question: London (CNN) -- Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, is fond of saying that when the United Nations was first formed in 1945, it had just 50 members. Today, he adds, that figure has risen to almost 200. It's a nice line, although in reality the emergence of a new nation remains relatively rare.

But there does seem to be a pattern emerging, in Europe and beyond. In Spain (Catalonia) and Belgium (Flanders), as well as the United Kingdom (Scotland), secessionist movements appear to be on the rise. All three have existed for decades, yet they seem particularly lively in the second decade of the 21st century.

Thus Salmond, who this weekend addresses delegates at the Scottish National Party's annual conference in the Scottish city of Perth, likes to talk of Scotland's "home rule journey" being part of a bigger international trend. His point is clear: "independence," far from being dangerous or unusual, is a natural state of affairs.

Professor Robert Young, an expert in secession, says all three countries have a history of regional -- or devolved -- government (relatively recently in the case of the UK). "I was considering the old question," he says, "about whether regional government structures aid or inhibit secessionist movements.

"It seems to me that they aid them, other things being equal. The secessionist party will come to power, sooner or later, because governments become unpopular. If they then govern well, this serves as a further mobilizing mechanism."

Only recently a secessionist movement, the nationalist party Convergencia i Unio first took office in Catalonia in 1980, while in Scotland the SNP formed a minority government in 2007 -- becoming a majority four years later. In Flanders the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, which wants gradual secession from Belgium, recently swept the board in municipal elections.
1. What seems to be on the rises at the UN?
2. Who is Alex Salmond?
3. When was the UN formed?
4. With how many members?
5. How many are there now?
6. Who is Salmond addressing soon?
7. at what?
8. Where?
9. What does he like to talk about?
10. What is his main point?
11. Does he think it's dangerous?
12. What is Robert Young's job?
13. What is he an expert in?
14. What will happen to the secessionist party?
15. Does he think governments are becoming popular?
16. What happened in 1980?
17. And in 2007?
18. What happened later?
19. How much later did that happen?
20. Who won the municipal elections?
****
answer: 1. Membership.
2. Scotland's First Minister
3. 1945
4. 50
5. 200
6. delegates
7. Tthe Scottish National Party's annual conference
8. Perth.
9. The "home rule journey"
10. "independence," is a natural state of affairs.
11. No
12. Professor
13. Secession
14. It will come to power
15. No.
16. Convergencia i Unio took office.
17. The SNP formed a minority government.
18. They became a majority.
19. Four years later.
20. Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie

question: (CNN) -- So there was Hank Aaron, leaning back in his chair during an exclusive CNN interview in the clubhouse of an Atlanta golf club, and the former slugger of the Atlanta Braves was fretting over the spot.

What's going to happen to the spot, he said, raising his eyebrows? It's the spot that was visited on April 8, 1974, by a baseball representing the 715th home run of his career.

Just like that, Babe Ruth's record was history.

So is the spot -- almost.

For now, the spot is preserved in a parking lot that once was Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, where Aaron sealed his immortality with his high-arching blast over the fence in left-center field. The spot is surrounded by part of the old ballpark's outfield wall, and high above the spot is a large baseball-shaped placard with the inscription: Hank Aaron, home run, 715, April 8, 1974.

The whole scene is illuminated by lights. As a result, those traveling across the street to the Braves' current place of Turner Field can see the spot as they either walk through or drive by the parking lot at night.

"I'd hate for that mark to be destroyed," said Aaron, shaking his head while looking visibly distraught. "In fact, I've gone out there with several people and taken pictures at that spot."

That spot is among the places in the universe that should remain as unmolested as possible for eternity. Think Gettysburg. The Mount of Olives. Dealey Plaza. Tranquility Base.

What Aaron did 40 years ago Tuesday with a flick of his quick wrists was as much for society as it was for baseball. Just 27 years after Jackie Robinson broke the game's color barrier, Aaron was a black man from Mobile, Alabama, shattering the most sacred of records, not only for baseball, but for sports. The old mark belonged to a white man who was so beloved that he is credited with helping to save the game during the 1920s.
1. Which network was airing the interview?
2. Whose interview?
3. Who is he?
4. Which team?
5. Is he still playing for them?
6. Where the spot is preserved?
7. Where is the lot?
8. Where Aaron is from?
9. What is his racial background?
10. What record he broke?
11. What Aaron is credited with?
12. Did he help save the game?
13. During which decade?
****
answer: 1. CNN
2. Hank Aaron
3. former baseball player
4. Atlanta Braves
5. no
6. in a parking lot
7. what once was Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium,
8. Mobile, Alabama
9. black
10. Babe Ruth's record
11. shattering the most sacred of records, not only for baseball, but for sports
12. possibly
13. Babe Ruth saved it in the 1920s

question: A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for analyzing the structure of whole social entities as well as a variety of theories explaining the patterns observed in these structures. The study of these structures uses social network analysis to identify local and global patterns, locate influential entities, and examine network dynamics.

Social networks and the analysis of them is an inherently interdisciplinary academic field which emerged from social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory. Georg Simmel authored early structural theories in sociology emphasizing the dynamics of triads and "web of group affiliations". Jacob Moreno is credited with developing the first sociograms in the 1930s to study interpersonal relationships. These approaches were mathematically formalized in the 1950s and theories and methods of social networks became pervasive in the social and behavioral sciences by the 1980s. Social network analysis is now one of the major paradigms in contemporary sociology, and is also employed in a number of other social and formal sciences. Together with other complex networks, it forms part of the nascent field of network science.
1. Who created the first sociograms?
2. when?
3. What for?
4. What did Georg Simmel write?
5. Dealing with dynamics of what?
6. What does a social network consist of?
7. What happens between actors?
8. What give a set of methods?
9. Does this analyze just part of the social parts?
10. How much?
11. What do the theories explain?
12. What is one reason to study this?
13. What's another?
14. Do you know of any more?
15. Does studying social networks just include one field?
16. How many did it come from?
17. What are they?
18. How was this formalized in the 50s
19. What field of science is this part of?
20. Is it part of modern sociology?
****
answer:
1. Jacob Moreno
2. the 1930s
3. to study interpersonal relationships
4. early structural theories in sociology
5. triads
6. a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations) and sets of dyadic ties
7. social interactions
8. The social network perspective
9. no
10. whole social entities
11. the patterns observed in these structures
12. to identify local and global patterns
13. to locate influential entities
14. to examine network dynamics
15. no
16. Four
17. social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory
18. mathematically
19. network science
20. yes