Question: Who was the payment most attractive to?

The benefit, which was a touchstone issue even before it was made law in 2013, was envisioned as a way to encourage parents to remain home and raise their children, ages 15 months to 36 months, once maternity leave benefits expire. About 455,000 parents, mostly mothers, now receive the payments. But critics, who derisively referred to the program as the “stove bonus,” argued that it sent women the wrong signal by rewarding them for staying at home. Many educators also worried that the monthly payments of 150 euros, or $163, were most attractive to poorer, often immigrant, families whose children benefit most from early childhood education.

Answer: families whose children benefit most from early childhood education

The benefit, which was a touchstone issue even before it was made law in 2013, was envisioned as a way to encourage parents to remain home and raise their children, ages 15 months to 36 months, once maternity leave benefits expire. About 455,000 parents, mostly mothers, now receive the payments. But critics, who derisively referred to the program as the “stove bonus,” argued that it sent women the wrong signal by rewarding them for staying at home. <hl> Many educators also worried that the monthly payments of 150 euros, or $163, were most attractive to poorer, often immigrant, families whose children benefit most from early childhood education . <hl>

The benefit, which was a touchstone issue even before it was made law in 2013, was envisioned as a way to encourage parents to remain home and raise their children, ages 15 months to 36 months, once maternity leave benefits expire. About 455,000 parents, mostly mothers, now receive the payments. But critics, who derisively referred to the program as the “stove bonus,” argued that it sent women the wrong signal by rewarding them for staying at home. Many educators also worried that the monthly payments of 150 euros, or $163, were most attractive to poorer, often immigrant, <hl> families whose children benefit most from early childhood education <hl>.

Many educators also worried that the monthly payments of 150 euros, or $163, were most attractive to poorer, often immigrant, <hl> families whose children benefit most from early childhood education <hl> .


Question: In which color the heard word was written ?

As my deafness increases, I am more and more prone to mishearing what people say, though this is quite unpredictable; it may happen 20 times, or not at all, in the course of a day. I carefully record these in a little red notebook labeled “PARACUSES” — aberrations in hearing, especially mishearings. I enter what I hear (in red) on one page, what was actually said (in green) on the opposite page, and (in purple) people’s reactions to my mishearings, and the often far-fetched hypotheses I may entertain in an attempt to make sense of what is often essentially nonsensical. After the publication of Freud’s “Psychopathology of Everyday Life” in 1901, such mishearings, along with a range of misreadings, misspeakings, misdoings and slips of the tongue were seen as “Freudian,” an expression of deeply repressed feelings and conflicts.

Answer: red

<hl> As my deafness increases, I am more and more prone to mishearing what people say, though this is quite unp red ictable; it may happen 20 times, or not at all, in the course of a day. <hl> I carefully record these in a little red notebook labeled “PARACUSES” — aberrations in hearing, especially mishearings. I enter what I hear (in red) on one page, what was actually said (in green) on the opposite page, and (in purple) people’s reactions to my mishearings, and the often far-fetched hypotheses I may entertain in an attempt to make sense of what is often essentially nonsensical. After the publication of Freud’s “Psychopathology of Everyday Life” in 1901, such mishearings, along with a range of misreadings, misspeakings, misdoings and slips of the tongue were seen as “Freudian,” an expression of deeply repressed feelings and conflicts.

As my deafness increases, I am more and more prone to mishearing what people say, though this is quite unp<hl> red <hl>ictable; it may happen 20 times, or not at all, in the course of a day. I carefully record these in a little red notebook labeled “PARACUSES” — aberrations in hearing, especially mishearings. I enter what I hear (in red) on one page, what was actually said (in green) on the opposite page, and (in purple) people’s reactions to my mishearings, and the often far-fetched hypotheses I may entertain in an attempt to make sense of what is often essentially nonsensical. After the publication of Freud’s “Psychopathology of Everyday Life” in 1901, such mishearings, along with a range of misreadings, misspeakings, misdoings and slips of the tongue were seen as “Freudian,” an expression of deeply repressed feelings and conflicts.

As my deafness increases, I am more and more prone to mishearing what people say, though this is quite unp <hl> red <hl> ictable; it may happen 20 times, or not at all, in the course of a day.


Question: How many editions of each piece need to be completed?

“But you try and say yes to those that instinctively feel interesting, and I thought, ‘Why not give this a shot?”’ The idea behind Daata is simple. Once a year, 18 video, sound and digital artists will be commissioned to do six pieces of three minutes or less, 15 editions of each piece. The works are available to be purchased and downloaded from the site. Daata has a sliding price scale. Sound, web and digital works start at $100 and increase by edition to a top price of $2,800; for video, the starting price is $200, increasing by increments to a top price of $5,600. The price difference, Mr. Gryn said, is linked to the perceived higher market value of video. Daata keeps the revenue and pays each artist a 15 percent royalty on each sale.

Answer: 15

“But you try and say yes to those that instinctively feel interesting, and I thought, ‘Why not give this a shot?”’ The idea behind Daata is simple. <hl> Once a year, 18 video, sound and digital artists will be commissioned to do six pieces of three minutes or less, 15 editions of each piece. <hl> The works are available to be purchased and downloaded from the site. Daata has a sliding price scale. Sound, web and digital works start at $100 and increase by edition to a top price of $2,800; for video, the starting price is $200, increasing by increments to a top price of $5,600. The price difference, Mr. Gryn said, is linked to the perceived higher market value of video. Daata keeps the revenue and pays each artist a 15 percent royalty on each sale.

“But you try and say yes to those that instinctively feel interesting, and I thought, ‘Why not give this a shot?”’ The idea behind Daata is simple. Once a year, 18 video, sound and digital artists will be commissioned to do six pieces of three minutes or less, <hl> 15 <hl> editions of each piece. The works are available to be purchased and downloaded from the site. Daata has a sliding price scale. Sound, web and digital works start at $100 and increase by edition to a top price of $2,800; for video, the starting price is $200, increasing by increments to a top price of $5,600. The price difference, Mr. Gryn said, is linked to the perceived higher market value of video. Daata keeps the revenue and pays each artist a 15 percent royalty on each sale.


Question: Who always offers to pay?

“But, but ...” “When I started out,” he explained, “I was invited by the founder of our company for drinks and steak. And I tried to pay for our dinner, which ended up about $200 — and this was in the ’70s, when $200 meant something. He yanked my wallet from me and said, ‘John, I invited you to dinner; that means you’re my guest. And if you’re my guest, that means I’m supposed to take care of you. And if I’m going to take care of you, that means I’ve got your bill.’ ” He continued. “And my boss said, ‘What kind of boss would I be — what kind of man would I be — if I made my worker or guest, who I know makes far less money than me, pay for the meal? That’s just a pathetic move that shows I have no empathy. That’s not a good philosophy to live by. So I pay. The good person always offers to pay; and the wealthier of the two always does.’ ” “Can we at least go Dutch?” I responded to the executive.

Answer: The good person

“But, but ...” “When I started out,” he explained, “I was invited by the founder of our company for drinks and steak. And I tried to pay for our dinner, which ended up about $200 — and this was in the ’70s, when $200 meant something. He yanked my wallet from me and said, ‘John, I invited you to dinner; that means you’re my guest. And if you’re my guest, that means I’m supposed to take care of you. And if I’m going to take care of you, that means I’ve got your bill.’ ” He continued. “And my boss said, ‘What kind of boss would I be — what kind of man would I be — if I made my worker or guest, who I know makes far less money than me, pay for the meal? That’s just a pathetic move that shows I have no empathy. That’s not a good philosophy to live by. So I pay. <hl> The good person always offers to pay; and the wealthier of the two always does.’ ” <hl> “Can we at least go Dutch?” I responded to the executive.

“But, but ...” “When I started out,” he explained, “I was invited by the founder of our company for drinks and steak. And I tried to pay for our dinner, which ended up about $200 — and this was in the ’70s, when $200 meant something. He yanked my wallet from me and said, ‘John, I invited you to dinner; that means you’re my guest. And if you’re my guest, that means I’m supposed to take care of you. And if I’m going to take care of you, that means I’ve got your bill.’ ” He continued. “And my boss said, ‘What kind of boss would I be — what kind of man would I be — if I made my worker or guest, who I know makes far less money than me, pay for the meal? That’s just a pathetic move that shows I have no empathy. That’s not a good philosophy to live by. So I pay. <hl> The good person <hl> always offers to pay; and the wealthier of the two always does.’ ” “Can we at least go Dutch?” I responded to the executive.


Question: What might galvanize Mr. Maduro's base?

Mr. Maduro’s theatrics came as antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in the western city of San Cristóbal to denounce the death of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot last week during a protest. Vilifying Americans during a time of growing unrest and a deepening economic crisis might galvanize his base in the short term, but over the long haul it can only damage his government. And history is likely to record it as yet another self-inflicted wound by a leader whose relatively short time in power has been characterized by impulsive, erratic and vengeful behavior.

Answer: Vilifying Americans

Mr. Maduro’s theatrics came as antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in the western city of San Cristóbal to denounce the death of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot last week during a protest. <hl> Vilifying Americans during a time of growing unrest and a deepening economic crisis might galvanize his base in the short term, but over the long haul it can only damage his government. <hl> And history is likely to record it as yet another self-inflicted wound by a leader whose relatively short time in power has been characterized by impulsive, erratic and vengeful behavior.

Mr. Maduro’s theatrics came as antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in the western city of San Cristóbal to denounce the death of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot last week during a protest. <hl> Vilifying Americans <hl> during a time of growing unrest and a deepening economic crisis might galvanize his base in the short term, but over the long haul it can only damage his government. And history is likely to record it as yet another self-inflicted wound by a leader whose relatively short time in power has been characterized by impulsive, erratic and vengeful behavior.


