Q: CHAPTER XXXII

A PROPOSAL

We arrived at Feltham at a few minutes past ten o'clock, having seen nothing of the car which had left Newcastle a few minutes before ours. Several times we asked on the road and heard news of it, but we could find no sign of it having stopped even for a moment. Apparently it had been driven, without pause for rest or refreshment, at top speed, and we learned that two summonses would probably be issued against its owners. Jacky, who was delighted with the whole expedition, sat with his watch in his hands for the last few miles, and made elaborate calculations as to our average speed, the distance we had traversed, and other matters interesting to the owner of a powerful car.

We were greeted, when we arrived, with all sorts of inquiries as to our expedition, but we declined to say a word until we had dined. We had scarcely commenced our meal before the butler came hurrying in.

"His Lordship is ringing up from London, sir," he said. "He wishes to speak to you particularly. The telephone is through into the library."

I made my way there and took up the receiver without any special interest. Ralph was fidgety these days, and I had no doubt that he had something to say to me about the shooting. His first words, however, riveted my attention.

"Is that you, Austen?" he asked.

"I am here," I answered. "How are you, Ralph?"

"I am all right," he said. "Rather better than usual, in fact. Where on earth have you been to all day? I have rung up four times."

Answer the following questions:
1. When did they arrive?
2. where?
3. what were they looking for along the way?
4. where had they first seen it?
5. who left first?
6. how much sooner?
7. Did they ask about it along the way?
8. did they hear anything about it?
9. what evidence did they find?
10. why?
11. who was excited about the trip?
12. what was he holding?
13. for how much of the trip?
14. doing what with it?
15. and what else?
16. what kind of vehicle did they have?
17. how were they greeted?
18. did they respond?
19. what were they going to do first?
20. who interrupted the meal?
A: 1. at a few minutes past ten o'clock
2. at Feltham
3. a car
4. Newcastle
5. the other car did
6. few minutes
7. yes
8. no
9. Apparently it had been driven, without pause for rest or refreshment, at top speed, and we learned that two summonses would probably be issued against its owners.
10. speeding
11. Jacky
12. his watch
13. for the last few miles
14. made elaborate calculations as to our average speed,
15. the distance we had traversed
16. a powerful one
17. with all sorts of inquiries as to our expedition
18. no
19. dine
20. the butler
Q: For more than 40 years, scientists have sought to learn how well human beings can adapt to long periods in space. The International Space Station continues to provide valuable knowledge about spaceflight. But an earlier space station, Skylab, helped make the current space project possible.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield sang aboard the International Space Station on May 12, 2013. His music video has become extremely popular. The astronaut played his own version of David Bowie's song Space Oddity. He performed while floating weightlessly, with images of planet earth and space appearing in the window behind him.

Chris Hadfield recently returned home after nearly five months on the space station. For him, the long flight produced a hit video on YouTube and no major physical problems. But 40 years ago, scientists did not know how humans would react to long-term spaceflight. To find out, NASA, the American space agency, launched Skylab in May, 1973. Over nearly a year, three teams of astronauts visited Skylab for stays of between 28 to 84 days. They learned how people react to extended periods in space.

Gerald Carr commanded Skylab 4. He spoke at a NASA event marking the 40th anniversary of Skylab's launch. He said that the loss of the body's muscle mass was a main concern. Astronauts on Skylab used exercise equipment to stay strong. The astronauts spent their workdays carrying out experiments, including biomedical research.

Marshall Porterfield is the director of NASA's Space Life and Physical Sciences Division. He says the Skylab astronauts' understanding of their own ability to deal with long-term spaceflight continues to help current astronauts. NASA says the next step for life away from Earth is a year-long space station mission, set for 2015.

Answer the following questions:
1. What provides knowledge about space?
2. What is an earlier space station?
3. Did it help the current project?
4. What song did a man sing on the station?
5. When?
6. Who did this?
7. What nationality is he?
8. How long was he in space?
9. Who launched Skylab?
10. When?
11. What is NASA?
12. How long was Skylab in space?
13. How long would astronauts stay there?
14. How many teams?
15. Who commanded Skylab 4?
16. Where did he speak?
17. marking what?
18. Were there negatives to space travel?
19. How did they battle this?
20. Who is Marshall Porterfield?
A: 1. The International Space Station
2. Skylab
3. Yes
4. David Bowie's song Space Oddity
5. on May 12, 2013
6. Chris Hadfield
7. Canadian
8. nearly five months
9. NASA
10. in May, 1973
11. the American space agency
12. Over nearly a year
13. for stays of between 28 to 84 days
14. three
15. Gerald Carr
16. at a NASA event
17. marking the 40th anniversary of Skylab's launch
18. loss of the body's muscle mass
19. They used exercise equipment to stay strong
20. the director of NASA's Space Life and Physical Sciences Division
Q: Clay Wanner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas a few years ago,to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of them fell off their chairs, " Wanner says.

Wanner manages school facilities for Clark County, Nevada,a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018,143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public education system. Wanner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ;they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.

Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County,which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation ," Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool."

Surprisingly, the man who is responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Wanner says."Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work. "But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,"he says.

Answer the following questions:
1. What kind of people did Clay Wanner gather?
2. Where did he gather them
3. How much less energy did he want the schools to use?
4. What does Wanner manage?
5. Where are the facilities he manages?
6. How many schools does Wanner need for the new students coming in?
7. How many new students are needing to be housed by these schools?
8. What design requirement goes against the realities of the area's climate?
9. Does Wanner believe wholeheartedly in eco-friendly technologies?
10. What types of power harvesting does he wish to inspire the stuidents to learn more about?
A:
1. architects
2. Las Vegas
3. 50 percent
4. school facilities
5. Clark County
6. 73
7. 143,000
8. more natural light for students
9. No
10. harvesting wind