question: (Mental Floss) -- Over the centuries, people have had some very good reasons to dress up like a member of the opposite sex.

And I'm not talking about people who live this way out of personal preference, or those who dress up for theater and entertainment.

Here are just five examples.

1. Cross-dressing to join the army

Until recently, women have rarely been allowed to serve as soldiers.

So what was a gal to do if she wanted to serve her country? Naturally, disguise herself as a man and join the troops.

At least 400 Civil War soldiers were women in drag. These included Union Army soldier "Frank Thompson" (also known as Sarah Edmonds), whose small frame and feminine mannerisms (rather than causing suspicion) made her an ideal spy, as she could spy on the Confederates disguised as... a woman!

She wasn't the first woman to don a male disguise and join the army, though. During the Revolutionary War, women fought as men on both sides.

Hannah Snell, for example, joined the British army to find her husband, who had walked out on her to enlist.

Once her true sex was discovered (thanks to a pesky groin injury), she became a national celebrity in Britain, and made a post-war career of performing in bars as the "Female Warrior." Mental Floss: The Confederacy's plan to conquer Latin America

2. Cross-dressing to keep a royal family together

With all the power play that went on in the court, the French royal family would go to great lengths to avoid sibling rivalry. In one of the more extreme cases, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans (1640-1701), was raised as a girl to discourage him from any political or military aspirations.
1. Were women always allowed in the military?
2. How could a women participate, despite the regulations against it?
3. During which war did this happen?
4. Was it limited to only one side of the conflict?
5. What name did Sarah Edmonds use to enlist?
6. In what war did she fight?
7. How many other women joined her?
8. Sarah's statue made her an ideal candidate for what position?
9. Why did Hannah Snell join the army?
10. Which army had he joined?
11. Did Hannah become famous?
12. How was she caught?
13. Where did she perform?
14. As what character?
15. Which royal family member was raised as a member of the opposite sex?
16. When did he live?
17. What did his family want to discourage him from?
18. What type of competition was being avoided?
19. In what country did Hannah Snell become famous after her discharge?
****
answer: 1. no
2. disguise herself as a man
3. Revolutionary War
4. no
5. Frank Thompson
6. Civil War
7. At least 400
8. a spy
9. to find her husband
10. the British army
11. yes
12. a groin injury
13. bars
14. the "Female Warrior"
15. Philippe I
16. 1640-1701
17. political or military aspirations
18. sibling rivalry
19. Britain

question: Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- Hezbollah's chief on Monday announced the group's new "manifesto," which calls on all countries to "liberate Jerusalem" and declares the United States a threat to the world.

"American terrorism is the source of every terrorism in the world," Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech from an undisclosed location.

It was his first address since a unity government formed in Lebanon this month, ending a crisis that had left the country with no government since June's parliamentary elections.

Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel. Nasrallah does not appear in public amid concerns for his safety.

"We invite and call on all Arabs and Muslims and all countries keen on peace and stability in the world to intensify efforts and resources to liberate Jerusalem from Zionist occupation and to maintain its true identity and its Islamic and Christian sanctities," Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks. It has been linked to attacks against against American, Israeli and other Western targets.

In his remarks, which included about 80 minutes of reading the manifesto followed by answering questions from reporters, Nasrallah sought to reject the "terrorist" label, repeatedly saying Hezbollah is a "resistance" force.

"The U.S. administration under President George W. Bush equated the concepts of terrorism and resistance to deny the right of resistance for the people," he argued.

He praised Iran and Syria, which are Hezbollah's chief backers.

"Iran plays a central role in the Muslim world" and "stood with courage and determination with Arab and Islamic issues, especially the Palestinian issue," Nasrallah said.
1. Whose chief announced a new manifesto?
2. What does he say?
3. Does he declare the United States a threat to the world?
4. What's the name of the chief?
5. Is Hezbollah a political party in Lebanon?
6. Has Hezbollah claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks?
7. Is he rejecting the terrorist label?
8. What does he say about Hezbollah?
9. Which counties were praised by him?
10. Does Nasrallah appear in public?
****
answer: 1. Hezbollah's
2. he calls for the liberation of Jerusalem
3. Yes
4. Hassan Nasrallah
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. Yes
8. it is a "resistance" force
9. Iran and Syria
10. No

question: Mexico City (CNN) -- Hours after Mexico's presumed president-elect, Enrique Pena Nieto, said it was time for his country to leave behind the political rancor of campaign season, his closest opponent in the polls refused to concede and said the vote had been "plagued by irregularities."

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who election authorities projected as the runner-up in Sunday's presidential vote, said Monday that he was awaiting the official election results, and prepared to contest them before judicial authorities if they didn't turn out in his favor.

"The election was plagued by irregularities before, during and after the process," said Lopez Obrador.

The Democratic Revolution Party candidate's declarations echoed comments he made in 2006, when election authorities said the leftist candidate narrowly lost the presidential race to Felipe Calderon. Lopez Obrador claimed election fraud and never conceded, referring to himself afterward as "the legitimate president of Mexico."

His supporters protested nationwide. In Mexico City, they staged sit-ins and blockades.

On Monday, Lopez Obrador called on his supporters to wait for the official results. The Federal Election Institute's verification of individual poll results begins Wednesday.

Earlier, Pena Nieto, who election authorities projected as the winner of Sunday's presidential vote, told CNN en Espanol he was ready to work across party lines to build a better Mexico.

"We have to be constructive and put aside our differences, which are only for competitions and electoral contests," Pena Nieto said Monday. "Yesterday I indicated that (after) this tense and divisive atmosphere, which is natural in all democratic contests, we have to turn the page and move on to enter another chapter, another moment in our political lives, with a willingness and spirit that are constructive and purposeful."
1. Who is Manuel Lopez Obrador?
2. Does he think something was wrong with the election?
3. What office was he running for?
4. In which country?
5. Did he ever run for that office before?
6. When?
7. Who won then?
8. Who won this time?
9. What did Obrador's supporters do?
10. Which agency is verifying the election results?
11. Which US news agency did the winner talk to?
12. What name did Obrador give himself after the 2006 election?
13. Has he conceded this election?
****
answer:
1. the runner-up in Sunday's vote
2. he claimed election fraud
3. president
4. Mexico
5. yes
6. 2006
7. to Felipe Calderon
8. Pena Nieto
9. His supporters protested
10. The Federal Election Institute
11. CNN
12. the legitimate president of Mexico
13. no