Question: How old was David Cohen when he died?

David Cohen, a self-styled Washington white-hat lobbyist who as the president of Common Cause successfully fought for post-Watergate laws on ethics, campaign financing and public disclosure, died on Nov. 29 in Westport, Conn. He was 79. The cause was a heart attack, said his son, Aaron, whose home he was visiting. Over four decades at Common Cause, the Advocacy Institute and other nonprofit groups, Mr. Cohen helped galvanize resistance to the war in Vietnam, defeat financing for the MX multiple warhead missile system and thwart the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork.

Answer: 79

He was 79 .

David Cohen, a self-styled Washington white-hat lobbyist who as the president of Common Cause successfully fought for post-Watergate laws on ethics, campaign financing and public disclosure, died on Nov. 29 in Westport, Conn. <hl> He was 79 . <hl> The cause was a heart attack, said his son, Aaron, whose home he was visiting. Over four decades at Common Cause, the Advocacy Institute and other nonprofit groups, Mr. Cohen helped galvanize resistance to the war in Vietnam, defeat financing for the MX multiple warhead missile system and thwart the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork.

David Cohen, a self-styled Washington white-hat lobbyist who as the president of Common Cause successfully fought for post-Watergate laws on ethics, campaign financing and public disclosure, died on Nov. 29 in Westport, Conn. He was <hl> 79 <hl>. The cause was a heart attack, said his son, Aaron, whose home he was visiting. Over four decades at Common Cause, the Advocacy Institute and other nonprofit groups, Mr. Cohen helped galvanize resistance to the war in Vietnam, defeat financing for the MX multiple warhead missile system and thwart the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork.


Question: How much revenue did Virgin Active generate as of Dec. 31?

In a news release, Brait said that it would pay 682 million pounds, or about $1 billion, to buy the stake from the Virgin Group and funds advised by the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. Virgin Group will retain a 20 percent stake in the health club chain after the sale. The CVC funds acquired a 51 percent stake in Virgin Active in 2011. Founded in 1999, Virgin Active operates 267 health clubs in nine countries on four continents and holds what Brait said were leading positions in Britain and South Africa. As of Dec. 31, the company had more than 1.3 million members and generated revenue of £630 million.

Answer: £630 million

In a news release, Brait said that it would pay 682 million pounds, or about $1 billion, to buy the stake from the Virgin Group and funds advised by the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. Virgin Group will retain a 20 percent stake in the health club chain after the sale. The CVC funds acquired a 51 percent stake in Virgin Active in 2011. Founded in 1999, Virgin Active operates 267 health clubs in nine countries on four continents and holds what Brait said were leading positions in Britain and South Africa. <hl> As of Dec. 31, the company had more than 1.3 million members and generated revenue of £630 million . <hl>

In a news release, Brait said that it would pay 682 million pounds, or about $1 billion, to buy the stake from the Virgin Group and funds advised by the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. Virgin Group will retain a 20 percent stake in the health club chain after the sale. The CVC funds acquired a 51 percent stake in Virgin Active in 2011. Founded in 1999, Virgin Active operates 267 health clubs in nine countries on four continents and holds what Brait said were leading positions in Britain and South Africa. As of Dec. 31, the company had more than 1.3 million members and generated revenue of <hl> £630 million <hl>.

As of Dec. 31, the company had more than 1.3 million members and generated revenue of <hl> £630 million <hl> .


Question: Who makes up The Basel Committee?

The Basel Committee, a panel of central bankers and regulators from around the world that meets in the Swiss city of Basel, probably did not give much thought to the diamond industry when it was formulating new guidelines. But some diamond wholesalers may have been engaging in the kind of practices that the committee is trying to prevent, including excessive dependence on borrowed money. (Lending to the diamond industry is inherently risky in any case. There are thousands of gradations of diamonds, and it is extremely difficult to value the gems used as collateral.) Meanwhile, the diamond industry faces many other challenges. Sales in China, a large market, have slowed, in part because an anticorruption campaign has made government officials and their families wary of displays of wealth.

Answer: a panel of central bankers and regulators from around the world

<hl> The Basel Committee, a panel of central bankers and regulators from around the world that meets in the Swiss city of Basel, probably did not give much thought to the diamond industry when it was formulating new guidelines. <hl> But some diamond wholesalers may have been engaging in the kind of practices that the committee is trying to prevent, including excessive dependence on borrowed money. (Lending to the diamond industry is inherently risky in any case. There are thousands of gradations of diamonds, and it is extremely difficult to value the gems used as collateral.) Meanwhile, the diamond industry faces many other challenges. Sales in China, a large market, have slowed, in part because an anticorruption campaign has made government officials and their families wary of displays of wealth.

The Basel Committee, <hl> a panel of central bankers and regulators from around the world <hl> that meets in the Swiss city of Basel, probably did not give much thought to the diamond industry when it was formulating new guidelines. But some diamond wholesalers may have been engaging in the kind of practices that the committee is trying to prevent, including excessive dependence on borrowed money. (Lending to the diamond industry is inherently risky in any case. There are thousands of gradations of diamonds, and it is extremely difficult to value the gems used as collateral.) Meanwhile, the diamond industry faces many other challenges. Sales in China, a large market, have slowed, in part because an anticorruption campaign has made government officials and their families wary of displays of wealth.


Question: What directly influenced Picasso's early artwork?

“The most important thing about our museum is that we can show Picasso in his youth,” Ms. Gual said. “I think he’s one of the few artists who you can see all of his early knowledge and his evolution in one place.” What “Picasso I Els Reventós” pinpoints in this period is not only the letters between Picasso and the Reventós brothers and the intimate illustrations he included in many of them, but also early artwork that was directly influenced by the friendships, including drawings from around 1900 of each brother decked in dapper outfits, with Ramón smoking a pipe. The brothers’ careers — Ramón, a writer, and Jacint, a doctor — influenced the young Picasso, too.

Answer: friendships

“The most important thing about our museum is that we can show Picasso in his youth,” Ms. Gual said. “I think he’s one of the few artists who you can see all of his early knowledge and his evolution in one place.” <hl> What “Picasso I Els Reventós” pinpoints in this period is not only the letters between Picasso and the Reventós brothers and the intimate illustrations he included in many of them, but also early artwork that was directly influenced by the friendships , including drawings from around 1900 of each brother decked in dapper outfits, with Ramón smoking a pipe. <hl> The brothers’ careers — Ramón, a writer, and Jacint, a doctor — influenced the young Picasso, too.

“The most important thing about our museum is that we can show Picasso in his youth,” Ms. Gual said. “I think he’s one of the few artists who you can see all of his early knowledge and his evolution in one place.” What “Picasso I Els Reventós” pinpoints in this period is not only the letters between Picasso and the Reventós brothers and the intimate illustrations he included in many of them, but also early artwork that was directly influenced by the <hl> friendships <hl>, including drawings from around 1900 of each brother decked in dapper outfits, with Ramón smoking a pipe. The brothers’ careers — Ramón, a writer, and Jacint, a doctor — influenced the young Picasso, too.

What “Picasso I Els Reventós” pinpoints in this period is not only the letters between Picasso and the Reventós brothers and the intimate illustrations he included in many of them, but also early artwork that was directly influenced by the <hl> friendships <hl> , including drawings from around 1900 of each brother decked in dapper outfits, with Ramón smoking a pipe.


Question: What's the best way to describe the portraits made by Tempest in terms of timing?

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: both immediate and finely etched.

<hl> 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. <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 <hl> 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. 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 month did the prison break occur?

For days after the June prison break, corrections officers carried out what seemed like a campaign of retribution against dozens of Clinton inmates, particularly those on the honor block, an investigation by The New York Times found. In letters reviewed by The Times, as well as prison interviews, inmates described a strikingly similar catalog of abuses, including being beaten while handcuffed, choked and slammed against cell bars and walls. They were also subjected to harsh policies ordered by the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision: Dozens of inmates, many of whom had won the right to live on the honor block after years of good behavior, were transferred out of Clinton to other prisons. Many were placed in solitary confinement, and stripped of privileges they had accrued over the years — even though no prisoners have yet been linked to Mr. Matt’s and Mr. Sweat’s actions.

Answer: June

<hl> For days after the June prison break, corrections officers carried out what seemed like a campaign of retribution against dozens of Clinton inmates, particularly those on the honor block, an investigation by The New York Times found. <hl> In letters reviewed by The Times, as well as prison interviews, inmates described a strikingly similar catalog of abuses, including being beaten while handcuffed, choked and slammed against cell bars and walls. They were also subjected to harsh policies ordered by the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision: Dozens of inmates, many of whom had won the right to live on the honor block after years of good behavior, were transferred out of Clinton to other prisons. Many were placed in solitary confinement, and stripped of privileges they had accrued over the years — even though no prisoners have yet been linked to Mr. Matt’s and Mr. Sweat’s actions.

For days after the <hl> June <hl> prison break, corrections officers carried out what seemed like a campaign of retribution against dozens of Clinton inmates, particularly those on the honor block, an investigation by The New York Times found. In letters reviewed by The Times, as well as prison interviews, inmates described a strikingly similar catalog of abuses, including being beaten while handcuffed, choked and slammed against cell bars and walls. They were also subjected to harsh policies ordered by the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision: Dozens of inmates, many of whom had won the right to live on the honor block after years of good behavior, were transferred out of Clinton to other prisons. Many were placed in solitary confinement, and stripped of privileges they had accrued over the years — even though no prisoners have yet been linked to Mr. Matt’s and Mr. Sweat’s actions.


