Problem: England has been the birthplace of most of the great English-language theater written throughout history. Most of the plays in England that are truly famous have something in common. They usually come from a playwright with several famous plays.

Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is considered the most famous British playwright. Shakespeare has a large catalog of tragedies, comedies and history plays, and each category is home to some of the most famous plays ever written. _ are all tragedies and performed in theaters around the world every year. Famous comedies include A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing. In the history category, Richard III and Henry V are very famous.

Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw

Several hundred years after Shakespeare, English people began to enjoy the works of Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. Wilde's plays are still popular now, and The Importance of Being Earnest is both performed and studied extremely frequently. A Woman of No Importance and An Ideal Husband are among his other famous works. Shaw and Wilde were born within a few years of each other, but Shaw was a much more productive writer. His most famous plays include Pygmalion and Candida. Shaw's plays are loved so much that an entire theater company is devoted to performing his work in Niagara-on-the-Lake in southern Ontario.

Harold Pinter

The plays of Harold Pinter certainly have an international presence. His writing was so widely recognized for its importance that he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 2005. Pinter is especially known for his style of writing. Many of his plays such as Betrayal, The Dumb Waiter and his first play, The Room, are extremely well known.
1. True or False: Most famous plays have nothing in common.
2. Name a Shakespeare comedy mentioned.
3. What is the name of the often-studied Oscar Wilde play?
4. Name a notable play by Shaw.
5. Who wrote more, Shaw or Wilde?
6. What honor did Pinter win?
7. In what category?
8. When?
9. How many Pinter plays are mentioned by name?
10. Which was his first?
11. True or False: Shaw and Wilde were born decades apart.
12. Who wrote Candida?
13. What is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake?
14. What do they specialize in?
15. Who wrote An Ideal Husband?
16. Who is the best-known British playwright?
17. Did he write history plays?
18. Name one.
19. And another?
20. Did Shakespeare write many works?
Answer: 1. false
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream
3. Being Earnest
4. Pygmalion
5. Shaw
6. Nobel Prize
7. literature
8. 2005
9. Three
10. The Room
11. false
12. Shaw
13. theater company
14. performing his work
15. Wilde
16. William Shakespeare
17. yes
18. Richard III
19. Henry V
20. yes

Problem: Australian Flag Designs by Readers of the Sun-Herald We received dozens of responses after inviting readers to send in their designs for a new flag. The designs we received include: James Anthony, Drummoyne James reduces the Union Jack down in size and changes its shape to become a reminder of the British tradition rather than canceling it altogether. At the same time he suggests enlarging the stars of the Southern Cross. His design attempts to use the best of both worlds in a newly designed flag. As he says, "the British part of the Australian Flag is too big and the Australian bits are too small. When you make the stars bigger the Australian flag can look impressive." Joe Bollen, Turranmurra Joe's flag has the main elements of a risen sun, white horizon , red earth at the base and the Southern Cross. He intends to make the risen sun a special Australian symbol on the flag. He believes it represents life. The Southern Cross shows that we live in the Southern Hemisphere. Maria Ieraci, Sydney Maria deleted the Union Jack but otherwise kept the flag as is with the Southern Cross and Federation Star. She says, 'There is only one correct way to change the Australian flag" and that is "to drop the Union Jack ---- when Australia becomes a Republic", which she hopes will be before 2010. Ron Bennett, Sydney Ron recommends using the Aboriginal colors but replacing their image of the sun with the map of Australia. He says, "Australia is unique being an island continent with an instantly recognizable outline at that" and "this will leave no doubt as to which country the flag belongs."
1. Which country is unique in being an island continent with a recognizable outline?
2. Who was invited to send in designs for a new flag?
3. Of what publication?
4. What happens when you make the stars of the flag bigger?
5. What does the Southern Cross show?
6. Who says there's only one way to change the Australian flag?
7. And what is that way?
8. When does she hope Australia will become a Republic?
9. Who thinks it would be a good idea to use the Aboriginal colors but replace the sun?
10. Whose design reduced the Union Jack size and changed its shape?
11. Why did he want to do that?
12. And what did he want to do to the stars?
13. What did he say about the British and Australian parts of the flag?
14. Whose flag has the risen sun, white horizon , red earth at the base?
15. What is another name for Joe Bollen?
16. Who is Syndey Ron really?
17. And Sydney Maria?
18. About how many design responses were received?
19. Who is Drummoyne James a nickname for?
20. And what is Joe Bollen's nickname?
Answer: 1. Australia
2. readers
3. the Sun-Herald
4. the Australian flag can look impressive
5. they live in the Southern Hemisphere
6. Sydney Maria
7. drop the Union Jack
8. before 2010
9. Ron Bennett
10. James Anthony
11. for a reminder of the British tradition
12. enlarge them
13. British is too big and Australian is too small
14. Joe Bollen's
15. Joe
16. Ron Bennett
17. Maria Ieraci
18. dozens
19. James Anthony
20. Turranmurra Joe

Problem: When I was a little girl I lived in a place with no winter. It was always warm there. It never got cold. It never snowed. Sometimes it rained. Sometimes there was wind. But there was no snow on the trees or on the ground. There was no snow falling on our heads. There was no snow to make a snowman.

My teacher's name was Mrs. Scott. One day in December, Mrs. Scott told us that we were going to make a snowman. We were excited! We wanted to see a snowman. We knew how a snowman looked. We knew a snowman was made of three snowballs. A snowman had to have a carrot nose and black eyes and buttons. A snowman had a hat and a scarf. We knew all these things.

Mrs. Scott asked us to bring everything we needed to our classroom to make a snowman. Jimmy said, "I can bring the hat and the scarf." Anita said, "I can bring a carrot for the nose." Selma said, "I can cut out some black circles for the eyes and the buttons." Ricky asked, "But who can bring the snow?"

Mrs. Scott said, "I know what to do."

The next day all the children brought the things for the snowman. We did not know where Mrs. Scott would get the snow. Then she showed us. Our snowman is made of three bushes! Three bushes painted white! We put all the things on the bushes and it looked like a real snowman.
1. What did the teacher say the class would build?
2. what was her name?
3. and in what month was this?
4. what was the snowman made out of?
5. Who was bringing the accessories for it?
6. Who brought items for the head?
7. And what about for the face?
8. Why was there no white powder to use?
9. what was the temperature like?
10. was there any sort of precipitation?
11. what kind?
Answer:
1. a snowman
2. Mrs. Scott
3. December
4. snowballs
5. the students
6. Jimmy
7. Anita
8. there was no winter
9. warm
10. Sometimes
11. rain