bases loaded in the fourth, he flipped a single into right field, scoring two runs. He had hit a two-run homer in his previous start, in a two-run Mets win. “Just try to put the ball in play,” Harvey said. The Mets’ pitchers have set an example for the whole team, compiling 17 R.B.I., the most of any pitching staff in baseball. Harvey retired the final 14 batters he faced. Some of the outs were well hit, but he pitched as if he wanted to compensate for those five early runs. <hl> Ending with a flourish, he struck out Harper looking at a stinging 98-mile-per-hour fastball, on his 99th and final pitch. <hl>

Afterward, Manager Terry Collins said Cuddyer had been available, but he had waited too long, and the right situation had never arisen, so Cuddyer remained on the bench. The Mets’ lone hit with runners in scoring position Monday came, of course, from their pitcher, Harvey. With the bases loaded in the fourth, he flipped a single into right field, scoring two runs. He had hit a two-run homer in his previous start, in a two-run Mets win. “Just try to put the ball in play,” Harvey said. The Mets’ pitchers have set an example for the whole team, compiling 17 R.B.I., the most of any pitching staff in baseball. Harvey retired the final 14 batters he faced. Some of the outs were well hit, but he pitched as if he wanted to compensate for those five early runs. Ending with a flourish, he struck out Harper looking at a stinging <hl> 98-mile-per-hour <hl> fastball, on his 99th and final pitch.


Question: What is the name of the parish maintenance worker that found the baby?

Another video captured her leaving the store with the baby and newly purchased towels. Footage from a camera at the church showed the same woman entering with the infant, the police said. Then it showed her leaving — this time without him. It is not clear how long the baby was left alone lying atop a towel, his umbilical cord still attached. The videos were not time-stamped, the police said. But around 1 p.m., a parish maintenance worker, José Morán, returned from an hourlong lunch and heard the cries of a baby in the front of the nave.

Answer: José Morán

Another video captured her leaving the store with the baby and newly purchased towels. Footage from a camera at the church showed the same woman entering with the infant, the police said. Then it showed her leaving — this time without him. It is not clear how long the baby was left alone lying atop a towel, his umbilical cord still attached. The videos were not time-stamped, the police said. <hl> But around 1 p.m., a parish maintenance worker, José Morán , returned from an hourlong lunch and heard the cries of a baby in the front of the nave. <hl>

Another video captured her leaving the store with the baby and newly purchased towels. Footage from a camera at the church showed the same woman entering with the infant, the police said. Then it showed her leaving — this time without him. It is not clear how long the baby was left alone lying atop a towel, his umbilical cord still attached. The videos were not time-stamped, the police said. But around 1 p.m., a parish maintenance worker, <hl> José Morán <hl>, returned from an hourlong lunch and heard the cries of a baby in the front of the nave.

But around 1 p.m., a parish maintenance worker, <hl> José Morán <hl> , returned from an hourlong lunch and heard the cries of a baby in the front of the nave.


Question: How much did Dr. Benson's first nursing home cost per month?

The reason for the big disparities in out-of-pocket costs for the three diseases, Dr. Kelley said, is that Medicare covers discrete medical services like office visits and acute care such as hospitalization and surgery. Expenses for cancer patients and heart patients tend to be of that sort. They often do not need full-time home or nursing home care until the very end of their life, if at all, so do not have that continuing cost. Dementia patients, in contrast, need constant care for years. They may not be sick enough for a nursing home but cannot be left alone. When they are sick enough for a nursing home, that cost is not covered by health insurance. More than half of patients with dementia — and three-quarters of those from racial minorities — spend down, using savings to pay for the nursing home until nothing is left. Then Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people, takes over. “It’s a terribly expensive disease,” said Virginia Benson, whose 91-year-old husband, George, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, has Alzheimer’s. Dr. Benson lives in a nursing home in Webster Groves, Mo., because Mrs. Benson can no longer care for him. The first home he lived in cost $6,000 a month. Mrs. Benson found a less expensive one for veterans that cost $2,000 a month. After a two-year wait, he got in.

Answer: $6,000

The reason for the big disparities in out-of-pocket costs for the three diseases, Dr. Kelley said, is that Medicare covers discrete medical services like office visits and acute care such as hospitalization and surgery. Expenses for cancer patients and heart patients tend to be of that sort. They often do not need full-time home or nursing home care until the very end of their life, if at all, so do not have that continuing cost. Dementia patients, in contrast, need constant care for years. They may not be sick enough for a nursing home but cannot be left alone. When they are sick enough for a nursing home, that cost is not covered by health insurance. More than half of patients with dementia — and three-quarters of those from racial minorities — spend down, using savings to pay for the nursing home until nothing is left. Then Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people, takes over. “It’s a terribly expensive disease,” said Virginia Benson, whose 91-year-old husband, George, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, has Alzheimer’s. Dr. Benson lives in a nursing home in Webster Groves, Mo., because Mrs. Benson can no longer care for him. <hl> The first home he lived in cost $6,000 a month. <hl> Mrs. Benson found a less expensive one for veterans that cost $2,000 a month. After a two-year wait, he got in.

The reason for the big disparities in out-of-pocket costs for the three diseases, Dr. Kelley said, is that Medicare covers discrete medical services like office visits and acute care such as hospitalization and surgery. Expenses for cancer patients and heart patients tend to be of that sort. They often do not need full-time home or nursing home care until the very end of their life, if at all, so do not have that continuing cost. Dementia patients, in contrast, need constant care for years. They may not be sick enough for a nursing home but cannot be left alone. When they are sick enough for a nursing home, that cost is not covered by health insurance. More than half of patients with dementia — and three-quarters of those from racial minorities — spend down, using savings to pay for the nursing home until nothing is left. Then Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people, takes over. “It’s a terribly expensive disease,” said Virginia Benson, whose 91-year-old husband, George, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, has Alzheimer’s. Dr. Benson lives in a nursing home in Webster Groves, Mo., because Mrs. Benson can no longer care for him. The first home he lived in cost <hl> $6,000 <hl> a month. Mrs. Benson found a less expensive one for veterans that cost $2,000 a month. After a two-year wait, he got in.