Question: What injury did Sam Querrey suffer midmatch?

■ Sam Querrey, a semifinalist last week in Memphis, injured his back midmatch and retired from the Delray Beach Open in Florida while leading Alejandro Gonzalez, 6-3, 1-2. “It was just one sudden movement, and I jerked my back,” said Querrey, who will have an M.R.I. exam before deciding whether he can represent the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup against Britain in Glasgow from March 6 to 8. He added: “I’ve had this before, and it’s gotten better in a week. I’m just bummed because I played so well last week.” (AP)

Answer: injured his back

<hl> ■ Sam Querrey, a semifinalist last week in Memphis, injured his back midmatch and retired from the Delray Beach Open in Florida while leading Alejandro Gonzalez, 6-3, 1-2. <hl> “It was just one sudden movement, and I jerked my back,” said Querrey, who will have an M.R.I. exam before deciding whether he can represent the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup against Britain in Glasgow from March 6 to 8. He added: “I’ve had this before, and it’s gotten better in a week. I’m just bummed because I played so well last week.” (AP)

■ Sam Querrey, a semifinalist last week in Memphis, <hl> injured his back <hl> midmatch and retired from the Delray Beach Open in Florida while leading Alejandro Gonzalez, 6-3, 1-2. “It was just one sudden movement, and I jerked my back,” said Querrey, who will have an M.R.I. exam before deciding whether he can represent the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup against Britain in Glasgow from March 6 to 8. He added: “I’ve had this before, and it’s gotten better in a week. I’m just bummed because I played so well last week.” (AP)


Question: How would Daryl and Sandy get to Sandy's treatments in Manhattan?

Over the next months, Sandy and Daryl boarded a bus early in the morning every few weeks and rode down to Manhattan for the treatments. “I still feel as though I’m me,” she told him on one ride. “Do you agree?” He did, sort of. In fact, he was surprised by how much herself Sandy could still be, even as she became less and less the formidable thinker he had always known. He was surprised too to discover that it didn’t matter to him. “I realized how little of the fact that she was an intellectual played into my feelings for her,” he said. “They were feelings for her, not her intelligence. And they were still all there.”

Answer: bus

<hl> Over the next months, Sandy and Daryl boarded a bus early in the morning every few weeks and rode down to Manhattan for the treatments. <hl> “I still feel as though I’m me,” she told him on one ride. “Do you agree?” He did, sort of. In fact, he was surprised by how much herself Sandy could still be, even as she became less and less the formidable thinker he had always known. He was surprised too to discover that it didn’t matter to him. “I realized how little of the fact that she was an intellectual played into my feelings for her,” he said. “They were feelings for her, not her intelligence. And they were still all there.”

Over the next months, Sandy and Daryl boarded a <hl> bus <hl> early in the morning every few weeks and rode down to Manhattan for the treatments. “I still feel as though I’m me,” she told him on one ride. “Do you agree?” He did, sort of. In fact, he was surprised by how much herself Sandy could still be, even as she became less and less the formidable thinker he had always known. He was surprised too to discover that it didn’t matter to him. “I realized how little of the fact that she was an intellectual played into my feelings for her,” he said. “They were feelings for her, not her intelligence. And they were still all there.”


Question: What  is Sheffield economic interest?

Theakston’s best bitter and XB were excellent, with more of that yeast aroma I’d noticed at the Black Sheep. But the big surprise was the brewery’s strong ale, Old Peculier, named after the Peculier of Masham, a legal district created by the Archbishop of York in the 12th century. Dark, plummy and mysteriously bitter, with 5.6 percent alcohol it was much stronger than many of the local beers, though still weaker than many American craft brews. After the two traditional breweries in Masham, I wanted to see how things were changing elsewhere in Yorkshire. After a night in the beautiful walled city of York and an afternoon in Tadcaster, Samuel Smith’s hometown, I headed down to Sheffield, the South Yorkshire manufacturing city. Sheffield seemed to be in transition, not quite recovered from its industrial past, including the wartime bombing that had scarred it. But the town’s two major universities gave it a youthful air, as did Sheffield’s diverse list of bands and musicians, including Joe Cocker, the Human League, Pulp, Def Leppard and the Arctic Monkeys.

Answer: manufacturing

Theakston’s best bitter and XB were excellent, with more of that yeast aroma I’d noticed at the Black Sheep. But the big surprise was the brewery’s strong ale, Old Peculier, named after the Peculier of Masham, a legal district created by the Archbishop of York in the 12th century. Dark, plummy and mysteriously bitter, with 5.6 percent alcohol it was much stronger than many of the local beers, though still weaker than many American craft brews. After the two traditional breweries in Masham, I wanted to see how things were changing elsewhere in Yorkshire. <hl> After a night in the beautiful walled city of York and an afternoon in Tadcaster, Samuel Smith’s hometown, I headed down to Sheffield, the South Yorkshire manufacturing city. <hl> Sheffield seemed to be in transition, not quite recovered from its industrial past, including the wartime bombing that had scarred it. But the town’s two major universities gave it a youthful air, as did Sheffield’s diverse list of bands and musicians, including Joe Cocker, the Human League, Pulp, Def Leppard and the Arctic Monkeys.

Theakston’s best bitter and XB were excellent, with more of that yeast aroma I’d noticed at the Black Sheep. But the big surprise was the brewery’s strong ale, Old Peculier, named after the Peculier of Masham, a legal district created by the Archbishop of York in the 12th century. Dark, plummy and mysteriously bitter, with 5.6 percent alcohol it was much stronger than many of the local beers, though still weaker than many American craft brews. After the two traditional breweries in Masham, I wanted to see how things were changing elsewhere in Yorkshire. After a night in the beautiful walled city of York and an afternoon in Tadcaster, Samuel Smith’s hometown, I headed down to Sheffield, the South Yorkshire <hl> manufacturing <hl> city. Sheffield seemed to be in transition, not quite recovered from its industrial past, including the wartime bombing that had scarred it. But the town’s two major universities gave it a youthful air, as did Sheffield’s diverse list of bands and musicians, including Joe Cocker, the Human League, Pulp, Def Leppard and the Arctic Monkeys.


Question: Who are republicans supporting?

Answer: working families

<hl> “The large group of Republicans who have supported working families in the state of Missouri are the reason we’re not right to work today,” said Albert L. Bond, assistant executive secretary-treasurer of the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity. <hl>

“The large group of Republicans who have supported <hl> working families <hl> in the state of Missouri are the reason we’re not right to work today,” said Albert L. Bond, assistant executive secretary-treasurer of the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity.


Question: Simon Baron Development will be allowed to create how many units?

These conversions include 12 East 88th Street, a red-brick 13-story building near Fifth Avenue designed by Rosario Candela, the architect responsible for much of the Upper East Side’s elegant look. Under an approved offering plan, Simon Baron Development will be allowed to create up to 53 units for sale in the building, ranging from one- to five-bedrooms, after combining some of the existing 65 apartments. Seventeen of the units currently have tenants paying regulated rents. Just outside the Carnegie Hill Historic District, the property, completed in 1931 and on the same block as the Guggenheim Museum, can be altered without city approval. But other than upgrading windows, the developer said there were no plans to change the exterior.

Answer: 53

These conversions include 12 East 88th Street, a red-brick 13-story building near Fifth Avenue designed by Rosario Candela, the architect responsible for much of the Upper East Side’s elegant look. <hl> Under an approved offering plan, Simon Baron Development will be allowed to create up to 53 units for sale in the building, ranging from one- to five-bedrooms, after combining some of the existing 65 apartments. <hl> Seventeen of the units currently have tenants paying regulated rents. Just outside the Carnegie Hill Historic District, the property, completed in 1931 and on the same block as the Guggenheim Museum, can be altered without city approval. But other than upgrading windows, the developer said there were no plans to change the exterior.

These conversions include 12 East 88th Street, a red-brick 13-story building near Fifth Avenue designed by Rosario Candela, the architect responsible for much of the Upper East Side’s elegant look. Under an approved offering plan, Simon Baron Development will be allowed to create up to <hl> 53 <hl> units for sale in the building, ranging from one- to five-bedrooms, after combining some of the existing 65 apartments. Seventeen of the units currently have tenants paying regulated rents. Just outside the Carnegie Hill Historic District, the property, completed in 1931 and on the same block as the Guggenheim Museum, can be altered without city approval. But other than upgrading windows, the developer said there were no plans to change the exterior.


Question: What book was once banned?

The Bookends feature (Sept. 27) asks, “Why read books considered obscene?” One answer is that last year’s pornography can be this year’s literature. One of the most glorious moments in D.H. Lawrence’s “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” once a banned book, occurs when Connie and Mellors adorn their genitalia with flowers. They name them Sir John and Lady Jane, raising anatomy to the level of aristocracy. Only prudes would find such an incident, which is both innocent and erotic, offensive. And only the self-righteous would find the novel obscene. BERNARD F. DICK

Answer: Lady Chatterley’s Lover

The Bookends feature (Sept. 27) asks, “Why read books considered obscene?” One answer is that last year’s pornography can be this year’s literature. <hl> One of the most glorious moments in D.H. Lawrence’s “ Lady Chatterley’s Lover ,” once a banned book, occurs when Connie and Mellors adorn their genitalia with flowers. <hl> They name them Sir John and Lady Jane, raising anatomy to the level of aristocracy. Only prudes would find such an incident, which is both innocent and erotic, offensive. And only the self-righteous would find the novel obscene. BERNARD F. DICK

The Bookends feature (Sept. 27) asks, “Why read books considered obscene?” One answer is that last year’s pornography can be this year’s literature. One of the most glorious moments in D.H. Lawrence’s “<hl> Lady Chatterley’s Lover <hl>,” once a banned book, occurs when Connie and Mellors adorn their genitalia with flowers. They name them Sir John and Lady Jane, raising anatomy to the level of aristocracy. Only prudes would find such an incident, which is both innocent and erotic, offensive. And only the self-righteous would find the novel obscene. BERNARD F. DICK

One of the most glorious moments in D.H. Lawrence’s “ <hl> Lady Chatterley’s Lover <hl> ,” once a banned book, occurs when Connie and Mellors adorn their genitalia with flowers.


