Article: Look for one with firm, green leaves that have not turned yellow or brown. The skin on the fruit should be golden brown and firm to the touch. Smell the pineapple to see if it's ripe: it should emit sweet, heady smell indicating that you've chosen it at just the right time to start a new pineapple plant. Make sure the pineapple isn't underripe. It needs to be ripe in order to produce another pineapple. Check to make sure the pineapple isn't too ripe by tugging a little at the leaves. If they come right off, the pineapple is too ripe to plant. Be gentle. Make sure the pineapple doesn't have scale insects around the base of the leaves. They look like small grayish black spots.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Pick out a fresh pineapple.
Article: Developing your mixed voice is a complex task that is one of the most complicated vocal techniques in singing. Many classically-trained voice teachers cannot do it! If you're determined to learn how to do it, find a vocal coach with experience in this area to guide you. Chromatic scales are composed of notes in sequence, like the keys of a piano. Start with a scale a few notes below the break point in your registerthe moment you normally switch from chest voice to head voice. Sing 5-note chromatic scales above, through, and below the break, in ascending and descending patterns. Keep your tone even, and go slowly. Don't rush the difficult notes. You will naturally blend your head and chest voices if you sing below and above your register break without changing your tone. Play along on a piano as you sing, or sing along to a recording of vocal exercises. You can easily find free recordings of 5-note chromatic scales for vocal exercise online. While warming up, sing short scales. Rather than singing each note distinctly, "slide" your voice from one note to the next. Sing up and down a scale. Go slowly and do not allow yourself to vary your speed, so that you don't skip over your register break. Yawn widely to stretch your lips. Purse your lips and say "buh-buh-buh" while singing a scale. Try to make a good clear noise, not releasing too much air. If your lips keep losing the trill, stop and yawn, or put a finger in each cheek on either side of your mouth. Use this exercise regularly. The beginning of your routine is a good time for it, as it warms up your mouth. Do your trills for a scale longer each time. When singing using your chest voice, focus on not straining your throat.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Find a vocal coach to help you learn this technique. Sing 5-note chromatic scales. Slur your scales. Practice lip trills.
Article: The trick to dressing in period style is to understand the trends and fads of that era. So if you're dressing as the Great Gatsby, knowing a bit about the Roaring '20s is helpful. That means wearing a pinstripe suit, shoes with spats and maybe even a decorative cane or low-brimmed hat with a band. When you think of history, what comes to mind? Great conquerors, presidents, royalty, celebrities? These are some examples of people to portray whom others will recognize immediately: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth I, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, a Roman gladiator, Joan of Arc, Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, William Wallace (Braveheart), Amelia Earhart, Florence Nightingale, a Viking, Albert Einstein or Pocahontas. If you choose to be Benjamin Franklin, you might find some colonial-style dress in a costume store, but what about a pair of spectacles or stockings? Sometimes, you might have to look elsewhere for these kinds of items, whether it's your grandmother's attic or a thrift store.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Get the clothing right. Pick someone easily recognizable. Don't skimp on accessories.