Science Fiction

The science fiction type of entertainment is considered by most to be fathered by Jules Verne (A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea) and H. G. Wells (The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds). Sci-Fi, as it is commonly shortened, is a fictional story in which science and technology have a significant influence on the characters and plot. Many such works are guesswork about what the future holds and how scientific findings and technological advances will shape humankind.

Writing in the late 1800s, Jules Verne was remarkably successful in his 10 guesses about future technologies of air conditioning, automobiles, the Internet, television, and underwater, air, and space travel. Unbelievably, of all places from which to choose, Jules Verne guessed Tampa, Florida, USA as the launching site of the first project to the Moon, which was only 200 kilometers away from the actual 1969 location at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

One of the best-known science fiction books is Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. Published in 1949, it was not meant as a prediction, but as a warning: Orwell was describing what he saw as the outcome of the ideas, trends, and emerging technologies of his time. Many invented terms from this novel have become common in everyday use, such as "big brother" and "doublethink". Even the author's name has been made into an adjective--Orwellian--and has become a warning descriptor for situations where privacy is lost and the individual becomes sacrifice under a totalitarian government. Nineteen Eighty-Four was translated into sixty-five languages within five years of its publication, setting a record that still stands.

What helps bring science fiction into being is usually a new discovery or innovation. The author creates an analysis of the potential influence and consequences and then wraps it in a pleasant story. For example, the beginning of space exploration was followed a few years later by the Star Trek television program and movie series. Advances in genetics cause fantasies of the end of disease, horrors of eugenics , and thrillers where creatures disappearing long ago are brought back to life. The science fiction author's self-determined role is that of field glasses for humanity--searching the world of future possibilities upon the road which we are traveling. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Are there considered to be three fathers of science fiction?
2. How many are there?
3. Who are they?
4. Which one wrote in the 1800's?
5. Was he successful in 12 assumptions about the future?
6. How many was he successful in?
7. Such as?
8. What is this genre's nickname?
9. Are many of the stories certain about what the future will be like?
10. Is there another famous writer of this genre mentioned?
11. Who?
12. What's his most famous book?
13. Was it put out in 1947?
14. When was it put out?
15. Is it only in English?
Answer: 1. no
2. Most consider there are 2
3. Jules Verne and H. G. Wells
4. Jules Verne
5. no
6. 10
7. air conditioning, automobiles, the Internet, television, and underwater, air, and space travel
8. unknown
9. no
10. yes
11. George Orwell
12. Nineteen Eighty-Four
13. no
14. 1949
15. no

Problem: (CNN) -- Flash floods swept Saturday through the eastern Indian states of Odisha, where at least 19 people were killed, and Andhra Pradesh, where another 21 were killed, CNN-IBN reported.

"The flood water entered our village suddenly," one rescued villager told Reuters. "We tried to save our belongings but could not. At last we ran away to a safe place. Now the problem is we don't have food to eat and are staying under open sky."

But a local Puri government official, Madhusudhan Das, said help was under way.

"We have arranged for dry fruits and have also taken efforts for evacuation," he said. "We have arranged free kitchen for them. Tickets will be provided to them. We will give them house damage assistance. Houses have been damaged on a large scale. We are trying our level best to finish the huge amount of work within a week and we'll also provide them assistance for house damage."

In all, 13 districts in Odisha were affected, P.K. Mohapatra, special relief commissioner, said in a telephone interview.

Most affected was the Ganjam District, where 85,000 people were evacuated, he said.

"The situation is very grim as the entire Delta area is completely inundated," Guntur district Collector S Suresh Kumar told CNN's sister network. "Drains and tanks are overflowing and there is a threat of breaches occurring at some places because of the nonstop rain."

Flooding led officials to cancel the fifth of a planned series of seven One Day International cricket matches between India and Australia.
1. What is happening in Eastern India?
2. Any fatalities?
3. How many?
4. Is the government doing anything to help?
5. What?
6. What about them?
7. Have people fled their homes?
8. Any notable examples?
9. How many fled?
10. Who is providing this information?
11. Who is he?
12. Have any events been affected?
13. What?
14. Between who?
Answer: 1. Flash floods
2. Yes.
3. At least 19.
4. Yes.
5. Dry fruits.
6. They have arranged for dry fruits.
7. Yes.
8. The Ganjam District,
9. 85,000
10. P.K. Mohapatra
11. Special relief commissioner
12. Yes.
13. Canceled cricket matches
14. India and Australia.

question: CHAPTER XXIV. THE INTERRUPTED MASS

The morning of that Wednesday of Corpus Christi, fateful to all concerned in this chronicle, dawned misty and grey, and the air was chilled by the wind that blew from the sea. The chapel bell tinkled out its summons, and the garrison trooped faithfully to Mass.

Presently came Monna Valentina, followed by her ladies, her pages, and lastly, Peppe, wearing under his thin mask of piety an air of eager anxiety and unrest. Valentina was very pale, and round her eyes there were dark circles that told of sleeplessness, and as she bowed her head in prayer, her ladies observed that tears were falling on the illuminated Mass-book over which she bent. And now came Fra Domenico from the sacristy in the white chasuble that the Church ordains for the Corpus Christi feast, followed by a page in a clerkly gown of black, and the Mass commenced.

There were absent only from the gathering Gonzaga and Fortemani, besides a sentry and the three prisoners. Francesco and his two followers.

Gonzaga had presented himself to Valentina with the plausible tale that, as the events of which Fanfulla's letter had given them knowledge might lead Gian Maria at any moment to desperate measures, it might be well that he should reinforce the single man-at-arms patrolling the walls. Valentina, little recking now whether the castle held or fell, and still less such trifles as Gonzaga's attendance at Mass, had assented without heeding the import of what he said.

And so, his face drawn and his body quivering with the excitement of what he was about to do, Gonzaga had repaired to the ramparts so soon as he had seen them all safely into chapel. The sentinel was that same clerkly youth Aventano, who had read to the soldiers that letter Gian Maria had sent Gonzaga. This the courtier accepted as a good omen. If a man there was among the soldiery at Roccaleone with whom he deemed that he had an account to settle, that man was Aventano.
1. Who arrived at the church?
2. Who was followed by a clerk dressed in black?
3. Who was crying?
4. Who noticed it?
5. Did any others arrive with her?
6. What other group of people were in her group?
7. And who in the group was anxious?
8. Was she well-rested?
9. Who should be reinforced?
10. Who thought these measures were required?
****
answer:
1. the garrison first
2. Fra. Domenico
3. Valentina
4. her ladies
5. yes
6. her pages
7. , Peppe
8. no
9. the single man-at-arms patrolling the walls.
10. Gian Maria