My name is Sandra. Let me tell you the story of the best meal I ever had.

I was sitting on the school bench outside Springfield Elementary School, waiting to pick up my granddaughter. She is a real cutie, and I am very proud of her grades. To pass the time, I played my triangle. In my youth, I was a triangle player in a large New York band, the Black Triangles. We all wore full black costumes every time we played.

"What lovely triangle music! You make me think of a friend I had once upon a time."

A strange lady, about my age, was standing next to me, talking! She was holding a trumpet. It turns out the strange lady was my old friend and Black Triangle trumpet player Matilda. We hadn't seen each other since New York. Matilda told me she wanted to keep in touch, but couldn't remember what I looked like! We found out that all we remembered were the black costumes we always wore! It turns out; Matilda was also there to pick someone up from school.

"Well, Sandra, why don't you join me and my grandson for lunch? There is a lovely Thai place right down the road.'

We went there with my granddaughter and her grandson, and had a delicious meal. Our grandchildren got married 15 years later. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What is the narrator's name?
2. What is her story about?
3. Where was she sitting?
4. On what?
5. Why?
6. What is she proud of?
7. What did she do to pass the time?
8. What did she do in her youth?
9. Where?
Answer: 1. Sandra.
2. The best meal she ever had.
3. Outside Springfield Elementary School.
4. The school bench.
5. She was waiting to pick up her granddaughter.
6. Her grades.
7. Played her triangle.
8. She was a triangle player in a band.
9. New York.

Propaganda is information that is not objective and is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded language to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information that is presented. Propaganda is often associated with material prepared by governments, but activist groups, companies and the media can also produce propaganda.

In the twentieth century, the term propaganda has been associated with a manipulative approach, but propaganda historically was a neutral descriptive term. A wide range of materials and media are used for conveying propaganda messages, which changed as new technologies were invented, including paintings, cartoons, posters, pamphlets, films, radio shows, TV shows, and websites.

In a 1929 literary debate with Edward Bernays, Everett Dean Martin argues that, "Propaganda is making puppets of us. We are moved by hidden strings which the propagandist manipulates."

"Propaganda" is a modern Latin word, the gerundive form of "propagare", meaning "to spread" or "to propagate", thus "propaganda" means "that which is to be propagated". Originally this word derived from a new administrative body of the Catholic church (congregation) created in 1622, called the "Congregatio de Propaganda Fide" ("Congregation for Propagating the Faith"), or informally simply "Propaganda". Its activity was aimed at "propagating" the Catholic faith in non-Catholic countries. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What is this article about?
2. What does the word literally mean?
3. When was the word coined?
4. Referring to what?
5. Which religion created the word?
6. Is propaganda objective?
7. Is it recently considered to be manipulative?
8. How about in the past?
9. Who generally makes propaganda?
10. What other organizations make it sometimes?
11. What did Everett Dean Martin say propaganda does?
12. When did he say that?
13. Who was he debating with?
14. Has propaganda's materials changed over time?
15. Have cartoons been used for propaganda?
16. What is the purpose of propaganda?
17. How?
18. What kind of response does the propaganda creator want?
19. Do they want an emotional or a rational response?
20. What kind of language do they use?
Answer: 1. Propaganda
2. to spread
3. 1622
4. that which is to be propagated
5. Catholic
6. no
7. yes
8. no
9. governments
10. activist groups
11. making puppets of us
12. 1929
13. Edward Bernays
14. yes
15. yes
16. influence an audience
17. presenting facts selectively
18. manipulative
19. emotional
20. loaded

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Like that other famous environmentalist, Thomas Friedman began his talk at the Asia Society in Hong Kong on December 16 with a simple PowerPoint slide. But that's where the similarities between Al Gore and The New York Times columnist end.

Thomas L. Friedman has taken on a green hue with his latest book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded".

Unlike Gore, Friedman is a distinctly different shade of green, a deeply pragmatic green that believes economic forces can usher in a revolution in environmental policy. He argues that systemic change simply requires showing the world that it needs green technology and letting pure economics do the rest.

As a journalist, Friedman makes no claims to having scientific expertise in climate change. He is approaching it from a philosophical standpoint.

Green capital

Friedman's new book "Hot, Flat and Crowded" is not a major departure from his previous books. Whether he's discussing globalization or green industry, he is writing from his deep-seated belief in the markets. He is an unabashed capitalist.

For Friedman, the system works but it's not immune to bad decision-making. Green industry like globalization will come of age if given the right market environment. His faith in capitalism is equal to that in green technology -- for him, these are two things that are clearly reconcilable.

So how do we do this? America as the bastion for innovation, Friedman argues, should play a big role. In fact, he confesses it really isn't a book about the environment and energy, its a book about America. For Friedman, America is slipping down the ranks of hegemonic power and climate change is its big chance to reposition itself as a global leader. The environment is merely an allegory for how the U.S. will achieve this revival. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. what is the name of Thomas Friedman's latest book?
2. what is his profession?
3. how did he begin his presentation to the Asia Society?
4. on what day?
5. does he claim to have scientific knowledge?
6. which paper does he write for?
7. which politician is he compared to?
8. what color is used to make the distinction?
9. is he idealistic or pragmatic?
10. does Friedman think the system works?
11. what country does Friedman think of as the bastion of innovation?
12. what topics does his book discuss?
13. does he talk about globalization?
14. is he a capitalist?
15. what does he believe can usher in an environmental revolution?
16. does he think America should play a big role or a small role?
17. is his new book that different from his other books?
Answer:
1. Hot, Flat and Crowded
2. a journalist
3. with a simple PowerPoint slide
4. December 16
5. no
6. The New York Times
7. Al Gore
8. green
9. pragmatic
10. yes
11. America
12. a book about America
13. yes
14. yes
15. economic forces
16. a big role
17. no