question: Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Internet Explorer, commonly abbreviated IE or MSIE) is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included in the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year. Later versions were available as free downloads, or in service packs, and included in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows. The browser is discontinued, but still maintained.

Internet Explorer was one of the most widely used web browsers, attaining a peak of about 95% usage share during 2002 and 2003. This came after Microsoft used bundling to win the first browser war against Netscape, which was the dominant browser in the 1990s. Its usage share has since declined with the launch of Firefox (2004) and Google Chrome (2008), and with the growing popularity of operating systems such as macOS, Linux, iOS and Android that do not run Internet Explorer. Estimates for Internet Explorer's overall market share range from 3.91% to 16.84% or by StatCounter's numbers ranked 3rd, just after Firefox (or even as low as 5th when counting all platforms), (browser market share is notoriously difficult to calculate). Microsoft spent over per year on Internet Explorer in the late 1990s, with over 1,000 people working on it by 1999.
1. What is the full name of IE?
2. Who is it made by?
3. When was it first introduced?
4. What other abbreviation does it go by?
5. What OS is it included with?
6. What MS package was it first included with?
7. and for what OS?
8. Were later versions free?
9. Is the project ongoing?
10. When did it obtain it's peak useage?
11. What market share did it have then?
12. With whom was it's first browser war?
13. Did MS win or lose the war?
14. When was Netscape the most popular browser?
15. When did Firefox launch?
16. and Chrome?
17. Did the advent of these two hurt the market share of IE?
18. What is IE's market share now?
19. In what market share position are they now?
20. Which competitor do they trail directly behind?
****
answer: 1. Internet Explorer
2. Microsoft
3. 1995
4. MSIE
5. Microsoft Windows
6. Plus!
7. Windows 95
8. yes
9. no
10. 2002 and 2003
11. 95%
12. Netscape
13. Microsoft
14. the 1990s.
15. 2004
16. 2008
17. yes
18. 3.91% to 16.84%
19. 3rd
20. Firefox

question: CHAPTER XLVI

Our Pet Fox Finds a Tail

Frank returned home, and his immediate business was of course with his father, and with Mr Gazebee, who was still at Greshamsbury.

"But who is the heir?" asked Mr Gazebee, when Frank had explained that the death of Sir Louis rendered unnecessary any immediate legal steps.

"Upon my word I don't know," said Frank.

"You saw Dr Thorne," said the squire. "He must have known."

"I never thought of asking him," said Frank, naively.

Mr Gazebee looked rather solemn. "I wonder at that," said he; "for everything now depends on the hands the property will go into. Let me see; I think Sir Roger had a married sister. Was not that so, Mr Gresham?" And then it occurred for the first time, both to the squire and to his son, that Mary Thorne was the eldest child of this sister. But it never occurred to either of them that Mary could be the baronet's heir.

Dr Thorne came down for a couple of days before the fortnight was over to see his patients, and then returned again to London. But during this short visit he was utterly dumb on the subject of the heir. He called at Greshamsbury to see Lady Arabella, and was even questioned by the squire on the subject. But he obstinately refused to say more than that nothing certain could be known for yet a few days.

Immediately after his return, Frank saw Mary, and told her all that had happened. "I cannot understand my uncle," said she, almost trembling as she stood close to him in her own drawing-room. "He usually hates mysteries, and yet now he is so mysterious. He told me, Frank--that was after I had written that unfortunate letter--"
1. What's the name of the man who had died?
2. Did his death have an effect on legal proceedings?
3. What was the effect?
4. Where was Mr Gazebee?
5. Who did Frank think was the heir?
6. Who could he have asked about that?
7. Had Frank asked him?
8. Did Dr Thorne come again during the story?
9. For how long?
10. What was he there for?
11. Where did he go back afterwards?
12. Why did he stop by Greshamsbury?
13. Did someone ask him about the heir?
14. Who?
15. Did he get an answer?
16. Who had a married sister?
17. Did the sister have any children?
18. Who?
19. Does anyone speak with her?
20. Who is that?
****
answer: 1. Sir Louis
2. yes
3. it rendered them unnecessary
4. Greshamsbury
5. he didn't know
6. Dr. Thorne
7. No
8. yes
9. a couple of days
10. t osee his patientas
11. London
12. to see Lady Arabella
13. yes
14. the squire
15. no
16. sir Roger
17. yes
18. Mary Thomas
19. yes
20. Frank

question: Tom Sawyer is known as one of the most beloved characters in American literature , but new research found that Mark Twain based this character on his friend named Tom Sawyer. He admired his firefighting friend so much that he gave the character his name.

Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer had many adventures together, gambling in Nevada and drinking in pubs. Tom Sawyer once worked as a volunteer firefighter, policeman and customs officer. Before making his way out West, Tom Sawyer used his strength to save 90 people from a burning ship. Mark Twain was particularly moved by this story because his own brother died in a fire while working on a similar steamboat.

The two men became friends immediately after meeting in 1863, with Tom Sawyer traveling to Virginia City, while Mark Twain was working as a reporter there.

After one night they returned to San Francisco, Mark Twain told his friend that he would base a character in his yet-unwritten book on him. Tom Sawyer said, "One day he said to me, 'I'm going to put you between the covers of a book, Tom.' 'Go ahead, Sam,' I Said, 'but don't disgrace my name.'"

Besides their fondness of drinking, the two men also shared a hobby for storytelling. Tom sawyer believed that it was his anecdotes about his own childhood that inspired Mark Twain to create a book on him.

Finally Mark Twain said that the character of Tom sawyer was based on a mix of three real people---John B. Briggs, William Bowen and himself. In spite of this, the historical evidence shows that there might be a fourth, more prominent influencer.
1. In real life who was Tom Sawyer?
2. When did they meet?
3. Where?
4. What kind of work did Tom do?
5. What was one of the adventures they had together?
6. Did they like to drink?
7. Was the character of Tom Sawyer based on anyone else?
8. Name two.
9. Did the real Tom Sawyer save anyone?
10. How many people?
11. From what?
12. What was Mark Twain doing in Virginia City?
13. Did both men like to tell stories?
14. How did Twain's brother die?
15. Where was that fire?
****
answer:
1. Mark Twain's friend.
2. 1863
3. Virginia City
4. volunteer firefighter, policeman and customs officer
5. gambling in Nevada
6. Yes.
7. Yes.
8. John B. Briggs and William Bowen
9. Yes.
10. 90
11. a burning ship
12. working as a reporter
13. YEs.
14. in a fire
15. steamboat