Question: What tastes like slices of soy-lacquered chicken over rice cooked in chicken broth?

Noodles stir-fried with shrimp and soy sauce, called char kway teow, produce far more happiness than you’d expect from something that looks like shrimp lo mein. The appearance of another stir-fry, nyonya chap chye, is deceptive, too. Clear rice noodles jostled together with tofu and mushrooms, the dish has almost no color and a mild flavor, but the more you eat the better it gets. The Hainanese chicken rice is another sleeper; it tastes like much more than slices of soy-lacquered chicken over rice cooked in chicken broth.

Answer: Hainanese chicken rice

Noodles stir-fried with shrimp and soy sauce, called char kway teow, produce far more happiness than you’d expect from something that looks like shrimp lo mein. The appearance of another stir-fry, nyonya chap chye, is deceptive, too. Clear rice noodles jostled together with tofu and mushrooms, the dish has almost no color and a mild flavor, but the more you eat the better it gets. <hl> The Hainanese chicken rice is another sleeper; it tastes like much more than slices of soy-lacquered chicken over rice cooked in chicken broth. <hl>

Noodles stir-fried with shrimp and soy sauce, called char kway teow, produce far more happiness than you’d expect from something that looks like shrimp lo mein. The appearance of another stir-fry, nyonya chap chye, is deceptive, too. Clear rice noodles jostled together with tofu and mushrooms, the dish has almost no color and a mild flavor, but the more you eat the better it gets. The <hl> Hainanese chicken rice <hl> is another sleeper; it tastes like much more than slices of soy-lacquered chicken over rice cooked in chicken broth.


Question: How does Ms. Simpson earn money to live?

Born in Gaylord, Minn., to a minister father and housewife mother, Ms. Simpson studied advertising and communications in New York, when she wasn’t partying at places like Danceteria, Area and other clubs of the moment. Inspired by the East Village scene, she started dolling up in 1987, aiming for a “flirty career girl” look, and soon became one of the scene’s reigning drag personalities. She started a feisty drag zine called My Comrade, which covered go-go boys, celebs and queer politics, and hosted a weekly drag party called Channel 69 at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A. Her stature grew when she performed at the outdoor drag festival Wigstock. “I didn’t think of Linda as being a separate person from myself,” said Ms. Simpson, who makes a living from event hosting and performing. “I already had a love of sarcasm, so it was transferred to the stage,” she added. “After being shamed for being feminine most of my life, it was liberating to wear a dress and be applauded for that.” For a pop cultural moment in the mid-1990s, drag flourished. RuPaul had a hit record, and the drag road movie “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” was a box office hit.

Answer: makes a living from event hosting and performing

Born in Gaylord, Minn., to a minister father and housewife mother, Ms. Simpson studied advertising and communications in New York, when she wasn’t partying at places like Danceteria, Area and other clubs of the moment. Inspired by the East Village scene, she started dolling up in 1987, aiming for a “flirty career girl” look, and soon became one of the scene’s reigning drag personalities. She started a feisty drag zine called My Comrade, which covered go-go boys, celebs and queer politics, and hosted a weekly drag party called Channel 69 at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A. Her stature grew when she performed at the outdoor drag festival Wigstock. <hl> “I didn’t think of Linda as being a separate person from myself,” said Ms. Simpson, who makes a living from event hosting and performing . <hl> “I already had a love of sarcasm, so it was transferred to the stage,” she added. “After being shamed for being feminine most of my life, it was liberating to wear a dress and be applauded for that.” For a pop cultural moment in the mid-1990s, drag flourished. RuPaul had a hit record, and the drag road movie “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” was a box office hit.

Born in Gaylord, Minn., to a minister father and housewife mother, Ms. Simpson studied advertising and communications in New York, when she wasn’t partying at places like Danceteria, Area and other clubs of the moment. Inspired by the East Village scene, she started dolling up in 1987, aiming for a “flirty career girl” look, and soon became one of the scene’s reigning drag personalities. She started a feisty drag zine called My Comrade, which covered go-go boys, celebs and queer politics, and hosted a weekly drag party called Channel 69 at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A. Her stature grew when she performed at the outdoor drag festival Wigstock. “I didn’t think of Linda as being a separate person from myself,” said Ms. Simpson, who <hl> makes a living from event hosting and performing <hl>. “I already had a love of sarcasm, so it was transferred to the stage,” she added. “After being shamed for being feminine most of my life, it was liberating to wear a dress and be applauded for that.” For a pop cultural moment in the mid-1990s, drag flourished. RuPaul had a hit record, and the drag road movie “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” was a box office hit.

“I didn’t think of Linda as being a separate person from myself,” said Ms. Simpson, who <hl> makes a living from event hosting and performing <hl> .


Question: how many groundwater basins are connected to surface water?

If the connection between groundwater and surface water is considered, that time frame for running out of water altogether will almost certainly be even shorter. Arizona’s top water official told ProPublica that it was both politically difficult and costly to properly account for the interconnection. But deep in a 685-page document that is part of Arizona’s water plan, the state lists 42 groundwater basins that it says are connected to surface water, indicating a potential conflict over rights to those supplies. It’s unclear how much water flows from one into the other, but the documents show that many of the water sources are heavily relied on as sources of both groundwater and surface supplies at the same time. Thomas Buschatzke, the director of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources, acknowledged that pumping from wells could dry up streams, but said the current law kept the two resources separate, and “it would be a huge upset to the economy to do away with that.”

Answer: 42

If the connection between groundwater and surface water is considered, that time frame for running out of water altogether will almost certainly be even shorter. Arizona’s top water official told ProPublica that it was both politically difficult and costly to properly account for the interconnection. <hl> But deep in a 685-page document that is part of Arizona’s water plan, the state lists 42 groundwater basins that it says are connected to surface water, indicating a potential conflict over rights to those supplies. <hl> It’s unclear how much water flows from one into the other, but the documents show that many of the water sources are heavily relied on as sources of both groundwater and surface supplies at the same time. Thomas Buschatzke, the director of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources, acknowledged that pumping from wells could dry up streams, but said the current law kept the two resources separate, and “it would be a huge upset to the economy to do away with that.”

If the connection between groundwater and surface water is considered, that time frame for running out of water altogether will almost certainly be even shorter. Arizona’s top water official told ProPublica that it was both politically difficult and costly to properly account for the interconnection. But deep in a 685-page document that is part of Arizona’s water plan, the state lists <hl> 42 <hl> groundwater basins that it says are connected to surface water, indicating a potential conflict over rights to those supplies. It’s unclear how much water flows from one into the other, but the documents show that many of the water sources are heavily relied on as sources of both groundwater and surface supplies at the same time. Thomas Buschatzke, the director of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources, acknowledged that pumping from wells could dry up streams, but said the current law kept the two resources separate, and “it would be a huge upset to the economy to do away with that.”


Question: Were Dawkins scoring moves popular?

Not long after Dawkins’s backboard-shattering spree, the league introduced the so-called breakaway rim, which yields to downward pressure and then snaps back to the horizontal, minimizing the potential for destruction. “The first one was an accident, but I wanted to see if I could do it again when I got back to Philadelphia,” Dawkins recalled in the 2004 Times interview, referring to his most smashingly spectacular dunks. “All the fans were hollering, ‘You’ve got to do one for the home crowd,’ so I went ahead and brought it down.

Answer: “All the fans were hollering, ‘You’ve got to do one for the home crowd,’

Not long after Dawkins’s backboard-shattering spree, the league introduced the so-called breakaway rim, which yields to downward pressure and then snaps back to the horizontal, minimizing the potential for destruction. “The first one was an accident, but I wanted to see if I could do it again when I got back to Philadelphia,” Dawkins recalled in the 2004 Times interview, referring to his most smashingly spectacular dunks. <hl> “All the fans were hollering, ‘You’ve got to do one for the home crowd,’ so I went ahead and brought it down. <hl>

Not long after Dawkins’s backboard-shattering spree, the league introduced the so-called breakaway rim, which yields to downward pressure and then snaps back to the horizontal, minimizing the potential for destruction. “The first one was an accident, but I wanted to see if I could do it again when I got back to Philadelphia,” Dawkins recalled in the 2004 Times interview, referring to his most smashingly spectacular dunks. <hl> “All the fans were hollering, ‘You’ve got to do one for the home crowd,’ <hl> so I went ahead and brought it down.


Question: Around what time did flames erupt?

Video taken at the scene showed the flames erupting within the crowd at the event — called Color Play Asia and organized by a group using the same name — about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, after nightfall. Some people were shown carrying the injured from the scene in inflatable rafts, and others were shown running away, silhouetted by flames. The fire was quickly controlled, but not before hundreds were hurt. Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on its website that Taipei-area hospitals had victims requiring skin grafts. The ministry said hospitals were also urgently requesting other medical supplies needed to treat burns. The victims were mostly from Taiwan, but among the injured were four people from Hong Kong, one person from the United States, one from Singapore, one from Japan, one from Macau and one from Malaysia, according to the local public health department.

