Problem: Birds (Aves) are a group of endothermic vertebrates, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a lightweight but strong skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5 cm (2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.75 m (9 ft) ostrich. They rank as the class of tetrapods with the most living species, at approximately ten thousand, with more than half of these being passerines, sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds.

The fossil record indicates that birds are the last surviving dinosaurs, having evolved from feathered ancestors within the theropod group of saurischian dinosaurs. True birds first appeared during the Cretaceous period, around 100 million years ago. DNA-based evidence finds that birds diversified dramatically around the time of the CretaceousPaleogene extinction event that killed off all other dinosaurs. Birds in South America survived this event and then migrated to other parts of the world via multiple land bridges while diversifying during periods of global cooling. Primitive bird-like dinosaurs that lie outside class Aves proper, in the broader group Avialae, have been found dating back to the mid-Jurassic period. Many of these early "stem-birds", such as Archaeopteryx, were not yet capable of fully powered flight, and many retained primitive characteristics like toothy jaws in place of beaks, and long bony tails.
1. What do fossil records say about birds?
2. What did they evolve from?
3. What group?
4. When did they first appear?
5. How long ago was that?
6. What group are they classified as?
7. What are their characteristics?
8. Anything else?
9. How many chambers does their heart have?
10. Where do they live?
11. How big are they?
12. What is the smallest?
13. How big are they?
14. What is the largest?
15. What is their size?
16. What is their class rank?
17. How many living species are there?
18. What are half known as?
19. What is another name for that?
20. When did they diversify dramatically?
Answer: 1. are the last surviving dinosaurs
2. from feathered ancestors
3. theropod group of saurischian dinosaurs
4. during the Cretaceous period
5. around 100 million years ago
6. endothermic vertebrates
7. feathers, toothless beaked jaws,
8. the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate,
9. Four
10. Birds live worldwide
11. range in size
12. bee hummingbird
13. 5 cm (2 in)
14. ostrich
15. 2.75 m (9 ft)
16. tetrapods
17. approximately ten thousand
18. passerines
19. perching birds
20. CretaceousPaleogene extinction event

Problem: Homosexual couples in New York are being married for the first time after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law permitting same-sex marriage in the state last month. But such marriages, though now legal in New York, remain controversial . So many couples wanted to be married on Sunday, the first day of legal homosexual marriage in New York City, that local officials announced a lottery to determine qualification. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, herself openly gay, witnessed the first two ceremonies of same-sex marriage. She says the same-sex marriage law supports equality. "A law that says every family is as good as every other family; that every family is based on love, and is exactly the way God wants it to be," she said. Margie Phelps announced same-sex marriage as a crime against God. She and other Christians from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas came halfway across the country to say marriage is defined by Holy Bible. "The pattern is one man and one woman for life to have children who you raise in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," she said. David Schwartz, a traditional Jew, believes every human being has free choice and the power to rule over their desires. He considers homosexual desire to be wrong. "There's one God in heaven and earth, and he has ordered for all mankind that they should limit their affections to relationships between a man and a woman in the context of marriage," he said. Douglas Robinson and his partner of 25 years, Michael Elsasser, were in the first group to be married in Manhattan. Robinson says the United States allows religious views to coexist with(...) what he believes is a civil right of same-sex marriage. "You can have different opinions. This is a tent, some people call it a mixture of various different cultures and opinions and the like, so God bless America, and we are proud to be Americans," he said. Margie Phelps believes God will punish New York City for permitting what she believes to be moral decay. Meanwhile, Nevin Cohen and Daniel Hernandez showed off their marriage certificate. But they said they will not be going on a honeymoon. They say they need to be at work in New York on Monday.
1. What is the topic?
2. What state is it about?
3. Who allowed it?
4. What day did it begin?
5. Were there many persons trying to be wed?
6. How did they handle the situation?
7. Did everyone agree with the legislation?
8. Are there religious reasons for opposing it?
9. Which religious organization traveled across the US?
10. What does the legislation promote for its supporters?
Answer: 1. homosexual marriage
2. New York
3. Governor Andrew Cuomo
4. Sunday
5. Yes
6. a lottery to determine qualification
7. No
8. Yes
9. Westboro Baptist Church
10. equality.

Problem: CHAPTER XIV

A GLEAM OF LIGHT

"I would advise that you keep that satchel and the picture out of sight at first," said Professor Potts, as he rang the bell of the sanitarium. "Talk to the old sailor and try to draw him out. Then show him his belongings when you think the time ripe."

Mr. Wadsworth and Dave thought this good advice, and when they were ushered into the old sailor's presence, the boy kept the satchel behind him.

"Well, douse my toplights, but I'm glad to see ye all!" cried Billy Dill, as he shook hands. "It's kind o' you to pay a visit to such an old wreck as I am."

"Oh, you're no wreck, Mr. Dill," answered Oliver Wadsworth. "We'll soon have you as right and tight as any craft afloat," he added, falling into the tar's manner of speaking.

"Bless the day when I can float once more, sir. Do you know, I've been thinkin' that a whiff o' salt air would do me a sight o' good. Might fix my steerin' apparatus," and the tar tapped his forehead.

"Then you must have a trip to the ocean, by all means," said Caspar Potts. He turned to the rich manufacturer. "It might be easily arranged."

"Dill, I want to talk to you about the time you were out in the South Seas," said Dave, who could bear the suspense no longer. "Now, please follow me closely, will you?"

"Will if I can, my hearty." The sailor's forehead began to wrinkle. "You know my memory box has got its cargo badly shifted."
1. Who were they trying to draw out?
2. What was his job?
3. Was he glad to see them?
4. Did he consider himself young?
5. Did Oliver agree with him?
6. How did Oliver speak?
7. Where did Caspar say the sailor should go?
8. Was it hard to arrange?
9. What did Dave want to talk about?
10. Could the sailor remember?
Answer:
1. Billy Dill
2. sailor
3. yes
4. No
5. No
6. tar's manner
7. ocean
8. no
9. the South Seas
10. He wasn't sure