Question: How long did it take David Sweat to saw a hole at the back of his cell?

Night after night for months, David Sweat slipped through a hole he had sawed at the back of his cell in the Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York. He would plumb the catacomb-like tunnels beneath the prison, where he was serving a life sentence for murder, searching for an escape route, confident that the guards would have no idea he was gone because they were asleep. Then he would return to his empty bunk. His explorations began this past winter and continued through the spring. They took him underground almost every night for hours until he finally stumbled on what would become, through trial and error and countless hours of grueling work, his subterranean route out. Mr. Sweat felt free during his nightly journeys into the maze, as though he had already escaped the ugliness of his day-to-day prison life.

Answer: months

<hl> Night after night for months , David Sweat slipped through a hole he had sawed at the back of his cell in the Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York. <hl> He would plumb the catacomb-like tunnels beneath the prison, where he was serving a life sentence for murder, searching for an escape route, confident that the guards would have no idea he was gone because they were asleep. Then he would return to his empty bunk. His explorations began this past winter and continued through the spring. They took him underground almost every night for hours until he finally stumbled on what would become, through trial and error and countless hours of grueling work, his subterranean route out. Mr. Sweat felt free during his nightly journeys into the maze, as though he had already escaped the ugliness of his day-to-day prison life.

Night after night for <hl> months <hl>, David Sweat slipped through a hole he had sawed at the back of his cell in the Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York. He would plumb the catacomb-like tunnels beneath the prison, where he was serving a life sentence for murder, searching for an escape route, confident that the guards would have no idea he was gone because they were asleep. Then he would return to his empty bunk. His explorations began this past winter and continued through the spring. They took him underground almost every night for hours until he finally stumbled on what would become, through trial and error and countless hours of grueling work, his subterranean route out. Mr. Sweat felt free during his nightly journeys into the maze, as though he had already escaped the ugliness of his day-to-day prison life.

Night after night for <hl> months <hl> , David Sweat slipped through a hole he had sawed at the back of his cell in the Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York.


Question: What couldn't Mr. Monzu believe?

Several people had tears in their eyes as they wondered what they would do without people who knew their order before they opened their mouths. “I can’t believe we have to leave,” Mr. Moznu said.

Answer: we have to leave

Several people had tears in their eyes as they wondered what they would do without people who knew their order before they opened their mouths. <hl> “I can’t believe we have to leave ,” Mr. Moznu said. <hl>

Several people had tears in their eyes as they wondered what they would do without people who knew their order before they opened their mouths. “I can’t believe <hl> we have to leave <hl>,” Mr. Moznu said.

“I can’t believe <hl> we have to leave <hl> ,” Mr. Moznu said.


Question: What if the bill does not pass?

Mr. Reid is using his power to filibuster bills and toss up chaff — a role Senate Republicans enjoyed for several years — to push back on anything Mr. McConnell may wish to accomplish. “There seems to be a pattern of Harry Reid whipping his members into a frenzy,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia. For years, Congress has had to settle for temporary patches to prevent deep cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, like a 21 percent cut scheduled to take effect April 1 if Congress does not intervene. The House measure would permanently remove the threat of such cuts, and would require some higher-income Medicare beneficiaries to pay higher premiums, a change Republicans hail as a major reform. It also would renew the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program and provide $7.2 billion for community health centers — crucial to both rural and urban areas where doctors are scarce — over two years.

Answer: a 21 percent cut scheduled to take effect April 1 if Congress does not intervene

Mr. Reid is using his power to filibuster bills and toss up chaff — a role Senate Republicans enjoyed for several years — to push back on anything Mr. McConnell may wish to accomplish. “There seems to be a pattern of Harry Reid whipping his members into a frenzy,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia. <hl> For years, Congress has had to settle for temporary patches to prevent deep cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, like a 21 percent cut scheduled to take effect April 1 if Congress does not intervene . <hl> The House measure would permanently remove the threat of such cuts, and would require some higher-income Medicare beneficiaries to pay higher premiums, a change Republicans hail as a major reform. It also would renew the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program and provide $7.2 billion for community health centers — crucial to both rural and urban areas where doctors are scarce — over two years.

Mr. Reid is using his power to filibuster bills and toss up chaff — a role Senate Republicans enjoyed for several years — to push back on anything Mr. McConnell may wish to accomplish. “There seems to be a pattern of Harry Reid whipping his members into a frenzy,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia. For years, Congress has had to settle for temporary patches to prevent deep cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, like <hl> a 21 percent cut scheduled to take effect April 1 if Congress does not intervene <hl>. The House measure would permanently remove the threat of such cuts, and would require some higher-income Medicare beneficiaries to pay higher premiums, a change Republicans hail as a major reform. It also would renew the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program and provide $7.2 billion for community health centers — crucial to both rural and urban areas where doctors are scarce — over two years.

For years, Congress has had to settle for temporary patches to prevent deep cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, like <hl> a 21 percent cut scheduled to take effect April 1 if Congress does not intervene <hl> .


Question: What did the Supreme Court permitted to political committees?

Ever since the Supreme Court permitted political committees to raise unlimited sums for independent spending, the super PAC has occupied a growing place in the political ecosystem. The 2012 version of presidential super PACs mainly paid for ads. Restore Our Future, the PAC supporting Mr. Romney, spent 97.6 percent of its $142 million in independent expenditures — messages advocating Mr. Romney’s election or the defeat of his opponents — on broadcast ads and mail. Priorities USA Action, which backed Mr. Obama, spent almost exclusively on TV, radio and online advertising, according to Federal Election Commission records. Together with the national parties, both sides managed to raise and spend nearly $2 billion. Some donors balked at giving large amounts of money for negative television ads, so a Democratic super PAC was created to help conduct opposition research.

Answer: to raise unlimited sums for independent spending

<hl> Ever since the Supreme Court permitted political committees to raise unlimited sums for independent spending , the super PAC has occupied a growing place in the political ecosystem. <hl> The 2012 version of presidential super PACs mainly paid for ads. Restore Our Future, the PAC supporting Mr. Romney, spent 97.6 percent of its $142 million in independent expenditures — messages advocating Mr. Romney’s election or the defeat of his opponents — on broadcast ads and mail. Priorities USA Action, which backed Mr. Obama, spent almost exclusively on TV, radio and online advertising, according to Federal Election Commission records. Together with the national parties, both sides managed to raise and spend nearly $2 billion. Some donors balked at giving large amounts of money for negative television ads, so a Democratic super PAC was created to help conduct opposition research.