Answer: 8:30 p.m

<hl> Video taken at the scene showed the flames erupting within the crowd at the event — called Color Play Asia and organized by a group using the same name — about 8:30 p.m . <hl> on Saturday, after nightfall. Some people were shown carrying the injured from the scene in inflatable rafts, and others were shown running away, silhouetted by flames. The fire was quickly controlled, but not before hundreds were hurt. Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on its website that Taipei-area hospitals had victims requiring skin grafts. The ministry said hospitals were also urgently requesting other medical supplies needed to treat burns. The victims were mostly from Taiwan, but among the injured were four people from Hong Kong, one person from the United States, one from Singapore, one from Japan, one from Macau and one from Malaysia, according to the local public health department.

Video taken at the scene showed the flames erupting within the crowd at the event — called Color Play Asia and organized by a group using the same name — about <hl> 8:30 p.m <hl>. on Saturday, after nightfall. Some people were shown carrying the injured from the scene in inflatable rafts, and others were shown running away, silhouetted by flames. The fire was quickly controlled, but not before hundreds were hurt. Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on its website that Taipei-area hospitals had victims requiring skin grafts. The ministry said hospitals were also urgently requesting other medical supplies needed to treat burns. The victims were mostly from Taiwan, but among the injured were four people from Hong Kong, one person from the United States, one from Singapore, one from Japan, one from Macau and one from Malaysia, according to the local public health department.

Video taken at the scene showed the flames erupting within the crowd at the event — called Color Play Asia and organized by a group using the same name — about <hl> 8:30 p.m <hl> .


Question: What dish did one diner state was the best they had ever had?

“The guacamole was seriously one of the best I’ve ever tasted,” wrote one diner. But another referred to it as “not something that’s out of this world extraordinary.”

Answer: guacamole

<hl> “The guacamole was seriously one of the best I’ve ever tasted,” wrote one diner. <hl> But another referred to it as “not something that’s out of this world extraordinary.”

“The <hl> guacamole <hl> was seriously one of the best I’ve ever tasted,” wrote one diner. But another referred to it as “not something that’s out of this world extraordinary.”


Question: What size are the Oreos?

That said, his more forward-looking items — I tried on an excellent bomber with an embroidered bee on the chest ($1,890) — show a possible pathway through the tension. But several of the other shops here feel deeply superfluous: say, the Hermès perfumery, which is right next to a Davidoff of Geneva cigar shop. A newsstand sells magazines like Sleek and The Great Discontent along with matcha-flavored mini Oreos. And truly functional stores seem like outliers. What will become of humble, excellent Kamakura Shirts, relegated to a side corridor on the second floor, if the local business crowd doesn’t find it? No one is coming to ground zero to buy an expertly cut oxford shirt.

Answer: mini

That said, his more forward-looking items — I tried on an excellent bomber with an embroidered bee on the chest ($1,890) — show a possible pathway through the tension. But several of the other shops here feel deeply superfluous: say, the Hermès perfumery, which is right next to a Davidoff of Geneva cigar shop. <hl> A newsstand sells magazines like Sleek and The Great Discontent along with matcha-flavored mini Oreos. <hl> And truly functional stores seem like outliers. What will become of humble, excellent Kamakura Shirts, relegated to a side corridor on the second floor, if the local business crowd doesn’t find it? No one is coming to ground zero to buy an expertly cut oxford shirt.

That said, his more forward-looking items — I tried on an excellent bomber with an embroidered bee on the chest ($1,890) — show a possible pathway through the tension. But several of the other shops here feel deeply superfluous: say, the Hermès perfumery, which is right next to a Davidoff of Geneva cigar shop. A newsstand sells magazines like Sleek and The Great Discontent along with matcha-flavored <hl> mini <hl> Oreos. And truly functional stores seem like outliers. What will become of humble, excellent Kamakura Shirts, relegated to a side corridor on the second floor, if the local business crowd doesn’t find it? No one is coming to ground zero to buy an expertly cut oxford shirt.


Question: How many children does Andrew have?

“Sometimes when you have a wholesale shift in the weather pattern it can persist for quite a while,” he said. “As we get to the end of this week, we’re going to see temperatures as cold or even colder.” Meteorologists and their families are not immune to the consequences. Mr. Morrin’s son-in-law, Andrew Albany, 28, was home with three children on Monday morning in south central New Jersey, putting in a load of laundry, when he realized the pipe to the washer was frozen. Putting the 1-year-old in the playpen, and the 3-year-old and 6-year-old in front of a Disney movie, he deployed a space heater to try to try to thaw the pipe, before heading to his 3 p.m. to midnight shift as a nurse. The children’s movie? Yes, he conceded, laughing, “It was ‘Frozen.’ ”

Answer: three children

“Sometimes when you have a wholesale shift in the weather pattern it can persist for quite a while,” he said. “As we get to the end of this week, we’re going to see temperatures as cold or even colder.” Meteorologists and their families are not immune to the consequences. <hl> Mr. Morrin’s son-in-law, Andrew Albany, 28, was home with three children on Monday morning in south central New Jersey, putting in a load of laundry, when he realized the pipe to the washer was frozen. <hl> Putting the 1-year-old in the playpen, and the 3-year-old and 6-year-old in front of a Disney movie, he deployed a space heater to try to try to thaw the pipe, before heading to his 3 p.m. to midnight shift as a nurse. The children’s movie? Yes, he conceded, laughing, “It was ‘Frozen.’ ”

“Sometimes when you have a wholesale shift in the weather pattern it can persist for quite a while,” he said. “As we get to the end of this week, we’re going to see temperatures as cold or even colder.” Meteorologists and their families are not immune to the consequences. Mr. Morrin’s son-in-law, Andrew Albany, 28, was home with <hl> three children <hl> on Monday morning in south central New Jersey, putting in a load of laundry, when he realized the pipe to the washer was frozen. Putting the 1-year-old in the playpen, and the 3-year-old and 6-year-old in front of a Disney movie, he deployed a space heater to try to try to thaw the pipe, before heading to his 3 p.m. to midnight shift as a nurse. The children’s movie? Yes, he conceded, laughing, “It was ‘Frozen.’ ”


Question: What is a key concern for Rep. Ryan?

Of course, most lawmakers in Washington spend long periods away from family. But by declaring the preservation of his family life a key concern in taking on a job that is a seven-day-a-week venture — the sort of job he sought once before, in 2012, when he was the Republican vice-presidential nominee — Mr. Ryan, 45, may be ushering in a new era for a position traditionally held by older congressmen who spent years rising through party ranks. “In U.S. society, we often talk about ‘working moms’ but not about ‘working dads,’ and the work-life policies that organizations do provide are often considered as being mainly for women,” said Erika Kirby a professor of communication studies and an authority on work-life issues at Creighton University in Omaha. “So I think Representative Ryan’s call for protecting his family time within a demanding job is extremely significant.”

Answer: the preservation of his family life

Of course, most lawmakers in Washington spend long periods away from family. <hl> But by declaring the preservation of his family life a key concern in taking on a job that is a seven-day-a-week venture — the sort of job he sought once before, in 2012, when he was the Republican vice-presidential nominee — Mr. Ryan, 45, may be ushering in a new era for a position traditionally held by older congressmen who spent years rising through party ranks. <hl> “In U.S. society, we often talk about ‘working moms’ but not about ‘working dads,’ and the work-life policies that organizations do provide are often considered as being mainly for women,” said Erika Kirby a professor of communication studies and an authority on work-life issues at Creighton University in Omaha. “So I think Representative Ryan’s call for protecting his family time within a demanding job is extremely significant.”

Of course, most lawmakers in Washington spend long periods away from family. But by declaring <hl> the preservation of his family life <hl> a key concern in taking on a job that is a seven-day-a-week venture — the sort of job he sought once before, in 2012, when he was the Republican vice-presidential nominee — Mr. Ryan, 45, may be ushering in a new era for a position traditionally held by older congressmen who spent years rising through party ranks. “In U.S. society, we often talk about ‘working moms’ but not about ‘working dads,’ and the work-life policies that organizations do provide are often considered as being mainly for women,” said Erika Kirby a professor of communication studies and an authority on work-life issues at Creighton University in Omaha. “So I think Representative Ryan’s call for protecting his family time within a demanding job is extremely significant.”


Question: The social media seats are for what type of music?

“The idea is to allow people to be swept up into a shared mood in a live performance” without disruption, said Graham Dugoni, Yondr’s founder. Some theaters wonder whether embracing the enemy is the shrewder way to go. Several performing arts organizations, including some in the classical music world, have designated “tweet seats” where use of social media during selected performances is encouraged. At the beginning of their new Broadway show, now in previews, the magicians Penn & Teller invite the audience to turn on their cellphones as part of a magic trick.

Answer: classical

“The idea is to allow people to be swept up into a shared mood in a live performance” without disruption, said Graham Dugoni, Yondr’s founder. Some theaters wonder whether embracing the enemy is the shrewder way to go. <hl> Several performing arts organizations, including some in the classical music world, have designated “tweet seats” where use of social media during selected performances is encouraged. <hl> At the beginning of their new Broadway show, now in previews, the magicians Penn & Teller invite the audience to turn on their cellphones as part of a magic trick.

“The idea is to allow people to be swept up into a shared mood in a live performance” without disruption, said Graham Dugoni, Yondr’s founder. Some theaters wonder whether embracing the enemy is the shrewder way to go. Several performing arts organizations, including some in the <hl> classical <hl> music world, have designated “tweet seats” where use of social media during selected performances is encouraged. At the beginning of their new Broadway show, now in previews, the magicians Penn & Teller invite the audience to turn on their cellphones as part of a magic trick.


