input: CHAPTER XXVI

ON THE TRAIL

It was a long, wet sail up the coast with the wind ahead, and Carroll was quite content when, on reaching Comox, Vane announced his intention of stopping there until the mail came in. Immediately after its arrival, Carroll went ashore, and came back empty-handed.

"Nothing," he reported. "Personally, I'm pleased. Nairn could have advised us here if there had been any striking developments since we left the last place."

"I wasn't expecting to hear from him," Vane replied tersely.

Carroll read keen disappointment in his face, and was not surprised, although the absence of any message meant that it was safe for them to go on with their project and that should have afforded his companion satisfaction. The latter sat on deck, gazing somewhat moodily across the ruffled water toward the snow-clad heights of the mainland range. They towered, dimly white and majestic, above a scarcely-trodden wilderness, and Carroll, at least, was not pleasantly impressed by the spectacle. Though not to be expected always, the cold snaps are now and then severe in those wilds. Indeed, at odd times a frost almost as rigorous as that of Alaska lays its icy grip upon the mountains and the usually damp forests at their feet.

"I wish I could have got a man to go with us, but between the coal development and the logging, everybody's busy," he remarked.

"It doesn't matter," Vane assured him. "If we took a man along and came back unsuccessful, there'd be a risk of his giving the thing away. Besides, he might make trouble in other respects. A hired packer would probably kick against what you and I may have to put up with." 1. Was there any mail at Comox?
2. How did Carroll feel about that?
3. But was Carroll?
4. When there was no mail did that mean that it OK to go on?
5. Where was Vane sitting?
6. What was he doing there?
7. At What?
8. Was Carroll happy about what he saw?
9. Could it get cold there?
10. As cold as where? Return numbered answers in your output.

output: 1. No
2. Vane was didsppointed
3. unknown
4. yes
5. on deck
6. gazing somewhat moodily
7. the snow-clad heights of the mainland range
8. was not pleasantly impressed
9. yes
10. Alaska

input: One day, a boy named Sam went to the doctor because he fell and hurt his knee. He was riding his green tricycle in the yard when it happened. He played with yellow and red blocks in the waiting room before his visit with the doctor. His mother was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine and talking to other mothers sitting around her. The friendly nurse called Sam from the waiting room to finally visit the doctor. The nurse weighed Sam, measured his height, and asked him questions about the foods he had eaten that day. The nurse also took his temperature to make sure that he did not have a fever. After the nurse left the room, the doctor came in and asked Sam about his knee. Sam told the doctor all about his fall off the tricycle and the doctor wrote a lot of notes down. Doctors write a lot of notes so they can tell people like Sam more about their accidents. The doctor said, "Wow Sam! It sounds like you had quite a fall." The doctor put a bandage on his knee and gave him some medicine to take once he got home. On the way out of the doctor's office, Sam took a purple lollipop to eat on the car ride home. Sam's mom drove him back home, telling him to be careful for the next time that he plays outside. Sam's mom really cared about him and didn't like to see him get hurt. 1. Who went to the doctor?
2. Why?
3. How did he do it?
4. Where?
5. What did he play with in the waiting room?
6. Where was his mother sitting?
7. What was she doing?
8. Anything else?
9. Were the other mothers sitting?
10. Who called him from the waiting room? Return numbered answers in your output.

output: 1. Sam
2. he fell and hurt his knee
3. He was riding his green tricycle
4. in the yard
5. yellow and red blocks
6. a chair
7. reading a magazine
8. talking to other mothers
9. around her
10. The friendly nurse

input: (CNN) -- Before the Arab Spring came the Damascus Spring. When Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father Hafez Assad in 2000, there was the promise of a modern and more democratic Syria.

In his inauguration speech, al-Assad indicated he would be a very different kind of leader to his father. "I shall try my very best to lead our country towards a future that fulfils the hopes and legitimate ambitions of our people," he said.

And for a while that promise was kept. His official website says he has built free-trade zones, licensed more private newspapers and private universities, and fought government waste and corruption. He has also worked on social and economic reform.

But while there have been some changes during his rule, many say al-Assad's promises have largely not been delivered.

Human Rights Watch has called his time as president "the wasted decade" with a media that remains controlled by the state, a monitored and censored internet and prisons still filled with dissidents.

Two former regime insiders -- now its opponents -- recalled their time with the younger al-Assad. Former vice president Abdel Halim Khaddam said Bashar was often the victim of his elder brother's cruelty. "His brother Basil bullied him as a child. His father never gave him as much attention as Basil," Khaddam said.

Al-Assad's uncle Rifaat, who left Syria in 1984 after being involved in a failed coup, also recalled the future president.

"He is very different than his father. Hafez was a leader, the head of the entire regime, while Bashar was never that close to being one and never fell within that framework. He is being perceived as the leader but he follows what the regime decides on his behalf." 1. What came before the Arab Spring?
2. Who succeeded his father?
3. Who was his father?
4. When?
5. Was there a promise?
6. of what?
7. What does his website say he built?
8. Anything else?
9. What kind of reform has he worked on?
10. Have there been changes under his rule?
11. Has he delivered on his promise?
12. What did a group call his time as president?
13. Who said that
14. who is Abdel Halim Khaddam?
15. Who is Basil?
16. Who is Rifaat?
17. When did he leave Syria?
18. Why?
19. Did he say Bashar was different than his father?
20. Does he think Bashar is a leader? Return numbered answers in your output.

output:
1. Damascus Spring
2. Bashar al-Assad
3. Hafez Assad
4. 2000
5. Yes
6. A more modern and democratic Syria
7. Free-trade zones
8. He fought government waste and corruption
9. Social and economic
10. Yes
11. Many say no.
12. The wasted decade
13. Human Rights Watch
14. Former vice president of Syria
15. Bashar's brother
16. Al-Assad's uncle
17. 1984
18. He was involved in a failed coup
19. Yes
20. No