input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a passenger railroad service that provides medium- and long-distance intercity service in the contiguous United States. Founded in 1971 to take over most of the remaining U.S. passenger rail services, it is partially government funded yet operated and managed as a for-profit corporation.

Amtrak serves more than 500 destinations in 46 states and three Canadian provinces, operating more than 300 trains each day over of track. Some track sections allow trains to run as fast as .

In fiscal year 2015, Amtrak served 30.8million passengers and had $2.185 billion in revenue, while employing more than 20,000 people. Nearly two-thirds of passengers come from the 10 largest metropolitan areas; 83% of passengers travel on routes shorter than . Its headquarters is at Union Station in Washington, D.C.

The name "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "trak", the latter itself a sensational spelling of "track".

In 1916 98% of all commercial intercity travelers in the United States moved by rail; the remaining 2% moved by inland waterways. Passenger traffic on the railroads totaled 42 billion passenger-miles. Passenger trains were owned and operated by the same privately owned companies that operated freight trains. Thereafter patronage declined in the face of competition from buses, air travel, and the automobile. New streamlined diesel-powered trains such as the "Pioneer Zephyr" were popular with the traveling public but could not reverse the trend. By 1940 railroads held just 67 percent of commercial passenger-miles in the United States. In real terms, passenger-miles had fallen by 40% since 1916, from 42 billion to 25 billion. 1. Who was doing business with antrak?
2. what is amtrak?
3. did they do short distace?
4. how many trains are operated?
5. when was it founded?
6. were they international travelers?
7. how many states are served?
8. is it a for profit or non profit?
9. how many stops does it have?
10. how many people rode in 2015
11. what makes up the name Amtrak?
12. do they travel to canada?
13. who partially funds it?
14. how many provinces do they travel to?
15. where do most of the passengers come from?
16. how many people traveled by train in 1916?
17. what about waterway?
18. What percent did it drop to 1940?
19. What is trak short for?
20. where is it headquarters?
numbered_answers: 1. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation
2. passenger railroad service
3. no
4. more than 300
5. 1971
6. yes
7. 46
8. for-profit
9. 500
10. 30.8million
11. "America" and "trak",
12. yes
13. government
14. three
15. the largest metropolitan areas
16. 42 billion passenger-miles.
17. Two
18. 67
19. track
20. Union Station

Q: CHAPTER XIV

DEFEAT

A good fire burned on the hearth in the library at Sandymere, although the mild air of an early spring morning floated in through the open window. Challoner sat in a big leather chair, watching the flames and thinking of his nephew, when a servant entered and handed him a card.

Challoner glanced at it.

"Clarke? I don't know any one of that name--"

He stopped abruptly as he saw the word _Sweetwater_ in small type at the bottom of the card. He knew that that was the name of the prairie town from which Blake had started on his quest into the wilderness.

"All right, Perkins," he said, rather eagerly; and a few minutes afterward Clarke entered the room, with an irritating air of assurance.

"Colonel Challoner, I presume?"

Challoner bowed.

"You have brought me some news of my nephew, Richard Blake?"

This disconcerted Clarke. He had not imagined that his object would be known, and he had counted upon Challoner's being surprised and thrown off his guard. It looked as if the Colonel had been making inquiries about Blake. Clarke wished that he could guess his reason, for it might affect the situation.

"That is correct," he said. "I have a good deal to tell you, and it may take some time."

Challoner motioned to him to be seated, and offered him a cigar; and Clarke lighted it before he spoke.

"Your nephew," he began, "spent a week in the settlement where I live, preparing for a journey to the North. Though his object was secret, I believe he went in search of something to make varnish of, because he took with him a young American traveler for a paint factory, besides another man."

Answer the following questions:
1. Who lit his cigar?
2. What was the nephew's name?
3. What was burning?
4. Where?
5. Who was sitting in a leather chair?
6. Did someone hand him a letter?
7. Who?
8. Who came into the room?
9. What news did he bring?
10. What name was at the bottom of the card?
11. What was Sweetwater?
12. Was it evening when all this was happening?
13. What time of day was it?
14. What was Clarke disconcerted by?
15. What was he counting on?
16. How long was the nephew in the settlement where Clarke lived?
17. What was he doing there?
18. What was he looking for?
19. Who did he take with him?
20. Where was one of the men from?
A:
1. Clarke
2. Richard Blake
3. fire
4. library
5. Challoner
6. yes
7. a servant
8. Clarke
9. of my nephew
10. Sweetwater
11. the prairie town from which Blake had started on his quest into the wilderness
12. no
13. early morning
14. his object would be known
15. Challoner's being surprised and thrown off his guard
16. week
17. preparing for a journey
18. something to make varnish
19. 2 men
20. paint factory