Q: The Order of Preachers (Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum, hence the abbreviation OP used by members), more commonly known after the 15th century as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded by the Spanish priest Saint Dominic de Guzman in France and approved by Pope Honorius III (121627) on 22 December 1216. Membership in this "mendicant" order includes friars, nuns, active sisters, and lay or secular Dominicans (formerly known as tertiaries, though recently there has been a growing number of Associates, who are unrelated to the tertiaries) affiliated with the order.

Founded to preach the Gospel and to combat heresy, the teaching activity of the order and its scholastic organization placed the Preachers in the forefront of the intellectual life of the Middle Ages. The order is famed for its intellectual tradition, having produced many leading theologians and philosophers. The Dominican Order is headed by the Master of the Order, who is currently Bruno Cadore. Members of the order generally carry the letters O.P., standing for Ordinis Praedicatorum, meaning of the Order of Preachers, after their names.

Answer the following questions:
1. What is the topic of focus?
2. What is one of the membership types ?
3. Can you name another?
4. Are there any more you can name?
5. What's the last?
6. Who was founder of this group?
7. And who approved it?
8. On which day?
9. What was one reason this group was founded?
10. What is the other reason?
11. In which year was it founded?
12. When were the Preachers the main subjects in education?
13. What is one type of leader the order is known for producing?
14. What is the other?
15. What has there been a growing number of recently?
16. Who heads the Order?
17. What is his name?
18. Is there an emblem the members use?
19. What is its meaning?
20. What does that translate to?
A: 1. The Order of Preachers
2. friars,
3. nuns
4. active sisters
5. lay or secular Dominicans
6. Saint Dominic de Guzman
7. Pope Honorius III
8. 22 December
9. to preach the Gospel
10. to combat heresy
11. 1216
12. theologians and philosophers
13. theologians
14. philosophers
15. Associates
16. the Master of the Order
17. Bruno Cadore
18. the letters O.P.
19. Ordinis Praedicatorum
20. the Order of Preachers

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

The exact number of exonerated American prisoners is unknown. But data gathered by university law schools indicates it's more than 2,000. Fascinating details surrounding some of these exonerations set them apart from the rest. Here are five recent exonerations that made headlines.

1. Michael Morton

The subject of a CNN film, Michael Morton wasn't home when his wife, Christine, was beaten to death in front of their 3-year-old son at their Austin, Texas-area home in 1986. But a prosecutor said the evidence suggested otherwise. The problem was, the jury was prevented from hearing all the evidence in the case.

Wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, a team of loyal supporters and DNA evidence helped Morton win his freedom in 2011. Last month, Morton's former prosecutor pleaded no contest to a court order to show cause regarding evidence that was not used in the trial.

Read more about Michael Morton's story

2. Brian Banks and the incredible twist

At age 17, fearing a potentially long sentence, college football hopeful Brian Banks followed the advice of his attorney and pleaded no contest to assaulting a Long Beach, California, high school classmate in 2002.

Banks maintained his innocence throughout nearly six years of imprisonment, subsequent probation and registration as a sex offender.

But in 2011, the case took an incredible twist when the alleged victim sent Banks a Facebook friend request.

According to the California Innocence Project, the woman later admitted that Banks had not kidnapped or raped her during a consensual encounter at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where Banks was a middle linebacker with a scholarship offer from the University of Southern California.

1. How many been exonerated in US?
2. Who provided the info?
3. Whose wife was killed?
4. What was her name?
5. Was he at home at that time?
6. Was there any one else?
7. Who?
8. How old was he?
9. When this happened?
10. In which state?
11. Who got punished for the crime?
12. What was the sentence?
13. Then what happened?
14. When?
15. How?
16. How old was Banks?
17. What was he accused of?
18. What did he plead?
19. Then what happened?
20. When?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. more than 2,000
2. university law schools
3. Michael Morton
4. Christine
5. no
6. 3-year-old son
7. his son
8. 3-year
9. 1986
10. Texas
11. Morton
12. life in prison
13. won his freedom
14. 2011
15. DNA evidence
16. 17
17. assaulting
18. no contest
19. victim retracted
20. in 2011

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. Its name translates to "White city". The urban area of the City of Belgrade has a population of 1.23 million, while over 1,68 million people live within its administrative limits.

One of the most important prehistoric cultures of Europe, the Vinca culture, evolved within the Belgrade area in the 6th millennium BC. In antiquity, Thraco-Dacians inhabited the region, and after 279 BC Celts conquered the city, naming it "Singidun". It was conquered by the Romans during the reign of Augustus, and awarded city rights in the mid-2nd century. It was settled by the Slavs in the 520s, and changed hands several times between the Byzantine Empire, Frankish Empire, Bulgarian Empire and Kingdom of Hungary before it became the capital of Serbian king Stephen Dragutin (12821316). In 1521, Belgrade was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and became the seat of the Sanjak of Smederevo. It frequently passed from Ottoman to Habsburg rule, which saw the destruction of most of the city during the Austro-Ottoman wars. Belgrade was again named the capital of Serbia in 1841. Northern Belgrade remained the southernmost Habsburg post until 1918, when the city was reunited. As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed 44 times. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia from its creation in 1918.

1. What is the main subject?
2. What culture developed in the 6th millenium BC?
3. Where is it a capital of?
4. In terms of size, what's it ranking?
5. What's its population?
6. From what era was the Vinca culture?
7. Who lived there in antique times?
8. Until when?
9. What was it called then?
10. When did the Romans take over?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Belgrade
2. Vinca
3. Serbia
4. 1.23 million
5. 1.23 million
6. 6th millennium BC
7. Thraco-Dacians
8. 279 BC
9. Singidun
10. during the reign of Augustus