Question: Who directed "My Neighbor Totoro"?

The Complete Studio Ghibli (through Dec. 31) IFC Center’s retrospective of the complete works of Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation house, varies from the wistful and pleasant, like Hayao Miyazaki’s “My Neighbor Totoro,” to the crushingly sad, like Isao Takahata’s “Grave of the Fireflies,” about childhood alienation, set in Kobe at the end of World War II.) It all leads up to Jan. 1, when “Only Yesterday,” released in Japan in 1991, will have its United States theatrical premiere. 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village, 212-924-7771, ifccenter.com. (Alec M. Priester)

Answer: Hayao Miyazaki

<hl> The Complete Studio Ghibli (through Dec. 31) IFC Center’s retrospective of the complete works of Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation house, varies from the wistful and pleasant, like Hayao Miyazaki ’s “My Neighbor Totoro,” to the crushingly sad, like Isao Takahata’s “Grave of the Fireflies,” about childhood alienation, set in Kobe at the end of World War II.) <hl> It all leads up to Jan. 1, when “Only Yesterday,” released in Japan in 1991, will have its United States theatrical premiere. 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village, 212-924-7771, ifccenter.com. (Alec M. Priester)

The Complete Studio Ghibli (through Dec. 31) IFC Center’s retrospective of the complete works of Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation house, varies from the wistful and pleasant, like <hl> Hayao Miyazaki <hl>’s “My Neighbor Totoro,” to the crushingly sad, like Isao Takahata’s “Grave of the Fireflies,” about childhood alienation, set in Kobe at the end of World War II.) It all leads up to Jan. 1, when “Only Yesterday,” released in Japan in 1991, will have its United States theatrical premiere. 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village, 212-924-7771, ifccenter.com. (Alec M. Priester)

The Complete Studio Ghibli (through Dec. 31) IFC Center’s retrospective of the complete works of Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation house, varies from the wistful and pleasant, like <hl> Hayao Miyazaki <hl> ’s “My Neighbor Totoro,” to the crushingly sad, like Isao Takahata’s “Grave of the Fireflies,” about childhood alienation, set in Kobe at the end of World War II.)


Question: What incriminating items were found on the scene?

Soon after the Duma attack, three Israeli Jews were detained on suspicion of involvement in such a network and in previous arson attacks. The three are being held under administrative detention orders, without formal charges. One of them, Meir Ettinger, is the grandson of Meir Kahane, the American-Israeli rabbi regarded as the father of far-right Jewish militancy. Shin Bet did not indicate in its statement on Thursday whether the recent arrests were connected to those earlier detentions, or whether the terrorist organization it referred to was the network responsible for the manifesto and arson manual.

Answer: manifesto and arson manual

Soon after the Duma attack, three Israeli Jews were detained on suspicion of involvement in such a network and in previous arson attacks. The three are being held under administrative detention orders, without formal charges. One of them, Meir Ettinger, is the grandson of Meir Kahane, the American-Israeli rabbi regarded as the father of far-right Jewish militancy. <hl> Shin Bet did not indicate in its statement on Thursday whether the recent arrests were connected to those earlier detentions, or whether the terrorist organization it referred to was the network responsible for the manifesto and arson manual . <hl>

Soon after the Duma attack, three Israeli Jews were detained on suspicion of involvement in such a network and in previous arson attacks. The three are being held under administrative detention orders, without formal charges. One of them, Meir Ettinger, is the grandson of Meir Kahane, the American-Israeli rabbi regarded as the father of far-right Jewish militancy. Shin Bet did not indicate in its statement on Thursday whether the recent arrests were connected to those earlier detentions, or whether the terrorist organization it referred to was the network responsible for the <hl> manifesto and arson manual <hl>.

Shin Bet did not indicate in its statement on Thursday whether the recent arrests were connected to those earlier detentions, or whether the terrorist organization it referred to was the network responsible for the <hl> manifesto and arson manual <hl> .


Question: Both companies were owned by groups of what?

Both companies were previously parts of bigger corporations: NXP was formerly a division of Philips, while Freescale was a division of Motorola. Both were also owned by groups of private equity firms and returned to the public markets in rocky initial public offerings. Representatives for NXP and Freescale were not immediately available for comment. News of the discussions was reported earlier by Reuters.

Answer: private equity firms

Both companies were previously parts of bigger corporations: NXP was formerly a division of Philips, while Freescale was a division of Motorola. <hl> Both were also owned by groups of private equity firms and returned to the public markets in rocky initial public offerings. <hl> Representatives for NXP and Freescale were not immediately available for comment. News of the discussions was reported earlier by Reuters.

Both companies were previously parts of bigger corporations: NXP was formerly a division of Philips, while Freescale was a division of Motorola. Both were also owned by groups of <hl> private equity firms <hl> and returned to the public markets in rocky initial public offerings. Representatives for NXP and Freescale were not immediately available for comment. News of the discussions was reported earlier by Reuters.


Question: Did Dawkins have a family?

After his N.B.A. career ended, Dawkins played professionally in Italy and spent a year with the Harlem Globetrotters. In recent years he coached professional teams in Winnipeg and in Allentown, where he met Janice Hoderman, who became his fourth wife in 2001. A gentle giant in his later years, Dawkins also coached the basketball team at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, Pa., not far from Allentown, where he lived. In addition to his wife, his survivors include their son, Nicholas, and daughter, Alexis; a stepdaughter, Tabitha; a daughter from a previous marriage, Dara; his mother; and several siblings.

Answer: son, Nicholas, and daughter, Alexis; a stepdaughter, Tabitha; a daughter from a previous marriage, Dara; his mother; and several siblings

After his N.B.A. career ended, Dawkins played professionally in Italy and spent a year with the Harlem Globetrotters. In recent years he coached professional teams in Winnipeg and in Allentown, where he met Janice Hoderman, who became his fourth wife in 2001. A gentle giant in his later years, Dawkins also coached the basketball team at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, Pa., not far from Allentown, where he lived. <hl> In addition to his wife, his survivors include their son, Nicholas, and daughter, Alexis; a stepdaughter, Tabitha; a daughter from a previous marriage, Dara; his mother; and several siblings . <hl>

After his N.B.A. career ended, Dawkins played professionally in Italy and spent a year with the Harlem Globetrotters. In recent years he coached professional teams in Winnipeg and in Allentown, where he met Janice Hoderman, who became his fourth wife in 2001. A gentle giant in his later years, Dawkins also coached the basketball team at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, Pa., not far from Allentown, where he lived. In addition to his wife, his survivors include their <hl> son, Nicholas, and daughter, Alexis; a stepdaughter, Tabitha; a daughter from a previous marriage, Dara; his mother; and several siblings <hl>.

In addition to his wife, his survivors include their <hl> son, Nicholas, and daughter, Alexis; a stepdaughter, Tabitha; a daughter from a previous marriage, Dara; his mother; and several siblings <hl> .


Question: How much in worth did benchmark crude oil fall?

The data also caused the dollar to rise sharply against its major currency counterparts. The euro fell to $1.07, its lowest level in six months, and the dollar rose against the Japanese yen to 123.19. The stronger dollar caused a sell-off in commodities as well. Benchmark crude oil fell 91 cents, or 2 percent, to settle at $44.29 a barrel. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 56 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at $47.42 a barrel. Gold fell $16.50, or 1.5 percent, to $1,087.70 an ounce. Silver fell 29 cents, or 2 percent, to $14.69 an ounce. High-grade copper fell a penny, or 0.6 percent, to settle at $2.242 a pound.

Answer: Benchmark crude oil fell 91 cents

The data also caused the dollar to rise sharply against its major currency counterparts. The euro fell to $1.07, its lowest level in six months, and the dollar rose against the Japanese yen to 123.19. The stronger dollar caused a sell-off in commodities as well. <hl> Benchmark crude oil fell 91 cents , or 2 percent, to settle at $44.29 a barrel. <hl> Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 56 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at $47.42 a barrel. Gold fell $16.50, or 1.5 percent, to $1,087.70 an ounce. Silver fell 29 cents, or 2 percent, to $14.69 an ounce. High-grade copper fell a penny, or 0.6 percent, to settle at $2.242 a pound.

The data also caused the dollar to rise sharply against its major currency counterparts. The euro fell to $1.07, its lowest level in six months, and the dollar rose against the Japanese yen to 123.19. The stronger dollar caused a sell-off in commodities as well. <hl> Benchmark crude oil fell 91 cents <hl>, or 2 percent, to settle at $44.29 a barrel. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 56 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at $47.42 a barrel. Gold fell $16.50, or 1.5 percent, to $1,087.70 an ounce. Silver fell 29 cents, or 2 percent, to $14.69 an ounce. High-grade copper fell a penny, or 0.6 percent, to settle at $2.242 a pound.

<hl> Benchmark crude oil fell 91 cents <hl> , or 2 percent, to settle at $44.29 a barrel.


Question: Where do water trucks source their water?

Just over 50 miles north, in the city of Sirjan, decisions long postponed have begun to impose themselves on local officials, forcing them to make difficult choices in allocating scarce water supplies. Wedged between two newly built neighborhoods of five-story apartment buildings, a convoy of water trucks waited in line to fill their 5,000-gallon tanks. Under a deal with the local water management company, up to 400 of these trucks a day draw water from the city’s main well and head to the Golgohar iron mine, the largest such mine in the Middle East. It employs over 7,000 people, many of them from Sirjan, and a water shortage has compounded an already difficult situation brought on by collapsing iron ore prices. “It is internationally unprecedented to carry water with tankers, but we have no other way,” Naser Taghizadeh, chief executive of the Golgohar Iron Ore Company, told the local Negarestan news outlet. “If water is not taken to the complex, projects are stopped, and many people will lose their jobs.”

