Q: During the years after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, structural engineers have been trying hard to solve a question that would otherwise have been completely unthinkable: Can building be designed to stand catastrophic blasts by terrorists?

Soon after the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, structural engineers from the University at Buffalo and the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) traveled to ground zero as part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation. They spent two days beginning the task of formulating ideas about how to design such structures and to search for clues on how to do so in buildings that were damaged, but still are standing.

"Our objective in visiting ground zero was to go and look at the buildings surrounding the World Trade Center, those buildings that are still standing, but that sustained damage," said M. Bruneau, Ph.D. "Our immediate hope is that we can develop a better understanding as to why those buildings remain standing, while our long-term goal is to see whether earthquake engineering technologies can be married to existing technologies to achieve enhanced performance of buildings in the event of terrorist attacks," he added.

Photographs taken by the investigators demonstrate the monumental damage to the World Trade Center towers and buildings nearby. One building a block away from the towers remains standing, but was badly damaged. "This building is many meters away from the World Trade Center and yet we see a column there that used to be part of that building," explained A. Whittaker, Ph.D. "The column became a missile that shot across the road, through the window and through the floor."

The visit to the area also brought some surprises, according to the engineers. For example, the floor framing system in one of the buildings was quite strong , allowing floors that were pierced by tons of falling debris to survive. "Good framing systems may provide a simple, but reliable strategy for blast resistance," he added. Other strategies may include providing alternate paths for gravity loads in the event that a load-bearing column fails. "We also need a better understanding of the mechanism of collapse," said A. Whittaker. "We need to find out what causes a building to collapse and how you can predict it."

A. Reinhorn, Ph.D. noted that "earthquake shaking has led to the collapse of buildings in the past. Solutions developed for earthquake-resistant design may apply to blast engineering and terrorist-resistant design. Part of our mission now is to transfer these solutions and to develop new ones where none exist at present."

Answer the following questions:
1. What is the nickname of the building that was referenced in the first paragraph?
2. What are structural engineers trying to protect buildings from?
3. What university where the structural engineers from?
4. Where did they travel to for research?
5. What were they looking at?
6. Specifically, the buildings they were looking at, did they want to see untouched buildings?
7. What area were these buildings surrounding?
8. What suffix does M. Bruneau carry?
9. Were there any surprises during the visit?
10. What mechanism do they need to understand better in order to achieve their objective?
A: 1. unknown
2. Terrorists
3. The University at Buffalo
4. ground zero
5. Clues
6. No
7. World Trade Center
8. Ph.D.
9. Yes
10. Collapse

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Two good friends, Sam and Jason, met with a car accident on their way home one snowy night. The next morning, Sam woke up blind. His legs were broken. The doctor, Mr Lee, was standing by his bed, looking at him worriedly. When he saw Sam awake, he asked, "How are you feeling, Sam?" Sam smiled and said, "Not bad, Doctor. Thank you very much for doing the special operation ." Mr Lee was moved by Sam. When he was leaving, Sam said, "Please don't tell Jason about it." "Well...Well...OK," Mr Lee replied. Months later when Jason's wounds healed , Sam was still very sick. He couldn't see or walk. He could do nothing but stay in his wheelchair all day long. At first, Jason stayed with him for a few days. But days later, Jason thought it boring to spend time with a disabled man like Sam. So he went to see Sam less and less. He made new friends. From then on, he didn't go to visit Sam any more. Sam didn't have any family or friends except Jason. He felt very sad. Things went from bad to worse. Sam died a year later. When Jason came, Mr Lee gave him a letter from Sam. In the letter Sam said, "Dear Jason, I am disabled. But I want you to be a healthy man. So I gave my eyes to you so that you can enjoy life as a healthy man. Now you have new friends. I'm glad to see that you are as healthy and happy as usual. I'm glad you live a happy life. You are always my best friend... Sam". When he finished reading the letter, Mr Lee said, "I have promised that I will keep this a secret until Sam is gone. Now you know it." Jason stood there like a stone. Tears ran down his face.

1. How many friends were there?
2. And their names were?
3. What happened to them?
4. What injuries did Sam have?
5. Was the nurse there?
6. What was the MD's name?
7. Was he concerned?
8. Did Sam get better quickly?
9. Did Jason and Sam stay friends?
10. How did that make Sam feel?
11. Did Jason like to spend time with Sam?
12. Why not?
13. How long did Sam live?
14. Did he leave a picture?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Two
2. Sam and Jason
3. they got in a car accident
4. Sam was blind and his legs were broken
5. no
6. Mr Lee
7. Yes
8. No
9. No
10. very sad
11. No
12. he thought it boring to spend time with a disabled man
13. Sam died a year later
14. No

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

(CNN) -- It was the moment the world had been waiting for, and as he has so often in his glittering career, Lionel Messi delivered.

After a frantic opening to the World Cup in Brazil with entertainment and goals aplenty, one of its gold-plated stars announced his arrival in style.

A trademark slaloming run from the Barcelona striker ended in the fashion soccer fans have become well accustomed to -- with the net rippling.

In truth, Argentina were far from their best against the World Cup debutantes Bosnia and Herzegovina despite going 1-0 up thanks to the quickest goal at the World Cup to date.

Sead Kolasinac was the unwitting scorer, diverting the ball into his own net after a Messi free kick was glanced on by Marcos Rojo.

Alejandro Sabella's men couldn't build on that early lead though as Bosnia and Herzegovina held their own until the interval.

Argentina's lead was doubled on 65 minutes thanks to a piece of magic from their talisman.

Messi swapped passes with Gonzalo Higuain and sidestepped two challenges before firing home off the inside of the post via a slight deflection.

His vigorous celebration perhaps showed the pressure he was under to perform, as the endless comparisons to Argentina's other world famous player -- Diego Maradona -- go on.

A goal from substitute Vedad Ibisevic ensured a nervy final six minutes but Argentina held out to secure three important points.

France 3-0 Honduras

The first World Cup goal to be awarded via goal-line technology helped France to a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Honduras in Porto Alegre.

1. what had the world been waiting for?
2. who?
3. what country did he play for?
4. was Messi compared to anyone?
5. What was Messi playing in?
6. was it played in a country?
7. what type of opening was it?
8. why?
9. were there stars?
10. What happened to Argentina's lead?
11. for what duration?
12. why did it double?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. For him to deliver
2. Lionel Messi
3. Argentina
4. Diego Maradona
5. the World Cup
6. in Brazil
7. It was a frantic opening
8. It had entertainment and many goals
9. Lionel Messi was one of its stars
10. It doubled
11. After 65 minutes
12. He fired home off the inside post after a deflaction