Ever since the Supreme Court permitted political committees <hl> to raise unlimited sums for independent spending <hl>, the super PAC has occupied a growing place in the political ecosystem. The 2012 version of presidential super PACs mainly paid for ads. Restore Our Future, the PAC supporting Mr. Romney, spent 97.6 percent of its $142 million in independent expenditures — messages advocating Mr. Romney’s election or the defeat of his opponents — on broadcast ads and mail. Priorities USA Action, which backed Mr. Obama, spent almost exclusively on TV, radio and online advertising, according to Federal Election Commission records. Together with the national parties, both sides managed to raise and spend nearly $2 billion. Some donors balked at giving large amounts of money for negative television ads, so a Democratic super PAC was created to help conduct opposition research.

Ever since the Supreme Court permitted political committees <hl> to raise unlimited sums for independent spending <hl> , the super PAC has occupied a growing place in the political ecosystem.


Question: How many days before the West African nation holds elections does news of the arrests come?

Security forces disrupted what was described as a “large-scale attack” in Burkina Faso, arresting 13 suspects and seizing weapons and bomb-making materials in the west near Mali’s border, the security minister said Friday. News of the arrests comes two days before the West African nation holds elections, capping a turbulent period that began with a popular uprising in October 2014 and a brief, failed coup in September. Burkina Faso has set up checkpoints at the entrances to cities and plans to close its borders for Sunday’s voting.

Answer: two

Security forces disrupted what was described as a “large-scale attack” in Burkina Faso, arresting 13 suspects and seizing weapons and bomb-making materials in the west near Mali’s border, the security minister said Friday. <hl> News of the arrests comes two days before the West African nation holds elections, capping a turbulent period that began with a popular uprising in October 2014 and a brief, failed coup in September. <hl> Burkina Faso has set up checkpoints at the entrances to cities and plans to close its borders for Sunday’s voting.

Security forces disrupted what was described as a “large-scale attack” in Burkina Faso, arresting 13 suspects and seizing weapons and bomb-making materials in the west near Mali’s border, the security minister said Friday. News of the arrests comes <hl> two <hl> days before the West African nation holds elections, capping a turbulent period that began with a popular uprising in October 2014 and a brief, failed coup in September. Burkina Faso has set up checkpoints at the entrances to cities and plans to close its borders for Sunday’s voting.


Question: How might the audience see that film as conveying?

“Songs From the Second Floor” (released here in 2002) remains Mr. Andersson’s comic masterpiece. It’s a pure and bizarre piece of millennial art, set amid perpetual traffic jams at some apocalyptic turning point. It loosely tracks a businessman who has burned down his own shop, but it also looks in on his insane son and others. The end of days looms — Mr. Andersson makes jokes about get-rich-quick crucifix salesmen — and over-the-top doomsday sights appear, like self-flagellating crowds, the dead rising and even a sacrificial rite. The “hyperreality,” as Mr. Andersson called it, makes for a forceful visual effect that is unforgettable. The same can be said of “You, the Living,” where the overarching conceit involves dreams being recounted for the camera and then dramatized. The filmmaker’s signature style is in effect, but occasional songs are added as in a musical. “Pigeon” takes another step away from reality with bewildering jumps between periods in Swedish history: One episode has the country’s 18th-century king riding into a modern bar to find a toilet.

Answer: hyperreality

“Songs From the Second Floor” (released here in 2002) remains Mr. Andersson’s comic masterpiece. It’s a pure and bizarre piece of millennial art, set amid perpetual traffic jams at some apocalyptic turning point. It loosely tracks a businessman who has burned down his own shop, but it also looks in on his insane son and others. The end of days looms — Mr. Andersson makes jokes about get-rich-quick crucifix salesmen — and over-the-top doomsday sights appear, like self-flagellating crowds, the dead rising and even a sacrificial rite. <hl> The “ hyperreality ,” as Mr. Andersson called it, makes for a forceful visual effect that is unforgettable. <hl> The same can be said of “You, the Living,” where the overarching conceit involves dreams being recounted for the camera and then dramatized. The filmmaker’s signature style is in effect, but occasional songs are added as in a musical. “Pigeon” takes another step away from reality with bewildering jumps between periods in Swedish history: One episode has the country’s 18th-century king riding into a modern bar to find a toilet.

“Songs From the Second Floor” (released here in 2002) remains Mr. Andersson’s comic masterpiece. It’s a pure and bizarre piece of millennial art, set amid perpetual traffic jams at some apocalyptic turning point. It loosely tracks a businessman who has burned down his own shop, but it also looks in on his insane son and others. The end of days looms — Mr. Andersson makes jokes about get-rich-quick crucifix salesmen — and over-the-top doomsday sights appear, like self-flagellating crowds, the dead rising and even a sacrificial rite. The “<hl> hyperreality <hl>,” as Mr. Andersson called it, makes for a forceful visual effect that is unforgettable. The same can be said of “You, the Living,” where the overarching conceit involves dreams being recounted for the camera and then dramatized. The filmmaker’s signature style is in effect, but occasional songs are added as in a musical. “Pigeon” takes another step away from reality with bewildering jumps between periods in Swedish history: One episode has the country’s 18th-century king riding into a modern bar to find a toilet.

The “ <hl> hyperreality <hl> ,” as Mr. Andersson called it, makes for a forceful visual effect that is unforgettable.


Question: When was "Steve Jobs" released in theaters?

The movie “Steve Jobs” had all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. It had a starry cast (Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Michael Fassbender). The screenplay was by the acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin (who also wrote “The Social Network”). And it received rave reviews (“‘Steve Jobs’ is a rich and potent document of the times,” wrote my colleague A.O. Scott.) But the movie tanked at the box office, earning about $18 million in the seven weeks after its Oct. 9 release. Perhaps Hollywood had overestimated the public’s fascination with the man. Perhaps the film came a couple of years too late or a couple of decades too early. Or perhaps we have Steve Jobs fatigue, after all the books, movies and documentaries on the visionary Apple co-founder. But perhaps most surprising is the way in which Silicon Valley relished in, and contributed to, the film’s demise.

