Article: Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21:00. _ th The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers". _ th Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew. _ th An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play. _ th Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest. Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson London Canal Museum 12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT www.canalmuseum.org.ukwww.canalmuseum.mobi Tel:020 77130836 Question: When is the talk on James Brindley? Yes or no, is the answer "November 7 th."?
No

Article: Coketown was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it; but in fact it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted face of savage . It was a town of machinery and tall chimney, out of which smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever. It had a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill smelling color1, and large piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day long, and where the steam-engine worked up and down like the head of an elephant in a state of madness. The town contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one another. A sunny midsummer day. There was such a thing sometimes even in Coketown. Seen from a distance in such weather, Coketown lay covered in a smoke of its own. You only knew the town was there, because you knew there could have been no such a place upon the view without a town. The streets were hot and dusty on the summer day, and the sun was so bright that it even shone through the smoke over Coketown, and could not be looked at steadily. Workers appeared from low underground doorways into factory yards, and sat on steps, wiping their face sand looking at coals. The whole town seemed to be frying in oil. There was a smell of hot oil everywhere. The atmosphere of those places was like the breath of hell , and their inhabitants wasting with heat, walked lazily in the desert. But no temperature made the mad elephants more mad or more sane . Their tiresome heads went up and down at the sane rate, in hot weather and in cold, wet weather and dry. The measured movement of their shadows of wood; while for the summer noise of insects, it could offer all the year round, from the dawn of Monday to the night of Saturday. Question: Which of the following words is NOT properly used to describe Coketown ? Yes or no, is the answer "deserted"?
No

Q: Article: NEW YORK---Booksellers and technology companies are diving into the world of digital books. Sony Corp is selling the Reader Digital Book for $299, while giant online shopping company Amazon.com offers the Kindle for $399. The digital books are light, easy on the eyes and let readers carry around as many as 200 titles in hardware that weighs less than a pound. But to some people, there's something missing. "It's , I guess, the feel of holding a book that someone really put a lot of effort into writing," said Katy Farina, 21. Farina, a college student who was browsing at a bookstore, said, "It feels real, while the reader separates you a little bit from the story." Harry Howe, a professor, said he might use an e-book reader in search of materials while away from home, but not for reading a novel. "It's just not a physical experience that I'm yet comfortable with. On the other hand, I didn't grow up reading things on websites." Farina said she would like a reader for travelling because she would not have to transport so many books. "To put 10 books on your Sony reader or on your Kindle is a lot better than carrying 10 books," she said. Neither Sony nor Amazon would say how many machines they have sold, but enough people are interested in trying them out. An Amazon official at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week said the Kindle sold out on its first day in 6 hours. And for people hesitating between paper and e-books, Sony does offer a compromising -- an optional paper cover. "I think it's a clever move." Said Howe. Question: What's the main idea of the passage? Yes or no, is the answer "E-books read well, but some people prefer paper books."?
A: Yes

Article: Linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, the blue waters of the Gulf of Aden near Somalia are one of the most important trading routes in the world. But they are also the most feared. Pirates whose targets are ships and their crew often show up there. On September 25, a Ukrainian ship carrying 30 tanks became another victim. The pirates have reportedly killed one of the crewmen and are now surrounded by the US Navy. But they are still demanding $ 20 million for the release of the ship. This year alone, more than 50 ships have been attacked, 25 hijacked , and 14 are currently being held. Of course this is nothing new either. Ever since there has been water and ships there have been pirates. The earliest documented history of pirates dates back to the 13th century in the Mediterranean Sea. Even the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates at one time. Piracy reached its peak in the early l700s, especially in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa. In the mid-20th-century, most pirates we're common thieves. They used hooks to steal on board commercial ships, and took all that they could find. These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if met by the crew. However, nowadays piracy has become a multi-million dollar business attracting many in poor countries such as Somalia. "The pirates are well funded and have all the latest equipment, including satellite phones," said a top UN representative in Somalia. In Asia, however, a trend started where pirates didn't just want to kidnap the stuff, they also wanted to control the ship. They would kill the crewmembers or kidnap them for ransom . After the recent kidnapping of Ukrainian ship, people are also worrying that tanks and arms on board would fall into hands of terrorists. Last week the UN called a meeting from all affected countries to fight piracy. "The international community is determined to stop these pirates who are weakening efforts to bring peace to Somalia. This cannot and will not... Question: We can infer from the passage that Yes or no, is the answer "more measures will be taken to fight with pirates"?
Yes