Q: The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates from territories and the District of Columbia and Resident Commissioners from the Philippines and Puerto Rico.

The online edition also includes a guide to research collections (a list of institutions where member's papers, letters, correspondence, and other items are archived) as well as an extended bibliography of published works concerning the member (a shorter bibliography is included with the member's biography). These additional resources when available can be accessed via links on the left side of the member's page on the website.

Charles Lanman, author, journalist, and former secretary to Daniel Webster, gathered the first collection of biographies of former and sitting members of Congress for his "Dictionary of Congress", published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. in 1859. Lanman intended his "Dictionary of the United States Congress" to serve primarily as a guide for sitting Members of Congress, much as the "Congressional Directory" functions today.

In 1864, the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the publication of an updated version of Lanman's "Dictionary of Congress" by the recently established Government Printing Office. In the late 1860s Congress offered Benjamin Perley Poore, a journalist and clerk of the Senate Committee on Printing and Records, the job of preparing a "Congressional Directory" with biographical sketches and the kind of reference information found in the "Dictionary of Congress".

Answer the following questions:
1. what does Charles Lanman do for a living?
2. what did he create?
3. when was it published?
4. what year did congress approve an updated version?
5. in the 1860s who carried on the job of making the congressional dictionary?
6. who originally published Lanman's dicitionary?
7. what is the Biographical dictionary of the United States Congress?
8. are delegates from territories also included in it?
9. which ones?
10. who else is in included in the dictionary?
11. is it available online?
12. is correspondence also included?
A: 1. author, journalist, and former secretary to Daniel Webster
2. Dictionary of Congress
3. 1859
4. In 1864
5. Benjamin Perley Poore
6. J. B. Lippincott & Co.
7. dictionary of Congress members
8. yes
9. unknown
10. Resident Commissioners from the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
11. yes
12. no

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

CHAPTER XVIII: DOUBLE, DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE

'Truly the tender mercies of the weak, As of the wicked, are but cruel.'

And how did Lilias show that she had been truly benefited by her sorrows? Did she fall back into her habits of self-indulgence, or did she run into ill-directed activity, selfish as her indolence, because only gratifying the passion of the moment?

Those who lived with her saw but little change; kind-hearted and generous she had ever been, and many had been her good impulses, so that while she daily became more steady in well-doing, and exerting herself on principle, no one remarked it, and no one entered into the struggles which it cost her to tame her impetuosity, or force herself to do what was disagreeable to herself, and might offend Emily.

However, Emily could forgive a great deal when she found that Lily was ready to take any part of the business of the household and schoolroom, which she chose to impose upon her, without the least objection, yet to leave her to assume as much of the credit of managing as she chose--to have no will or way of her own, and to help her to keep her wardrobe in order.

The schoolroom was just now more of a labour than had ever been the case, at least to one who, like Lilias, if she did a thing at all, would not be satisfied with half doing it. Phyllis was not altered, except that she cried less, and had in a great measure cured herself of dawdling habits and tricks, by her honest efforts to obey well- remembered orders of Eleanor's; but still her slowness and dulness were trying to her teachers, and Lily had often to reproach herself for being angry with her 'when she was doing her best.'

1. Who found they could forgive a great deal?
2. Who was forgiven?
3. Had her routines before been generous to others?
4. Did her housemates see a big difference in her?
5. How many places was she ready to participate in helping with?
6. What were they?
7. Which one was more work?
8. Was she able to only go halfway in effort in there?
9. Who tried to comply with directives?
10. Whose directives?
11. Who had to remind herself to not be cross with the girl?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Emily
2. Lily
3. yes
4. no
5. Two
6. the business of the household and schoolroom
7. The schoolroom
8. no
9. lily
10. Emily
11. lily

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Musa Kayairanga of Rwanda is a traditional healer. He uses natural medicines to treat his patients. He learned how to use computers at a rural telecommunications center in his country. Musa Kayairanga says he exchanges information with doctors as far away as Canada. He also says the computer has improved his knowledge of using plants to treat diseases. Many people in rural areas are now able to communicate with the rest of the world. This is one example of how technology is changing life in developing countries.

Andrew Burns is an economist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. He led a recent study of technology in developing countries. The study found that technology has spread faster in such countries than in rich nations. It also found that technological progress has helped raise wages in developing countries. And it reduced the percentage of people living in extreme poverty from twenty-nine percent in 1990 to eighteen percent in 2004.

Progress in communications technology has aided the growth of call centers in developing countries. Call centers are offices where most telephone calls for a business can be answered. For example, a woman in the United States who calls her computer company about a problem might speak with someone in India or Pakistan.

Call centers serve businesses in local and international markets. And they have added to economic growth by providing well-paid jobs and new skills for workers who might not have had such employment. Ahsan Saeed is a young call center worker in Karachi, Pakistan. He says the job improves his language skills, his sales skills and his ability to deal with people.( from VOA Special English )

1. Who works at the World Bank?
2. What is his position?
3. Where is it located?
4. What did his research conclude?
5. Anything else?
6. What?
7. That all?
8. Please tell me then
9. By how much?
10. Who is the first person mentioned?
11. Where is he from?
12. What does he do?
13. What treatments does he employ?
14. Like what?
15. What tools does he have?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Andrew Burns
2. He is an economist
3. Washington, D.C
4. That technology has spread faster in developing countries than in rich nations.
5. Yes
6. That technological progress has helped raise wages in developing countries
7. No
8. Technologyt reduced the percentage of people living in extreme poverty
9. From twenty-nine percent in 1990 to eighteen percent in 2004
10. Musa Kayairanga
11. Rwanda
12. He is a traditional healer.
13. Natural medicines
14. unknown
15. The computer