Answer: Oct. 9

The movie “Steve Jobs” had all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. It had a starry cast (Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Michael Fassbender). The screenplay was by the acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin (who also wrote “The Social Network”). And it received rave reviews (“‘Steve Jobs’ is a rich and potent document of the times,” wrote my colleague A.O. Scott.) <hl> But the movie tanked at the box office, earning about $18 million in the seven weeks after its Oct. 9 release. <hl> Perhaps Hollywood had overestimated the public’s fascination with the man. Perhaps the film came a couple of years too late or a couple of decades too early. Or perhaps we have Steve Jobs fatigue, after all the books, movies and documentaries on the visionary Apple co-founder. But perhaps most surprising is the way in which Silicon Valley relished in, and contributed to, the film’s demise.

The movie “Steve Jobs” had all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. It had a starry cast (Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Michael Fassbender). The screenplay was by the acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin (who also wrote “The Social Network”). And it received rave reviews (“‘Steve Jobs’ is a rich and potent document of the times,” wrote my colleague A.O. Scott.) But the movie tanked at the box office, earning about $18 million in the seven weeks after its <hl> Oct. 9 <hl> release. Perhaps Hollywood had overestimated the public’s fascination with the man. Perhaps the film came a couple of years too late or a couple of decades too early. Or perhaps we have Steve Jobs fatigue, after all the books, movies and documentaries on the visionary Apple co-founder. But perhaps most surprising is the way in which Silicon Valley relished in, and contributed to, the film’s demise.


Question: How far is downtown Seattle?

$1,033 SETTING: This floating house is on Lake Union, a freshwater lake in the middle of Seattle. The neighborhood, Eastlake, is a mix of dockside and waterfront communities and conventional single-family houses and condos on land. This particular house is in the lake’s southernmost floating house community, which has about 50 residences spread across three docks. Shops and restaurants are concentrated in and around Eastlake Avenue, not far from the water; downtown Seattle is about four miles away. A six-mile-long trail loops around the lake, stopping at pocket parks along the way.

Answer: four miles away.

$1,033 SETTING: This floating house is on Lake Union, a freshwater lake in the middle of Seattle. The neighborhood, Eastlake, is a mix of dockside and waterfront communities and conventional single-family houses and condos on land. This particular house is in the lake’s southernmost floating house community, which has about 50 residences spread across three docks. <hl> Shops and restaurants are concentrated in and around Eastlake Avenue, not far from the water; downtown Seattle is about four miles away. A six-mile-long trail loops around the lake, stopping at pocket parks along the way. <hl>

$1,033 SETTING: This floating house is on Lake Union, a freshwater lake in the middle of Seattle. The neighborhood, Eastlake, is a mix of dockside and waterfront communities and conventional single-family houses and condos on land. This particular house is in the lake’s southernmost floating house community, which has about 50 residences spread across three docks. Shops and restaurants are concentrated in and around Eastlake Avenue, not far from the water; downtown Seattle is about <hl> four miles away. <hl> A six-mile-long trail loops around the lake, stopping at pocket parks along the way.


Question: What show was Clinton on?

“I’ve heard that,” Clinton said. “Who knows? Life is so unpredictable.” (On the Jimmy Kimmel show, Clinton confided that if her husband had not been barred from seeking a third term, he’d have gone for it. And if she ran against him, “would I win? Yeah.”) Thinking about the spouse question a little bit more, Clinton told a joke about a successful businessman and his wife who drive into a gas station where her old boyfriend is working. The husband notes with satisfaction that if she’d married him, she’d be the wife of a gas station attendant. “And then,” Clinton concluded, “the wife says: ‘No, if I’d married him he’d be a big success like you.’”

Answer: Jimmy Kimmel show

“I’ve heard that,” Clinton said. “Who knows? Life is so unpredictable.” <hl> (On the Jimmy Kimmel show , Clinton confided that if her husband had not been barred from seeking a third term, he’d have gone for it. <hl> And if she ran against him, “would I win? Yeah.”) Thinking about the spouse question a little bit more, Clinton told a joke about a successful businessman and his wife who drive into a gas station where her old boyfriend is working. The husband notes with satisfaction that if she’d married him, she’d be the wife of a gas station attendant. “And then,” Clinton concluded, “the wife says: ‘No, if I’d married him he’d be a big success like you.’”

“I’ve heard that,” Clinton said. “Who knows? Life is so unpredictable.” (On the <hl> Jimmy Kimmel show <hl>, Clinton confided that if her husband had not been barred from seeking a third term, he’d have gone for it. And if she ran against him, “would I win? Yeah.”) Thinking about the spouse question a little bit more, Clinton told a joke about a successful businessman and his wife who drive into a gas station where her old boyfriend is working. The husband notes with satisfaction that if she’d married him, she’d be the wife of a gas station attendant. “And then,” Clinton concluded, “the wife says: ‘No, if I’d married him he’d be a big success like you.’”

(On the <hl> Jimmy Kimmel show <hl> , Clinton confided that if her husband had not been barred from seeking a third term, he’d have gone for it.


Question: What reaction do investors have to the sale of the Postbank network of branches?

Deutsche Bank will sell its Postbank network of branches in Germany by listing the unit on the stock market next year. But it will continue to operate a network of branches with the Deutsche Bank brand in Germany and some other countries, albeit in streamlined form. “If anything you would have to say this is a muddling through,” said Mr. Smith, who has  written about Deutsche Bank’s strategy. Deutsche Bank remains enormously complex and difficult to manage, he said. “It’s a big bull of a bank,” Mr. Smith said. Mr. Smith pointed out that the name of the reorganization plan, Strategy 2020, means that even if Deutsche Bank meets all its goals, it will still have been 12 years since the beginning of the financial crisis “before they get to some kind of equilibrium.” Investors clearly shared Mr. Smith’s pessimism. Deutsche Bank shares sank 4.6 percent on Monday in Frankfurt trading.

