Problem: CHAPTER XIII

BUB SUCCUMBS TO FORCE

One day Peter Conant abruptly left his office, came home and packed his grip and then hurried down town and caught the five o'clock train for New York. He was glum and uncommunicative, as usual, merely telling Aunt Hannah that business called him away and he did not know when he would be back.

A week later Peter appeared at the family breakfast table, having arrived on the early morning express, and he seemed in a more gracious mood than usual. Indeed, he was really talkative.

"I met Will Morrison in New York, Hannah," he said to his wife. "He was just sailing for London with his family and will remain abroad all summer. He wanted us to occupy his mountain place, Hillcrest Lodge, during July and August, and although I told him we couldn't use the place he insisted on my taking an order on his man to turn the shack over to us."

"The shack!" cried Aunt Hannah indignantly.

"Why, Peter, Hillcrest Lodge is a little palace. It is the cosiest, most delightful place I have ever visited. Why shouldn't we accept Will Morrison's proposition to occupy it?"

"I can't leave my business."

"You could run up every Friday afternoon, taking the train to Millbank and the stage to Hillcrest, and stay with us till Monday morning."

He stared at her reflectively.

"Would you be safe in that out-of-the-way place?" he asked.

"Of course. Didn't you say Will had a man for caretaker? And only a few scattered cottages are located near by, so we shall be quite by ourselves and wholly unmolested. I mean to go, and take the girls. The change will do us all good, so you may as well begin to make arrangements for the trip."
1. Who is Peter's wife?
2. Is she often indignant?
3. Who did Peter meet with when he was away?
4. Where?
5. How'd he get there?
6. Was it the noon train?
7. Where was Will off to?
8. How was he getting there?
9. What's the name of his manor?
10. How many months was he going to be gone?
11. Is Hillcrest Lodge somewhat palatial?
12. What can't Peter leave?
13. What town could he take the train to on Friday afternoons?
14. Then how would he get to Hillcrest?
15. How long would he then stay?
16. Is Peter in a more talkative mood than normal?
17. What else is his current mood?
18. What meal are they having as they discuss this?
19. Is he concerned if Hannah will be safe at Hillcrest?
20. Why?
Answer: 1. Hannah
2. unknown
3. Will Morrison
4. New York
5. the early morning express
6. no
7. london
8. boat
9. Hillcrest Lodge
10. two,
11. yes
12. his business
13. Millbank
14. take the stage
15. till Monday
16. yes
17. gracious
18. breakfast
19. yes
20. it's an out-of-the-way place

Q: Saint Barthelemy (), officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy (), called Ouanalao by the indigenous people, is an overseas collectivity of France in the West Indies. Often abbreviated to "St-Barth" in French, and St. Barths or St. Barts in English, the island lies about southeast of St. Martin and north of St. Kitts. Puerto Rico is to the west in the Greater Antilles.

Saint Barthelemy was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas region and department of France. In 2003, the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form a separate overseas collectivity (COM) of France. The collectivity is one of four territories among the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean that comprise the French West Indies, along with Saint Martin, Guadeloupe ( southeast), and Martinique.

Saint Barthelemy, a volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, has an area of and a population of 9,278 (Jan. 2013 census). Its capital is Gustavia, which also contains the main harbour to the island. It is the only Caribbean island which was a Swedish colony for any significant length of time; Guadeloupe was under Swedish rule only briefly at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Symbolism from the Swedish national arms, the Three Crowns, still appears in the island's coat of arms. The language, cuisine, and culture, however, are distinctly French. The island is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season, especially for the rich and famous during the Christmas and new year period.

Answer the following questions:
1. What is the population of Saint Barthelemy?
2. What happened with it in 2003?
3. What is the official name of Saint Barthelemy?
4. What exactly is it?'
5. What kind of commune was it for many years?
6. How many territories are there in the collectivity?
7. Is Saint Barthelemy an island?
8. What do the natives call it?
9. What is its capital?
10. When do tourists usually go there?
11. And when do the rich and famous go often?
12. What formations encircle the island?
13. What used to be under Swedish rule?
14. What language is spoken there?
15. What Swedish symbolism still appears on the coat of arms?
16. What lies to the west of the island?
17. And what is Puerto Rico in?
18. Is Saint Barthelemy volcanic?
19. Where is its main harbour?
A: 1. 9,278
2. the island voted in favour of secession
3. the Territorial collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy
4. an overseas collectivity of France
5. French
6. four
7. Yes
8. Ouanalao
9. Gustavia
10. the winter holiday season
11. during the Christmas and new year period.
12. shallow reefs
13. Guadeloupe
14. French.
15. the Three Crowns
16. Puerto Rico
17. the Greater Antilles.
18. Yes
19. Gustavia

Problem: Few of us haven't read Cinderella, the story of a young woman living in poverty who meets the prince of her dreams. Some might not want to admit it, but there is a hidden Cinderella in everyone's heart--we all wish we could achieve recognition or success after a period of obscurity .

Mary Santiago has that secret dream, too. Her story is featured in Another Cinderella Story, a film set in a US high school.

Mary is shy but loves to dance. Compared with other girls, she is invisible. However, her world changes completely when a famous teenager pop singer, Joey Parker, appears.

Joey is everything the rest of the boys in her class are not--kind, handsome and desirable. Mary and Joey's paths cross at a ball. They meet and fall in love with each other. But when Mary has to rush back home, she leaves behind her MP3 player, which becomes the only clue Joey has to find the girl of his dreams. Of course, there is a wicked stepmother, who turns out to be Dominique Blatt and she takes in Mary after her dancer mother dies. Dominique treats Mary like a maid and does everything she can to make sure Mary doesn't get into the top dance school. Her two daughters are equally determined to stop Joey falling for Mary, even if that means embarrassing her.

The story, though it mostly follows Cinderella, does add a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale. Refreshingly, the film, unlike many high school films, does not focus on looks, although the actors are all beautiful. There is also a lot less materialism in Another Cinderella Story than in many similar movies.

"The movie takes the Cinderella fairytale as its jumping off point," writes movie critic Amber Wilkinson. "The focus is firmly on following your dream."
1. What is the focus of the movie?
2. What critic talked about it?
3. What is the name of it?
4. Where is is set?
5. Who is it about?
6. Who does she meet?
7. Who is he?
8. Where do they find each other?
9. What does Mary love?
10. Who was her mother?
11. What happened to her mother?
12. Who also lives with her?
13. What does Mary leave behind?
14. What did her step mother do?
15. And did she make sure Mary did not get?
Answer:
1. a young woman living in poverty
2. Amber Wilkinson
3. Another Cinderella Story
4. in a US high school
5. Mary Santiago
6. Joey Parker
7. a famous teenager pop singer
8. a ball
9. to dance
10. Dominique Blatt
11. She died
12. Her two daughters
13. her MP3 player
14. she takes in Mary
15. yes