Answer: the city’s main well

Just over 50 miles north, in the city of Sirjan, decisions long postponed have begun to impose themselves on local officials, forcing them to make difficult choices in allocating scarce water supplies. Wedged between two newly built neighborhoods of five-story apartment buildings, a convoy of water trucks waited in line to fill their 5,000-gallon tanks. <hl> Under a deal with the local water management company, up to 400 of these trucks a day draw water from the city’s main well and head to the Golgohar iron mine, the largest such mine in the Middle East. <hl> It employs over 7,000 people, many of them from Sirjan, and a water shortage has compounded an already difficult situation brought on by collapsing iron ore prices. “It is internationally unprecedented to carry water with tankers, but we have no other way,” Naser Taghizadeh, chief executive of the Golgohar Iron Ore Company, told the local Negarestan news outlet. “If water is not taken to the complex, projects are stopped, and many people will lose their jobs.”

Just over 50 miles north, in the city of Sirjan, decisions long postponed have begun to impose themselves on local officials, forcing them to make difficult choices in allocating scarce water supplies. Wedged between two newly built neighborhoods of five-story apartment buildings, a convoy of water trucks waited in line to fill their 5,000-gallon tanks. Under a deal with the local water management company, up to 400 of these trucks a day draw water from <hl> the city’s main well <hl> and head to the Golgohar iron mine, the largest such mine in the Middle East. It employs over 7,000 people, many of them from Sirjan, and a water shortage has compounded an already difficult situation brought on by collapsing iron ore prices. “It is internationally unprecedented to carry water with tankers, but we have no other way,” Naser Taghizadeh, chief executive of the Golgohar Iron Ore Company, told the local Negarestan news outlet. “If water is not taken to the complex, projects are stopped, and many people will lose their jobs.”


Question: What is the purpose of the 5K?

A separate event, the Girls Prep Ultimate Pi Day 5K, a 3.14-mile run to raise funds for Girls Prep Schools, charter institutions in New York, is at 9:26:53 a.m. on Roosevelt Island, with a race for runners 9 and under at 10:30. (Registration is at publicprep.org/ultimatepiday.) And at 8:30 p.m., the museum will repeat the morning’s free demonstration of pi (location to be announced), with visitors standing in huge circles and holding glow sticks as measuring tools. After a countdown to 9:26:53, the event will conclude with hot chocolate and something even the math-averse can usually digest: pie.

Answer: raise funds for Girls Prep Schools

<hl> A separate event, the Girls Prep Ultimate Pi Day 5K, a 3.14-mile run to raise funds for Girls Prep Schools , charter institutions in New York, is at 9:26:53 a.m. on Roosevelt Island, with a race for runners 9 and under at 10:30. <hl> (Registration is at publicprep.org/ultimatepiday.) And at 8:30 p.m., the museum will repeat the morning’s free demonstration of pi (location to be announced), with visitors standing in huge circles and holding glow sticks as measuring tools. After a countdown to 9:26:53, the event will conclude with hot chocolate and something even the math-averse can usually digest: pie.

A separate event, the Girls Prep Ultimate Pi Day 5K, a 3.14-mile run to <hl> raise funds for Girls Prep Schools <hl>, charter institutions in New York, is at 9:26:53 a.m. on Roosevelt Island, with a race for runners 9 and under at 10:30. (Registration is at publicprep.org/ultimatepiday.) And at 8:30 p.m., the museum will repeat the morning’s free demonstration of pi (location to be announced), with visitors standing in huge circles and holding glow sticks as measuring tools. After a countdown to 9:26:53, the event will conclude with hot chocolate and something even the math-averse can usually digest: pie.

A separate event, the Girls Prep Ultimate Pi Day 5K, a 3.14-mile run to <hl> raise funds for Girls Prep Schools <hl> , charter institutions in New York, is at 9:26:53 a.m. on Roosevelt Island, with a race for runners 9 and under at 10:30.


Question: What does giving people health insurance allow for?

But what about prevention? In certain situations, early spending on someone’s health will stop an expensive disease in its tracks, reducing future spending. Giving people health insurance often enables them to get just this sort of preventive care — and Obamacare requires insurers to offer most preventive services without charging any co-payments. You might expect health spending to jump initially, then slow in future years as people benefit from new prevention. But research shows that even preventive care rarely ends up saving money.

Answer: enables them to get just this sort of preventive care

But what about prevention? In certain situations, early spending on someone’s health will stop an expensive disease in its tracks, reducing future spending. <hl> Giving people health insurance often enables them to get just this sort of preventive care — and Obamacare requires insurers to offer most preventive services without charging any co-payments. <hl> You might expect health spending to jump initially, then slow in future years as people benefit from new prevention. But research shows that even preventive care rarely ends up saving money.

But what about prevention? In certain situations, early spending on someone’s health will stop an expensive disease in its tracks, reducing future spending. Giving people health insurance often <hl> enables them to get just this sort of preventive care <hl> — and Obamacare requires insurers to offer most preventive services without charging any co-payments. You might expect health spending to jump initially, then slow in future years as people benefit from new prevention. But research shows that even preventive care rarely ends up saving money.


Question: How has Mr. Maduro's behavior been characterized as?

Mr. Maduro’s theatrics came as antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in the western city of San Cristóbal to denounce the death of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot last week during a protest. Vilifying Americans during a time of growing unrest and a deepening economic crisis might galvanize his base in the short term, but over the long haul it can only damage his government. And history is likely to record it as yet another self-inflicted wound by a leader whose relatively short time in power has been characterized by impulsive, erratic and vengeful behavior.

Answer: impulsive, erratic and vengeful

Mr. Maduro’s theatrics came as antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in the western city of San Cristóbal to denounce the death of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot last week during a protest. Vilifying Americans during a time of growing unrest and a deepening economic crisis might galvanize his base in the short term, but over the long haul it can only damage his government. <hl> And history is likely to record it as yet another self-inflicted wound by a leader whose relatively short time in power has been characterized by impulsive, erratic and vengeful behavior. <hl>

Mr. Maduro’s theatrics came as antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in the western city of San Cristóbal to denounce the death of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot last week during a protest. Vilifying Americans during a time of growing unrest and a deepening economic crisis might galvanize his base in the short term, but over the long haul it can only damage his government. And history is likely to record it as yet another self-inflicted wound by a leader whose relatively short time in power has been characterized by <hl> impulsive, erratic and vengeful <hl> behavior.


Question: How many units of affordable housing have been promised to be built or preserved?

Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for an overhaul of housing programs and tax incentives to spur the construction of tens of thousands of apartments for poor New Yorkers, as well as teachers, firefighters and other workers, who increasingly find themselves priced out of a booming real estate market and rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. The proposals, which would require approval by the State Legislature, are central to the mayor’s promise to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years.

Answer: 200,000

Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for an overhaul of housing programs and tax incentives to spur the construction of tens of thousands of apartments for poor New Yorkers, as well as teachers, firefighters and other workers, who increasingly find themselves priced out of a booming real estate market and rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. <hl> The proposals, which would require approval by the State Legislature, are central to the mayor’s promise to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years. <hl>

Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for an overhaul of housing programs and tax incentives to spur the construction of tens of thousands of apartments for poor New Yorkers, as well as teachers, firefighters and other workers, who increasingly find themselves priced out of a booming real estate market and rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. The proposals, which would require approval by the State Legislature, are central to the mayor’s promise to build or preserve <hl> 200,000 <hl> units of affordable housing over 10 years.


Question: how many percent offered units?

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: 48

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. <hl> In financial services, only 48 percent offered units. <hl> 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. 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 <hl> 48 <hl> 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 country is Hamada Ben-Amor from?

The exhibition looks at this evolution, and then the vital role that music played in the Arab Spring. On Nov. 7, 2010, Hamada Ben-Amor, a young rapper in Tunisia known as “El Général,” released a song criticizing the government of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The biting rhymes of the song, “Rais Lebled” (President, Your Country), led to the rapper's arrest on Jan. 6. But despite the government’s attempt to make his music disappear, El Général’s song quickly became the anthem of the Arab Spring. Toward the end of “Hip-Hop, From the Bronx to the Arab Street,” visitors get a chance to view an exclusive sampling of art works made by international graffiti artists. The unique work of the Lebanese artist Yazan Halwani, who combines Arabic calligraphy and graffiti, finds echoes in the slogans of the Tunisian graffiti artist Meen-one. It’s another reminder of hip-hop as a cultural form and its role as a platform for artists to spread political and social messages.

Answer: Tunisia

The exhibition looks at this evolution, and then the vital role that music played in the Arab Spring. <hl> On Nov. 7, 2010, Hamada Ben-Amor, a young rapper in Tunisia known as “El Général,” released a song criticizing the government of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. <hl> The biting rhymes of the song, “Rais Lebled” (President, Your Country), led to the rapper's arrest on Jan. 6. But despite the government’s attempt to make his music disappear, El Général’s song quickly became the anthem of the Arab Spring. Toward the end of “Hip-Hop, From the Bronx to the Arab Street,” visitors get a chance to view an exclusive sampling of art works made by international graffiti artists. The unique work of the Lebanese artist Yazan Halwani, who combines Arabic calligraphy and graffiti, finds echoes in the slogans of the Tunisian graffiti artist Meen-one. It’s another reminder of hip-hop as a cultural form and its role as a platform for artists to spread political and social messages.