Answer: pessimism

Deutsche Bank will sell its Postbank network of branches in Germany by listing the unit on the stock market next year. But it will continue to operate a network of branches with the Deutsche Bank brand in Germany and some other countries, albeit in streamlined form. “If anything you would have to say this is a muddling through,” said Mr. Smith, who has written about Deutsche Bank’s strategy. Deutsche Bank remains enormously complex and difficult to manage, he said. “It’s a big bull of a bank,” Mr. Smith said. Mr. Smith pointed out that the name of the reorganization plan, Strategy 2020, means that even if Deutsche Bank meets all its goals, it will still have been 12 years since the beginning of the financial crisis “before they get to some kind of equilibrium.” <hl> Investors clearly shared Mr. Smith’s pessimism . <hl> Deutsche Bank shares sank 4.6 percent on Monday in Frankfurt trading.

Deutsche Bank will sell its Postbank network of branches in Germany by listing the unit on the stock market next year. But it will continue to operate a network of branches with the Deutsche Bank brand in Germany and some other countries, albeit in streamlined form. “If anything you would have to say this is a muddling through,” said Mr. Smith, who has written about Deutsche Bank’s strategy. Deutsche Bank remains enormously complex and difficult to manage, he said. “It’s a big bull of a bank,” Mr. Smith said. Mr. Smith pointed out that the name of the reorganization plan, Strategy 2020, means that even if Deutsche Bank meets all its goals, it will still have been 12 years since the beginning of the financial crisis “before they get to some kind of equilibrium.” Investors clearly shared Mr. Smith’s <hl> pessimism <hl>. Deutsche Bank shares sank 4.6 percent on Monday in Frankfurt trading.

Investors clearly shared Mr. Smith’s <hl> pessimism <hl> .


Question: Who is George Osborne?

The interview drowned out Mr. Cameron’s vow on Wednesday to introduce a law guaranteeing no rise in income tax rates, value-added tax or national insurance before 2020 if his party wins the election. The Labour Party dismissed Mr. Cameron’s pledge as a “last-minute gimmick,” and said that the Conservatives had a “secret plan” to cut tax credits for families and raise the value-added tax. Labour even put together a website, torysecretplan.com, which features a fake email to Mr. Cameron from George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer, laying out cuts not to be announced until after the election. Opinion polls suggest a hung Parliament, with no party winning an absolute majority, and the two main parties, the Conservatives and Labour, splitting about two-thirds of the vote.

Answer: the chancellor of the Exchequer

The interview drowned out Mr. Cameron’s vow on Wednesday to introduce a law guaranteeing no rise in income tax rates, value-added tax or national insurance before 2020 if his party wins the election. The Labour Party dismissed Mr. Cameron’s pledge as a “last-minute gimmick,” and said that the Conservatives had a “secret plan” to cut tax credits for families and raise the value-added tax. <hl> Labour even put together a website, torysecretplan.com, which features a fake email to Mr. Cameron from George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer , laying out cuts not to be announced until after the election. <hl> Opinion polls suggest a hung Parliament, with no party winning an absolute majority, and the two main parties, the Conservatives and Labour, splitting about two-thirds of the vote.

The interview drowned out Mr. Cameron’s vow on Wednesday to introduce a law guaranteeing no rise in income tax rates, value-added tax or national insurance before 2020 if his party wins the election. The Labour Party dismissed Mr. Cameron’s pledge as a “last-minute gimmick,” and said that the Conservatives had a “secret plan” to cut tax credits for families and raise the value-added tax. Labour even put together a website, torysecretplan.com, which features a fake email to Mr. Cameron from George Osborne, <hl> the chancellor of the Exchequer <hl>, laying out cuts not to be announced until after the election. Opinion polls suggest a hung Parliament, with no party winning an absolute majority, and the two main parties, the Conservatives and Labour, splitting about two-thirds of the vote.

Labour even put together a website, torysecretplan.com, which features a fake email to Mr. Cameron from George Osborne, <hl> the chancellor of the Exchequer <hl> , laying out cuts not to be announced until after the election.


Question: What is encouraged as a model of moderation?

They tell the world that though the mass murderer was quoting from the Quran, he got the Quran wrong. Some of the gutsy ones don’t forget to add: What about your own secular mass murderers? They are suggesting that Muslim mass murderers should be treated like non-Muslim mass murderers, like those shooters on American college campuses or the invaders of Iraq. Should we thank them for striving for parity among mass killers? Did someone say peace? They say that Islam teaches us to respect all religions. They again point to the Holy Book: Look, here’s Jesus; he is our prophet, too. But they don’t explain the point of having a religion if its god and its prophet are no bigger or better or faster than yours. We are encouraged to look at Sufi Islam as a model of moderation. Yet Sufi Muslims, brandishing Rumi and whirling like couplets in a bad poem, don’t even pretend to offer any solution. When asked about Islam they say, let’s listen to some music. At least they are more honest than our spokesmen. And thank you, our spokesmen, for reminding the world that Muslims are not a race. Some of us speak Chinese, others Swahili. Some of us are gay, painters, lawyers, prostitutes, pimps or drummers, and of course mass murderers. Muslims disagree over most things, about this life and the afterlife as well. I have a household of six and can never get us to agree on anything, even though one is an infant and two are dogs.

Answer: Sufi Islam

They tell the world that though the mass murderer was quoting from the Quran, he got the Quran wrong. Some of the gutsy ones don’t forget to add: What about your own secular mass murderers? They are suggesting that Muslim mass murderers should be treated like non-Muslim mass murderers, like those shooters on American college campuses or the invaders of Iraq. Should we thank them for striving for parity among mass killers? Did someone say peace? They say that Islam teaches us to respect all religions. They again point to the Holy Book: Look, here’s Jesus; he is our prophet, too. But they don’t explain the point of having a religion if its god and its prophet are no bigger or better or faster than yours. <hl> We are encouraged to look at Sufi Islam as a model of moderation. <hl> Yet Sufi Muslims, brandishing Rumi and whirling like couplets in a bad poem, don’t even pretend to offer any solution. When asked about Islam they say, let’s listen to some music. At least they are more honest than our spokesmen. And thank you, our spokesmen, for reminding the world that Muslims are not a race. Some of us speak Chinese, others Swahili. Some of us are gay, painters, lawyers, prostitutes, pimps or drummers, and of course mass murderers. Muslims disagree over most things, about this life and the afterlife as well. I have a household of six and can never get us to agree on anything, even though one is an infant and two are dogs.

