Article: You know how forest animals like deer and mountain lions can move through the woods without causing a stir? People, on the other hand, tend to tromp noisily through the woods, alerting others to their presence from half a mile away. The key to moving like an animal is to be tuned in with your environment. Be aware of the terrain through which you're moving, and try to flow with it instead of moving against it. Notice your surroundings. If there's a low-hanging branch up ahead, carefully crouch under it instead of blazing through and causing the leaves to rustle. Walk where there's cover. Whether you're walking through trees, buildings or furniture, stay close to cover, like an animal would. Don't walk in open areas where it's easy for you to be seen. Have steady movements. Think of the way a cat moves when stalking its prey. Move your body in a steady rhythm so that the sounds you make are steady, too. Random sounds will be more noticeable. Go on stealth runs and practice moving as quietly and unnoticeably as possible. Don't worry about how fast you're going. When you crouch close to the ground, you exert less force with each footstep, making it possible for you to walk almost soundlessly. Practice walking in a crouched position, absorbing the weight of your body with your knees. Engage all of your muscles. Stepping down with your heel first usually produces a "thud" that others can hear. It also prevents you from being able to crouch easily and distribute your weight evenly across your body. Walk toe first so you can move quietly and fluidly over any terrain. This will feel unnatural at first, so it's important to practice often before you have to put your stealthy moves to the test. You can run toe first, too. It's easier to do this barefoot or with minimalist shoes that don't have a lot of cushioning. Your body will naturally tend to lead with the balls of your feet rather than striking the ground forcefully with your heels. When you're trying to be stealthy, walking the straightest line from point A to point B isn't always the best idea. Consider what path will get you where you need to go with the least chance of being seen or heard. Look for a way to get there without crossing someone else's path, spending too much time out in the open, or stepping on things that might make noise. If you're in a forest, walk along game trails or dirt paths mostly clear of leaves and sticks. Watch out for puddles, gravel, rustling bushes, and crackly sticks. If you're on city streets, edge along buildings and weave through alleys. Cross the street with large crowds of people. Avoid gravel, metal grates, and wooden boardwalks, which tend to be loud. Avoid areas where your footsteps might produce an echo, like tunnels and underpasses. If you're indoors, weave through large items of furniture. Stay out of rooms that have a lot of clutter. Take back entrances instead of front doors. Choose carpeted rooms and staircases instead of hardwood floors and stairs. If you are walking up wooden stairs, try stepping in the middle of the stair at the edge. It's structurally the strongest point on the stair and should reduce creaking to a minimum. Do not follow roads if you are running from a car. This should be obvious, but you would be surprised. If you're following someone from behind or trying to move to a new position without being seen, there will be moments when stillness is your greatest stealthy asset. When it's clear that someone heard you break a twig or graze a piece of furniture, find cover and stay as still as a log. Wait patiently until the person keeps walking and no longer seems aware of your presence, and then take extra care to move quietly to your destination. Breathe slowly and evenly to avoid being heard. Breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. If you're out of breath, try making your throat as wide as possible while remaining comfortable. It may sound strange, but it works. Practice makes perfect. If you're sneaking for the first time, you may be scared of getting caught, which could cause your breathing to quicken. If you feel panicked, try imagining that you're on a beach on a nice, warm, sunny day, or go to another "happy place" in your mind. Stay there until you feel calm. When you need to jump over obstacles like fences or benches, land softly by allowing your whole body to absorb the impact, not just your feet and knees. Land on the balls of your feet and immediately move into a crouch. Look for a landing spot clear of noisy materials like leaves or rocks.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Walk like an animal. Move close to the ground. Walk toe to heel. Flow with the terrain. Know when to be still. Control your breathing. Practice soft landings.
Article: Double-click the document that contains the picture you want to crop. This will open the document in Microsoft Word. Scroll through your document until you find the picture you want to crop, then click once the picture to select it. It's in the "Size" section on the right side of the Format toolbar. A drop-down menu will appear. On Mac, it's in the toolbar at the top of the "Picture Format" tab. This is in the drop-down menu. Clicking it prompts a set of black bars to appear on the edges and in the corners of the selected picture. Click and drag inward any of the black bars on the edges or in the corners of the picture to do so. It's the box with a line through it above the Crop drop-down icon. This will remove any section of the picture that falls outside of the black bars' limits. Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac) to do so.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Open your Microsoft Word document. Select a picture. Click Crop. Click Crop. Adjust the picture's crop. Click the "Crop" icon. Save your changes.
Article: Gather parsley before the first flowers start to open, and gather it in the morning after the dew has dried. It will have maximum flavor at this time of day; the heat of the afternoon will diminish the parsley's flavor. Alternately, purchase fresh parsley at a grocery store. Choose bright green bunches of parsley that look nice and smell fresh. Don't pick parsley that is shriveled, brown, moldy, or is dried out. Carefully cut the parsley with stems still attached, and be careful to not bruise the leaves. Use cold water to rinse, and then shake the parsley gently to remove excess water from the leaves. This will remove any residual dirt, as well as any bugs that crawled into your parsley. Wrap a paper bag around each bundle of parsley to keep dust and sunshine from the parsley while it is drying. Sunshine can diminish the drying parsley's bright green color. If you wrap the bundles with paper bags, be sure to allow enough air flow around each bundle so that they do not mold. Check each bundle occasionally to ensure there is no mold growth. Indoor drying will typically produce more flavorful dried herbs. This process may take a week or two to produce fully dried parsley. If you hang the bundles outdoors, be sure to choose a spot that is protected from moisture, animals and birds. Tie the bundles securely so that they do not blow away. When leaves are crumbly, they are ready to put into an airtight container and stored in a cool, dry place.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Harvest fresh parsley from your garden. Rinse the parsley. Tie stems of parsley together with string into bundles. Hang these bundles either indoors or outdoors. Store your parsley.