input: CHAPTER XVIII

WILDCAT AND WATER

Dave was both startled and alarmed when the wildcat came down almost on top of his bare head, and even more frightened when the beast made a leap for his naked shoulder. He had had several experiences with wildcats and knew them to be both powerful and bloodthirsty.

By instinct more than reason he dived and went down as far as possible. As soon as the water closed over the wildcat's head it let go its hold and began to swim for the shore.

Henry was directly in the path of the beast and in a second more, ere the young soldier had time to think of diving, the wildcat was on his back, sinking its cruel nails deeply into his flesh.

"Get off!" screamed Henry. "Get off! Help! help!"

And then he went down, not because he thought of doing so, but because he could not bear the weight. The stream closed over him and he went directly to the bottom.

This time the wildcat did not let go its hold. It clung desperately and when Henry tried to shake it off it only sunk its nails deeper into his flesh. Mechanically he started to scream, when the water rushed into his mouth, almost strangling him on the spot.

By this time Dave had reached the surface, and the rings and bubbles showed him plainly where Henry and the wildcat had gone down. With swift strokes he swam to the river bank, just as several rangers came running to the scene. 1. Who was underwater?
2. What put him there?
3. Did he fall on purpose?
4. Why then?
5. Was it in a lake?
6. What then?
7. Did the cat release him or keep a grip underwater?
8. What caused it to grip tighter?
9. Were they floating?
10. Was anyone else there?
11. Was he calm when the attack happened?
12. Had he seen cats before?
13. Only once?
14. What did he know about them?
15. What was his automatic response?
16. What was Henry's occupation?
17. What did he tell the cat to do?
18. What caused him to choke?
19. How could Dave tell where they were underwater?
20. Who finally got there? Return numbered answers in your output.

output: 1. Henry
2. the wildcat
3. No
4. because he could not bear the weight.
5. No
6. The stream
7. No
8. Henry tried to shake it off
9. No
10. Dave
11. No
12. Yes
13. No
14. to be both powerful and bloodthirsty
15. he dived and went down
16. soldier
17. Get off
18. the water rushed into his mouth
19. bubbles
20. several rangers

question: Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately , Saudi Arabia is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south. It is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast and most of its terrain consists of arid desert and mountains.

The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia ('Asir). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines. The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture", with its global spread largely financed by the oil and gas trade. Saudi Arabia is sometimes called "the Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam. The state has a total population of 28.7 million, of which 20 million are Saudi nationals and 8 million are foreigners. The state's official language is Arabic.
1. What is Saudi Arabia officially known as?
2. What is the short version of that?
3. How many regions is it divided into?
4. What are those regions?
5. Where is Saudi Arabia located?
6. What countries border it to the north?
7. What about to the northeast?
8. What two seas does it touch?
9. Are there a lot of mountains and deserts?
10. What year as it founded?
11. By who?
12. What year did he begin conquering it?
13. By capturing what city?
14. Was that where his ancestors came from?
15. Is Saudi Arabia a democracy?
16. What is it?
17. What is the country called occasionally?
18. What is that referring to?
19. What is the main language?
20. How many people live there?
****
answer: 1. the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2. KSA
3. four
4. They are Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia ('Asir)
5. in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula
6. Jordan and Iraq
7. Kuwait
8. Red Sea coast and Persian Gulf
9. yes
10. in 1932
11. Ibn Saud
12. 1902
13. Riyadh
14. Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family,
15. no
16. an absolute monarchy
17. "the Land of the Two Holy Mosques
18. Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam
19. The state's official language is Arabic
20. 28.7 million

Question: Rome, Italy (CNN) -- A Nigerian man who sang in a Vatican choir arranged gay liaisons for an Italian government official who served in the unpaid role of papal usher, according to transcripts of wiretaps collected by Italian authorities.

The wiretaps were gathered as part of an investigation into how public-works contracts were awarded.

The purported conversations were between Angelo Balducci, who oversaw the Italian government's awarding of construction contracts -- including work on the airport at Perugia -- and Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, a 39-year-old Nigerian singer. They were recorded between April 14, 2008, and January 20, 2010.

In addition to working for the government, Balducci served as a "gentleman of his holiness," also known as a papal usher or "Vatican gentleman." The main responsibility of the ceremonial position is to welcome heads of state to the Vatican and escort them to see the Pope.

Balducci is one of three public officials who, along with a businessman, have been jailed on charges related to corruption in the public works department. The public officials are alleged to have awarded contracts to businessmen who offered them favors, money, sex, and/or house remodeling in exchange. The suspects, who deny the charges, are in "cautionary custody" though they have not been charged or indicted.

The Italian news media have nicknamed the scandal "grande opere," which translates as "big works." The transcripts of the wiretaps were made public on Wednesday and widely disseminated in the media.

Balducci's lawyer, Franco Coppi, lambasted investigators' handling of his client. 1. What is the name of the Nigerian performer?
2. What did he arrange?
3. For who?
4. Who caught him doing so?
5. How?
6. When did this happen?
7. What other role did Balducci serve?
8. What other phrase is that position known as?
9. What does that entail?
10. And take them where?
11. How many public officials have been arrested?
12. What allegedly happened/
13. For what else?
14. Have they been indicted?
15. What has the scandal been nicknamed?
16. What does that mean?
17. Who is Franco Coppi? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. Thomas Chinedu Ehiem
2. gay liaisons
3. an Italian government official
4. Italian authorities.
5. wiretaps
6. 2008, to 2010.
7. a papal usher
8. gentleman of his holiness
9. welcome heads of state to the Vatican
10. to see the Pope
11. three
12. they awarded contracts for favors
13. money, sex, and house remodeling
14. yes
15. grande opere
16. big works
17. Balducci's lawyer