They tell the world that though the mass murderer was quoting from the Quran, he got the Quran wrong. Some of the gutsy ones don’t forget to add: What about your own secular mass murderers? They are suggesting that Muslim mass murderers should be treated like non-Muslim mass murderers, like those shooters on American college campuses or the invaders of Iraq. Should we thank them for striving for parity among mass killers? Did someone say peace? They say that Islam teaches us to respect all religions. They again point to the Holy Book: Look, here’s Jesus; he is our prophet, too. But they don’t explain the point of having a religion if its god and its prophet are no bigger or better or faster than yours. We are encouraged to look at <hl> Sufi Islam <hl> as a model of moderation. Yet Sufi Muslims, brandishing Rumi and whirling like couplets in a bad poem, don’t even pretend to offer any solution. When asked about Islam they say, let’s listen to some music. At least they are more honest than our spokesmen. And thank you, our spokesmen, for reminding the world that Muslims are not a race. Some of us speak Chinese, others Swahili. Some of us are gay, painters, lawyers, prostitutes, pimps or drummers, and of course mass murderers. Muslims disagree over most things, about this life and the afterlife as well. I have a household of six and can never get us to agree on anything, even though one is an infant and two are dogs.


Question: Who was the team coach?

Jirkovsky and Stewart swam back toward the boat, and only Stewart got out. She would be the last of the six-person relay team to swim a shift. Each would swim for an hour before yielding to the next, and for the crossing to qualify officially, the team would have to maintain that order, and each athlete would have to spend an hour in the water when the time came. If one of them quit for any reason, the attempt would fail. Jirkovsky kept swimming, following the kayak, which followed the support boat. The current was at his back. After an hour, the team’s leader and coach, Jim McConica, 64, jumped in — the first shift change. By the time John Chung, 45, tapped him out, the Deep Enders were off to a splendid start. By 3 p.m. Monday, though, the team was fighting the current and dealing with a seven-foot swell. The battle peaked 20 miles into the swim as the team approached Santa Barbara Island that night. “The island is shaped like an airplane wing,” McConica said, “and the volume of water sweeping around that island was hugely powerful and cut our speed.”

Answer: Jim McConica,

Jirkovsky and Stewart swam back toward the boat, and only Stewart got out. She would be the last of the six-person relay team to swim a shift. Each would swim for an hour before yielding to the next, and for the crossing to qualify officially, the team would have to maintain that order, and each athlete would have to spend an hour in the water when the time came. If one of them quit for any reason, the attempt would fail. Jirkovsky kept swimming, following the kayak, which followed the support boat. The current was at his back. <hl> After an hour, the team’s leader and coach, Jim McConica, 64, jumped in — the first shift change. <hl> By the time John Chung, 45, tapped him out, the Deep Enders were off to a splendid start. By 3 p.m. Monday, though, the team was fighting the current and dealing with a seven-foot swell. The battle peaked 20 miles into the swim as the team approached Santa Barbara Island that night. “The island is shaped like an airplane wing,” McConica said, “and the volume of water sweeping around that island was hugely powerful and cut our speed.”

Jirkovsky and Stewart swam back toward the boat, and only Stewart got out. She would be the last of the six-person relay team to swim a shift. Each would swim for an hour before yielding to the next, and for the crossing to qualify officially, the team would have to maintain that order, and each athlete would have to spend an hour in the water when the time came. If one of them quit for any reason, the attempt would fail. Jirkovsky kept swimming, following the kayak, which followed the support boat. The current was at his back. After an hour, the team’s leader and coach, <hl> Jim McConica, <hl> 64, jumped in — the first shift change. By the time John Chung, 45, tapped him out, the Deep Enders were off to a splendid start. By 3 p.m. Monday, though, the team was fighting the current and dealing with a seven-foot swell. The battle peaked 20 miles into the swim as the team approached Santa Barbara Island that night. “The island is shaped like an airplane wing,” McConica said, “and the volume of water sweeping around that island was hugely powerful and cut our speed.”


Question: What eles can the president do to make it work?

There are however, ways that the Assembly could pressure Mr. Maduro to shift course economically. It can remove cabinet ministers, like the finance minister, and it can vote to remove the directors of the central bank. An alternative would be for the Assembly and Mr. Maduro to find a way to work together, particularly on economic policy, perhaps even with the president appointing some opposition members to his cabinet. So far, Mr. Maduro has given no indication that he is open to that approach. He quickly accepted the opposition victory after results were released early Monday morning, but he also blamed what he called an economic war for his party’s defeat, a war that he said was being waged against his government and the country by shadowy capitalist forces.

Answer: appointing some opposition members to his cabinet

There are however, ways that the Assembly could pressure Mr. Maduro to shift course economically. It can remove cabinet ministers, like the finance minister, and it can vote to remove the directors of the central bank. <hl> An alternative would be for the Assembly and Mr. Maduro to find a way to work together, particularly on economic policy, perhaps even with the president appointing some opposition members to his cabinet . <hl> So far, Mr. Maduro has given no indication that he is open to that approach. He quickly accepted the opposition victory after results were released early Monday morning, but he also blamed what he called an economic war for his party’s defeat, a war that he said was being waged against his government and the country by shadowy capitalist forces.

There are however, ways that the Assembly could pressure Mr. Maduro to shift course economically. It can remove cabinet ministers, like the finance minister, and it can vote to remove the directors of the central bank. An alternative would be for the Assembly and Mr. Maduro to find a way to work together, particularly on economic policy, perhaps even with the president <hl> appointing some opposition members to his cabinet <hl>. So far, Mr. Maduro has given no indication that he is open to that approach. He quickly accepted the opposition victory after results were released early Monday morning, but he also blamed what he called an economic war for his party’s defeat, a war that he said was being waged against his government and the country by shadowy capitalist forces.