The exhibition looks at this evolution, and then the vital role that music played in the Arab Spring. On Nov. 7, 2010, Hamada Ben-Amor, a young rapper in <hl> Tunisia <hl> known as “El Général,” released a song criticizing the government of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The biting rhymes of the song, “Rais Lebled” (President, Your Country), led to the rapper's arrest on Jan. 6. But despite the government’s attempt to make his music disappear, El Général’s song quickly became the anthem of the Arab Spring. Toward the end of “Hip-Hop, From the Bronx to the Arab Street,” visitors get a chance to view an exclusive sampling of art works made by international graffiti artists. The unique work of the Lebanese artist Yazan Halwani, who combines Arabic calligraphy and graffiti, finds echoes in the slogans of the Tunisian graffiti artist Meen-one. It’s another reminder of hip-hop as a cultural form and its role as a platform for artists to spread political and social messages.


Question: What did the trade association ask for?

Warning of the business impact of legal uncertainty, the National Association of Manufacturers wrote a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to take the case. The group said it took no position on the criminal or civil cases. Instead, the trade association called for clarity. “Companies,” the brief states, “need to know where the legal lines are drawn in order to structure their transactions for goods intended for eventual import into the United States.” Richard A. Posner, a federal appeals court judge and a prominent legal theorist, wrote the opinion in the Motorola case. His opinions, law scholars note, are as much conceptual essays as legal documents — often debated, and never boring. His ruling in a smartphone patent case in 2012, for example, was a sweeping critique of the patent system, describing it as a system in “chaos.”

Answer: clarity

Warning of the business impact of legal uncertainty, the National Association of Manufacturers wrote a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to take the case. The group said it took no position on the criminal or civil cases. <hl> Instead, the trade association called for clarity . <hl> “Companies,” the brief states, “need to know where the legal lines are drawn in order to structure their transactions for goods intended for eventual import into the United States.” Richard A. Posner, a federal appeals court judge and a prominent legal theorist, wrote the opinion in the Motorola case. His opinions, law scholars note, are as much conceptual essays as legal documents — often debated, and never boring. His ruling in a smartphone patent case in 2012, for example, was a sweeping critique of the patent system, describing it as a system in “chaos.”

Warning of the business impact of legal uncertainty, the National Association of Manufacturers wrote a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to take the case. The group said it took no position on the criminal or civil cases. Instead, the trade association called for <hl> clarity <hl>. “Companies,” the brief states, “need to know where the legal lines are drawn in order to structure their transactions for goods intended for eventual import into the United States.” Richard A. Posner, a federal appeals court judge and a prominent legal theorist, wrote the opinion in the Motorola case. His opinions, law scholars note, are as much conceptual essays as legal documents — often debated, and never boring. His ruling in a smartphone patent case in 2012, for example, was a sweeping critique of the patent system, describing it as a system in “chaos.”

Instead, the trade association called for <hl> clarity <hl> .


Question: What noises are described as being heard?

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Scores of Syrian government soldiers and civilians besieged by insurgents for nearly a month in a hospital in northern Syria fled on Friday in a dramatic exit that both the army and its opponents promptly claimed as a victory. Videos posted by each side showed lines of uniformed soldiers trotting away across a field as what sounded like rifle and artillery fire echoed in the background; the government claimed that they reached safety, while insurgents claimed that many were killed or captured.

Answer: rifle and artillery fire

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Scores of Syrian government soldiers and civilians besieged by insurgents for nearly a month in a hospital in northern Syria fled on Friday in a dramatic exit that both the army and its opponents promptly claimed as a victory. <hl> Videos posted by each side showed lines of uniformed soldiers trotting away across a field as what sounded like rifle and artillery fire echoed in the background; the government claimed that they reached safety, while insurgents claimed that many were killed or captured. <hl>

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Scores of Syrian government soldiers and civilians besieged by insurgents for nearly a month in a hospital in northern Syria fled on Friday in a dramatic exit that both the army and its opponents promptly claimed as a victory. Videos posted by each side showed lines of uniformed soldiers trotting away across a field as what sounded like <hl> rifle and artillery fire <hl> echoed in the background; the government claimed that they reached safety, while insurgents claimed that many were killed or captured.


Question: Who wrote the book "Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush"?

That hardball, in-the-trenches style of politics, said friends, aides and scholars of the three men, goes against the ethos of the blue-blooded dynasty with roots in New England, where manners and decorum were ingrained not just at the dinner table but in the halls and playing fields of Andover. “Even the most visceral of the Bushes, George W. Bush, has been averse to that kind of pugnation,” said Robert Draper, the author of “Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush.” “The charitable view of it is manners — it’s better not to flash anger and swing elbows. The less charitable view is it derives from a kind of superiority that Bushes don’t fight in alleys.”

Answer: Robert Draper

That hardball, in-the-trenches style of politics, said friends, aides and scholars of the three men, goes against the ethos of the blue-blooded dynasty with roots in New England, where manners and decorum were ingrained not just at the dinner table but in the halls and playing fields of Andover. <hl> “Even the most visceral of the Bushes, George W. Bush, has been averse to that kind of pugnation,” said Robert Draper , the author of “Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush.” <hl> “The charitable view of it is manners — it’s better not to flash anger and swing elbows. The less charitable view is it derives from a kind of superiority that Bushes don’t fight in alleys.”

That hardball, in-the-trenches style of politics, said friends, aides and scholars of the three men, goes against the ethos of the blue-blooded dynasty with roots in New England, where manners and decorum were ingrained not just at the dinner table but in the halls and playing fields of Andover. “Even the most visceral of the Bushes, George W. Bush, has been averse to that kind of pugnation,” said <hl> Robert Draper <hl>, the author of “Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush.” “The charitable view of it is manners — it’s better not to flash anger and swing elbows. The less charitable view is it derives from a kind of superiority that Bushes don’t fight in alleys.”

“Even the most visceral of the Bushes, George W. Bush, has been averse to that kind of pugnation,” said <hl> Robert Draper <hl> , the author of “Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush.”


Question: Who is the franchise cornerstone for the Cubs?

This belief is not born of the syrupy, early April optimism that is bred into Cubs fans. That was beaten out of me long ago, either by so many years as a sportswriter or by Larry Himes’s stint as general manager. (For the uninitiated, he is the one who let Greg Maddux leave.) Instead, there are plenty of perfectly plausible, rational reasons this is really going to be the Cubs’ year. The new manager, Joe Maddon, won’t treat the 107-year wait for a championship as a 107-ton weight. Jon Lester is a war horse of a pitcher, Anthony Rizzo is a franchise cornerstone, and Kris Bryant looks like a star in waiting.

Answer: Anthony Rizzo

This belief is not born of the syrupy, early April optimism that is bred into Cubs fans. That was beaten out of me long ago, either by so many years as a sportswriter or by Larry Himes’s stint as general manager. (For the uninitiated, he is the one who let Greg Maddux leave.) Instead, there are plenty of perfectly plausible, rational reasons this is really going to be the Cubs’ year. The new manager, Joe Maddon, won’t treat the 107-year wait for a championship as a 107-ton weight. <hl> Jon Lester is a war horse of a pitcher, Anthony Rizzo is a franchise cornerstone, and Kris Bryant looks like a star in waiting. <hl>

This belief is not born of the syrupy, early April optimism that is bred into Cubs fans. That was beaten out of me long ago, either by so many years as a sportswriter or by Larry Himes’s stint as general manager. (For the uninitiated, he is the one who let Greg Maddux leave.) Instead, there are plenty of perfectly plausible, rational reasons this is really going to be the Cubs’ year. The new manager, Joe Maddon, won’t treat the 107-year wait for a championship as a 107-ton weight. Jon Lester is a war horse of a pitcher, <hl> Anthony Rizzo <hl> is a franchise cornerstone, and Kris Bryant looks like a star in waiting.


Question: Who is a competitor to Barnes and Noble?

Still, the company’s struggles are probably far from over. Barnes & Noble has been battered by Amazon, its powerful online rival, and has incurred big financial losses from its largely failed attempt to carve out territory in the e-book space with the Nook. While the company posted lower losses in its Nook division in the most recent quarter, sales were still disappointing, as the Nook segment tumbled 31.9 percent to $43.5 million, primarily because of lower digital content sales. The chain has closed more than 70 stores around the country in the last five years, and plans to close 10 more in the coming year.

Answer: Amazon

Still, the company’s struggles are probably far from over. <hl> Barnes & Noble has been battered by Amazon , its powerful online rival, and has incurred big financial losses from its largely failed attempt to carve out territory in the e-book space with the Nook. <hl> While the company posted lower losses in its Nook division in the most recent quarter, sales were still disappointing, as the Nook segment tumbled 31.9 percent to $43.5 million, primarily because of lower digital content sales. The chain has closed more than 70 stores around the country in the last five years, and plans to close 10 more in the coming year.

Still, the company’s struggles are probably far from over. Barnes & Noble has been battered by <hl> Amazon <hl>, its powerful online rival, and has incurred big financial losses from its largely failed attempt to carve out territory in the e-book space with the Nook. While the company posted lower losses in its Nook division in the most recent quarter, sales were still disappointing, as the Nook segment tumbled 31.9 percent to $43.5 million, primarily because of lower digital content sales. The chain has closed more than 70 stores around the country in the last five years, and plans to close 10 more in the coming year.

Barnes & Noble has been battered by <hl> Amazon <hl> , its powerful online rival, and has incurred big financial losses from its largely failed attempt to carve out territory in the e-book space with the Nook.