Pinochle is most often played using a deck of 48 cards. These include two of the same cards of each suit in the ranking of "nine" to ace, which has the highest value in the game. The rules of the game will be the same whether you have 2, 3 or 4 players (though the number of decks required to accommodate each player will differ). Some simplified Pinochle decks only contain 24 cards, or one card of each ranking and suit. In order to play the game correctly, you'll need to use two complete decks. If you don't have access to a Pinochle deck, you can go through two standard decks and remove all the cards with unnecessary rankings. Pinochle is scored using an unusual ranking system. The ace is the most valuable card in the deck, worth 11 points for each "trick." Following the ace, "tens" are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4, queens are worth 3, and jacks are worth 2. "Nine" cards have no point value. A "trick" is a round of Pinochle in which each player plays a single card at a time. The basic idea behind the game is to put together combinations of cards in different suits and rankings to win the high score of a hand. Go around the table starting at the dealer's left and distribute the cards one at a time. You can also deal two or three cards at once to save time. If there are only two players participating, the remaining cards should be placed in a stack face down on the table. Have the players count their cards to make sure they have the correct number before you begin. If you're playing in teams of two, be sure to sit directly across from your partner. At this time, the player to the dealer's left will declare how many points they predict they (or their team) will score by the end of the game. If the player or team can match their predicted score by the end of the game, they'll be awarded that score plus the points from each meld they successfully produce. After each round, the other players will be able to raise the bid in 10 point increments. The winning bid stands after three trick plays. If you're playing in teams, only two bids will be madeone for each group.

Summary: Start with a special deck of Pinochle cards. Learn the value of each card. Deal 12 cards to each player. Make a bid.

If a mountain lion is less than 25 yards away from you and is staring directly at you, it is preparing to attack you. It will be positioned low to the ground with its tail twitching back and forth. Conventional wisdom has suggested you should never run away from a mountain lion because this will trigger its instinct to chase its prey and attack you by biting your neck. However, recent studies have shown that freezing in your current position in front of the mountain lion leaves you at a greater risk for serious or fatal injury than backing away slowly or even running away quickly. Slowly backing away from the lion has been shown to have the lowest levels of fatality. If you choose to run (which is unrecommended), check your terrain and make sure if you can get a strong, flat spring. If you have to run up jagged or hilly terrain, the mountain lion might think you are injured and thus, even better prey. If you decide to stand your ground in front of the mountain lion, don't do it silently. Speak very loudly and firmly to the mountain lion; you can even try yelling at it to intimidate it. Do not scream or shriek as if you are terrified; rather, yell very forcefully. Stand tall and raise your arms overhead and open your coat so you make yourself seem as big and intimidating as possible. If small children are with you, pick them up. (By doing so, you are making yourself look bigger and protecting the child at the same time.) Puff up your chest and throw your shoulders back. Do not bend down before the mountain lion as they will take this as a sign of weakness. If you have any kind of walking stick, a hunting knife, rocks or another large weapon to deter the mountain lion, you should use it at the moment of attack. Pepper spray might also be a successful deterrent. If the mountain lion acts aggressively, throw stones at or near it; convince it that you could be dangerous. You can also use a hunting rifle or pistol to fire at the lion if it makes a charge at you. You should first attempt to fire a warning shot to scare off the lion before it attacks. The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. Try to block the mountain lion from your eyes and face as you strike it. Do everything you can to fight it off. An average adult should be able to ward off an attack by fighting back since mountain lions are rather small. Aim for the head, mouth, and eyes. As soon as you are able, report your encounter to authorities.

Summary: Recognize the signs of a pending attack. Back away slowly. Make some noise. Make yourself larger. Have a weapon to defend yourself. Protect your neck, throat, and head. Report the sighting.

When you read, pretend that you don't know anything about the subject and your are learning about it for the first time. Does your report explain who the person is and why they are important? Can someone who has never heard of the person you are reporting on get a clear picture of the person from your report? If you think you need to explain your subject more, take the time to do it. You've spent a lot of time on your report already, so it's worth a little more time to make it the best it can be. After you're done writing your paper, read it out loud to catch mistakes. This will help you to catch areas of your writing that are awkward or confusing. When reading over your report you also want to make sure that the grammar and spelling is correct. Most word processing programs have a spell check function built in, so that will have caught many of the typos you made while you typed. However, it's important to look it over yourself to make sure your grammar correct and that you have used all of the right words. For example, did you use the right version of the word "there" in your paper? A spell check program may not catch it if you used the wrong version of a word with multiple spellings. It is not "cheating" to have someone edit your paper, unless your teacher specifically prohibits it. Instead, getting the help and input of others in an important part of the writing process and of becoming a better writer. Don't take it personally if you get a lot of feedback. They're only trying to help make your report the best it can be. Consider having a parent or a classmate read over your report. If you have a classmate do it, offer to read over their paper in exchange for them reading over yours.
Summary: Read over your report for clarity. Make grammatical and spelling corrections. Have someone else edit your report.