An alternative would be for the Assembly and Mr. Maduro to find a way to work together, particularly on economic policy, perhaps even with the president <hl> appointing some opposition members to his cabinet <hl> .


Question: how have many of the Sweet Briar graduates gotten back in touch?

At first blush, Dr. Pai’s profile and career seem at odds with the stereotype that has long been affixed to midcentury graduates of Sweet Briar: as Southern belles (perhaps accompanied by their horses) polished to a high sheen for careers as wives, mothers and volunteers. Yet the Pink Bubble, as Sweet Briar women have long called their alma mater, has also nurtured generations of feisty professionals, many of them working in the sciences, who attended the school before the era of widespread coeducation at the college level. Since March, when the school’s board suddenly said it would close the college because of dwindling enrollment and strapped finances, a campaign to save it has pursued legal and other actions with increasing gusto and success; last month, the Commonwealth of Virginia sued to keep the college open. Last week, a judge ruled that, for a period of 60 days, the board could not close the school using funds solicited for its operation.. The campaign #Save Sweet Briar has raised $1 million, and another $10 million has been pledged. Against this backdrop, the experiences of Sweet Briar’s postwar graduates, who have been galvanized by the campaign and are reconnecting on Facebook, email and by phone, paint a vivid picture of an era marked by conflicting cultures: one that was still defined by hostess houses, white gloves and the “ring before spring” doctrine that cast women’s colleges as mere finishing schools, and one with a commitment to educating women for roles far from the home.

Answer: on Facebook, email and by phone

At first blush, Dr. Pai’s profile and career seem at odds with the stereotype that has long been affixed to midcentury graduates of Sweet Briar: as Southern belles (perhaps accompanied by their horses) polished to a high sheen for careers as wives, mothers and volunteers. Yet the Pink Bubble, as Sweet Briar women have long called their alma mater, has also nurtured generations of feisty professionals, many of them working in the sciences, who attended the school before the era of widespread coeducation at the college level. Since March, when the school’s board suddenly said it would close the college because of dwindling enrollment and strapped finances, a campaign to save it has pursued legal and other actions with increasing gusto and success; last month, the Commonwealth of Virginia sued to keep the college open. Last week, a judge ruled that, for a period of 60 days, the board could not close the school using funds solicited for its operation.. The campaign #Save Sweet Briar has raised $1 million, and another $10 million has been pledged. <hl> Against this backdrop, the experiences of Sweet Briar’s postwar graduates, who have been galvanized by the campaign and are reconnecting on Facebook, email and by phone , paint a vivid picture of an era marked by conflicting cultures: one that was still defined by hostess houses, white gloves and the “ring before spring” doctrine that cast women’s colleges as mere finishing schools, and one with a commitment to educating women for roles far from the home. <hl>

At first blush, Dr. Pai’s profile and career seem at odds with the stereotype that has long been affixed to midcentury graduates of Sweet Briar: as Southern belles (perhaps accompanied by their horses) polished to a high sheen for careers as wives, mothers and volunteers. Yet the Pink Bubble, as Sweet Briar women have long called their alma mater, has also nurtured generations of feisty professionals, many of them working in the sciences, who attended the school before the era of widespread coeducation at the college level. Since March, when the school’s board suddenly said it would close the college because of dwindling enrollment and strapped finances, a campaign to save it has pursued legal and other actions with increasing gusto and success; last month, the Commonwealth of Virginia sued to keep the college open. Last week, a judge ruled that, for a period of 60 days, the board could not close the school using funds solicited for its operation.. The campaign #Save Sweet Briar has raised $1 million, and another $10 million has been pledged. Against this backdrop, the experiences of Sweet Briar’s postwar graduates, who have been galvanized by the campaign and are reconnecting <hl> on Facebook, email and by phone <hl>, paint a vivid picture of an era marked by conflicting cultures: one that was still defined by hostess houses, white gloves and the “ring before spring” doctrine that cast women’s colleges as mere finishing schools, and one with a commitment to educating women for roles far from the home.

Against this backdrop, the experiences of Sweet Briar’s postwar graduates, who have been galvanized by the campaign and are reconnecting <hl> on Facebook, email and by phone <hl> , paint a vivid picture of an era marked by conflicting cultures: one that was still defined by hostess houses, white gloves and the “ring before spring” doctrine that cast women’s colleges as mere finishing schools, and one with a commitment to educating women for roles far from the home.


Question: What has been a boon in Malta?

The tax system, in particular, has been a boon. Some foreign companies can be structured to pay 5 percent in corporate taxes. Malta also has double taxation treaties with 65 countries, allowing individuals and businesses to avoid being taxed in two places. Significant tax advantages and a pro-business regulator have created a booming financial services industry. It now represents 12 to 15 percent of the country’s G.D.P., up from 6.3 percent in 2004. Online gambling companies have flocked to the island, as have hedge funds. With a strong corporate base, Malta sailed through the economic crisis relatively unscathed. The economy grew 3.5 percent in 2014. Unemployment is 5.8 percent, the fourth-lowest in Europe. Malta was looking to expand that economic growth through the citizenship program. Under the initial plan in 2013, the newly installed Labor Party government proposed selling passports for €650,000, with few other requirements for citizenship. Almost immediately, it drew protests. The country, critics argued, was not an economic basket case like other European nations trying similar programs. They also worried that the program would damage its reputation as an attractive place to do business. “We do not want to form part of a law which prostitutes Malta’s identity and its citizenship,” Mario de Marco, a vocal member of the opposition, said during the debate. The opposition took the program to the European Parliament in an effort to block it. While the Parliament condemned the program, it could do little else, because citizenship is controlled by national governments. To placate the Parliament and the opposition, the government raised the bar for citizenship. Strict due diligence standards were set to weed out money launderers and criminals. It also raised the cost and adopted a residency requirement. In addition to the €650,000 fee to the government, applicants must now invest €150,000 in government bonds, buy property for at least €350,000 or rent a place for at least €16,000 a year — all of which must be held for at least five years. “This is not ‘tick the box,’” said Mr. Cardona, the chief of the program. Mr. Hyzler, the lawyer, and others note that the newcomers are establishing real links to Malta. They are setting up bank accounts and buying health insurance, both of which are required. They are also joining country clubs and donating to local charities, which is encouraged. “Clients genuinely want to do more than just make the investment,” said Mark Stannard, managing director of the Maltese office of Henley & Partners, a residence and citizenship planning firm. He said a Saudi national with a Lebanese passport who had applied for Maltese citizenship had recently returned with a delegation of 12 to consider setting up businesses in aviation, life sciences and real estate.

