China's Defense Ministry said Thursday that a U.S. decision to disinvite China from a major international maritime exercise is "unconstructive." A ministry statement said despite the decision, China will continue playing a role in "maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region." The United States announced its move Wednesday, saying Beijing's "destabilizing behavior" in the South China Sea is inconsistent with the principles of the U.S.-led drill. "China's continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea only serve to raise tensions and destabilize the region," read a statement from Lt. Col. Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman. The statement said that disinviting China from the 2018 RIMPAC is an "initial" response to Beijing's South China Sea activities. It did not specify what other steps may be taken. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China's activity in the South China Sea was for self-defense and that it was a "much smaller scale" than what the United States had done in Hawaii and Guam. "We hope that the U.S. will change such a negative mindset," he said at a joint news conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Since 2014, China has taken part in RIMPAC, the world's largest international maritime drill, which is held every two years in Hawaii. It's a reflection of expanding U.S.-China military ties, despite tensions over Beijing's construction of man-made islands in the South China Sea, some of which have been militarized. "We have strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea. China's landing bomber aircraft at Woody Island has also raised tensions," the Pentagon statement said. "We have called on China to remove the military systems immediately and to reverse course on the militarization of disputed South China Sea features," the statement added. "We believe these recent deployments and the continued... Where did China militarize? Pick the correct answer from the following options: A. Spratly Islands B. not enough information C. USA D. England
A

(Question)
Today, I want to share why I think you should interview real estate agents before hiring one. Why You Should Interview Real Estate Agents Truth be told, I have only purchased one house and I'm in the process of selling it. My husband and I thought long and hard about whether we would try to sell our property on our own or hire someone to represent us. In the end, we chose the latter. If you have ever shared with friends or family that you're looking for a home or thinking of selling your own, most everyone says something along the lines of, "Oh! I know a realtor I can recommend!" Many of you may know a real estate agent personally as well. I still think it makes sense to interview any prospective agents because they are being paid by you. When you hire someone to do work on your home, you get estimates and gather information about how and when the work will be done. When you are looking for babysitters, you meet them and see how they'll interact with your child. When you're an employer, you interview any potential employees. Don't Take The Easy Route with Previous Agents and Friends Just because a friend is a realtor, doesn't mean they'll be the best real estate agent for you. Just because a friend recommends their realtor to you, doesn't mean you have to hire him/her. It's business and nobody should take it personally. Interviewing real estate agents just makes sense. Oftentimes, people don't. Why not just use the realtor that sold you the house you're currently in? Well, you can. But do you know how that realtor handles business when they are the listing agent versus the buyer's agent? Do you know if they'll want to pursue the option to be a dual agent (and double their commission)? Why not interview them while interviewing others? It won't hurt. How long should it take to hire a real estate agent? Pick the correct answer from the following options: A. it should take some time to interview multiple agents before making a decision B. not enough information C. you should take a few months to review agent profiles online before moving forward D. you should call the first person recommended and hire them the same day
(Answer)
A

Just a quick review today to talk about these haircare and bodycare products from Yes to Regular readers of Beauty Best Friend will know that I'm always looking out for new natural skincare and bodycare ranges as I'm passionate about products that don't contain lots of nasty chemicals. Yes to is one of these natural brands, based in California their products are always made from at least 95% natural ingredients, are free of parabens, phthalates and SLS, and made with recyclable materials. There are 6 collections, each involves saying 'Yes to' a different fruit or vegetable. The products I've been trying out are Yes to Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash* and Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo and Pampering Conditioner*. Yes to Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash the grapefruit range is aimed at those with uneven or dull skintone. This pearlised white shower gel has a gentle zingy grapefruit scent to wake you up in the morning and exfoliating fruit acids help to remove dead skin cells leaving your skin glowing and smooth. The ingredients are 98% natural and the body wash gives a light foam in the shower. I really like it, grapefruit is one of my favourite fruity scents and the large 280ml tube will last me for ages. Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo & Pampering Conditioner I always avoid sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) in my haircare products as I have a very sensitive scalp and SLS makes it really itchy and sore, so I was really pleased to read that this shampoo and conditioner are SLS free. Made from 97% and 95% natural ingredients respectively this shampoo and conditioner have been formulated for those with a dry scalp and contain carrot seed oil. Both products have a pleasant sweet scent although I wouldn't say they smell of carrots! My thick hair feels clean and soft after using this duo and my favourite thing is that the conditioner totally prevents my hair from tangling in the shower leaving it manageable afterwards. I can run a brush straight through it when drying without having to get all the knots out first! The speaker believes natural skincare and bodycare products Pick the correct answer from the following options: A. Have a lot of SLS chemicals B. Contains large amounts of sodium sulphate C. not enough information D. Are more gentle on skin and hair
D