Answer: tax system

<hl> The tax system , in particular, has been a boon. <hl> Some foreign companies can be structured to pay 5 percent in corporate taxes. Malta also has double taxation treaties with 65 countries, allowing individuals and businesses to avoid being taxed in two places. Significant tax advantages and a pro-business regulator have created a booming financial services industry. It now represents 12 to 15 percent of the country’s G.D.P., up from 6.3 percent in 2004. Online gambling companies have flocked to the island, as have hedge funds. With a strong corporate base, Malta sailed through the economic crisis relatively unscathed. The economy grew 3.5 percent in 2014. Unemployment is 5.8 percent, the fourth-lowest in Europe. Malta was looking to expand that economic growth through the citizenship program. Under the initial plan in 2013, the newly installed Labor Party government proposed selling passports for €650,000, with few other requirements for citizenship. Almost immediately, it drew protests. The country, critics argued, was not an economic basket case like other European nations trying similar programs. They also worried that the program would damage its reputation as an attractive place to do business. “We do not want to form part of a law which prostitutes Malta’s identity and its citizenship,” Mario de Marco, a vocal member of the opposition, said during the debate. The opposition took the program to the European Parliament in an effort to block it. While the Parliament condemned the program, it could do little else, because citizenship is controlled by national governments. To placate the Parliament and the opposition, the government raised the bar for citizenship. Strict due diligence standards were set to weed out money launderers and criminals. It also raised the cost and adopted a residency requirement. In addition to the €650,000 fee to the government, applicants must now invest €150,000 in government bonds, buy property for at least €350,000 or rent a place for at least €16,000 a year — all of which must be held for at least five years. “This is not ‘tick the box,’” said Mr. Cardona, the chief of the program. Mr. Hyzler, the lawyer, and others note that the newcomers are establishing real links to Malta. They are setting up bank accounts and buying health insurance, both of which are required. They are also joining country clubs and donating to local charities, which is encouraged. “Clients genuinely want to do more than just make the investment,” said Mark Stannard, managing director of the Maltese office of Henley & Partners, a residence and citizenship planning firm. He said a Saudi national with a Lebanese passport who had applied for Maltese citizenship had recently returned with a delegation of 12 to consider setting up businesses in aviation, life sciences and real estate.

The <hl> tax system <hl>, in particular, has been a boon. Some foreign companies can be structured to pay 5 percent in corporate taxes. Malta also has double taxation treaties with 65 countries, allowing individuals and businesses to avoid being taxed in two places. Significant tax advantages and a pro-business regulator have created a booming financial services industry. It now represents 12 to 15 percent of the country’s G.D.P., up from 6.3 percent in 2004. Online gambling companies have flocked to the island, as have hedge funds. With a strong corporate base, Malta sailed through the economic crisis relatively unscathed. The economy grew 3.5 percent in 2014. Unemployment is 5.8 percent, the fourth-lowest in Europe. Malta was looking to expand that economic growth through the citizenship program. Under the initial plan in 2013, the newly installed Labor Party government proposed selling passports for €650,000, with few other requirements for citizenship. Almost immediately, it drew protests. The country, critics argued, was not an economic basket case like other European nations trying similar programs. They also worried that the program would damage its reputation as an attractive place to do business. “We do not want to form part of a law which prostitutes Malta’s identity and its citizenship,” Mario de Marco, a vocal member of the opposition, said during the debate. The opposition took the program to the European Parliament in an effort to block it. While the Parliament condemned the program, it could do little else, because citizenship is controlled by national governments. To placate the Parliament and the opposition, the government raised the bar for citizenship. Strict due diligence standards were set to weed out money launderers and criminals. It also raised the cost and adopted a residency requirement. In addition to the €650,000 fee to the government, applicants must now invest €150,000 in government bonds, buy property for at least €350,000 or rent a place for at least €16,000 a year — all of which must be held for at least five years. “This is not ‘tick the box,’” said Mr. Cardona, the chief of the program. Mr. Hyzler, the lawyer, and others note that the newcomers are establishing real links to Malta. They are setting up bank accounts and buying health insurance, both of which are required. They are also joining country clubs and donating to local charities, which is encouraged. “Clients genuinely want to do more than just make the investment,” said Mark Stannard, managing director of the Maltese office of Henley & Partners, a residence and citizenship planning firm. He said a Saudi national with a Lebanese passport who had applied for Maltese citizenship had recently returned with a delegation of 12 to consider setting up businesses in aviation, life sciences and real estate.

The <hl> tax system <hl> , in particular, has been a boon.


Question: If all the legislators did as Milne asked, what would the outcome of the election have been?

Mr. Milne had asked lawmakers to vote according to their districts’ choices in November, not the statewide popular vote. If every legislator had done so, the outcome would have been a 90-90 tie, according to The Burlington Free Press. (One person did not vote on Thursday.) But at least 20 members ended up voting against their constituents.

Answer: a 90-90 tie

Mr. Milne had asked lawmakers to vote according to their districts’ choices in November, not the statewide popular vote. <hl> If every legislator had done so, the outcome would have been a 90-90 tie , according to The Burlington Free Press. <hl> (One person did not vote on Thursday.) But at least 20 members ended up voting against their constituents.

Mr. Milne had asked lawmakers to vote according to their districts’ choices in November, not the statewide popular vote. If every legislator had done so, the outcome would have been <hl> a 90-90 tie <hl>, according to The Burlington Free Press. (One person did not vote on Thursday.) But at least 20 members ended up voting against their constituents.

If every legislator had done so, the outcome would have been <hl> a 90-90 tie <hl> , according to The Burlington Free Press.