Q: Minsk, is the capital and largest city of Belarus, on the Svislach and the Nyamiha Rivers. As the national capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region (voblast) and Minsk raion (district). In 2013, it had a population of 2,002,600. Minsk is the administrative capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and seat of the Executive Secretary.

The earliest historical references to Minsk date to the 11th century (1067), when it was noted as a provincial city within the Principality of Polotsk. The settlement developed on the rivers. In 1242, Minsk became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It received town privileges in 1499.

From 1569, it was a capital of the Minsk Voivodeship, in the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth. It was part of a region annexed by the Russian Empire in 1793, as a consequence of the Second Partition of Poland. From 1919 to 1991, after the Russian Revolution, Minsk was the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union. Minsk will host the 2019 European Games.

Minsk is located on the southeastern slope of the Minsk Hills, a region of rolling hills running from the southwest (upper reaches of the river Nioman) to the northeast that is, to Lukomskaye Lake in northwestern Belarus. The average altitude above sea level is . The physical geography of Minsk was shaped over the two most recent ice ages. The Svislach River, which flows across the city from the northwest to the southeast, is in the "urstromtal", an ancient river valley formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age. There are six smaller rivers within the city limits, all part of the Black Sea basin.

1. Minsk
2. 1067
3. 11th
4. on the rivers
5. the Russian Empire
6. the Second Partition of Poland.
7. the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
8. 1919
9. on the southeastern slope of the Minsk Hills
10. Yes
11. The Svislach River
12. Seven
13. the Black Sea basin.
14. Minsk Region

Numbered questions:
1. What is the largest city in Belarus?
2. When was it first heard of?
3. What century?
4. On what did they begin to settle?
5. What was it connected to in 1793?
6. As a result of what?
7. What was it a capital of until 1991?
8. Since when?
9. Where is it located?
10. Does it have land above sea level?
11. What divides the city from southeast to northwest?
12. How many are in the city?
13. What basin do they share in common?
14. What is it the admin capital of?

Q: (CNN) -- Politicians make gaffes almost daily. Some they can overcome. Some are fodder for late-night comedians. Some are deadly to their campaigns. Republican congressman Todd Akin's recent gaffe was so toxic, he may not only have killed his campaign, he may be the political equivalent of a zombie who also infects the Romney/Ryan ticket with his deadly virus.

The American public is smarter than most political campaigns give us credit for. We may not be geniuses -- me included -- but we intuitively grasp when a politician has merely slipped up or when he or she has revealed something much more significant.

The first type of political gaffes are just that: mistakes. For example, when then-presidential candidate Barack Obama said he had campaigned in "57 states." Or when Rep. Michele Bachmann suggested that the American Revolution had started in New Hampshire.

These kinds of comments are generally overcome. The only time they're potentially fatal is if they occur with such frequency that they begin to define the politician. Note to Joe Biden: You are really getting close to achieving that feat.

Then there are the gaffes that are not gaffes at all. These reveal the candidate's views on an issue or a character flaw that we had not previously seen.

Rep. Todd Akin's notorious remark Sunday clearly falls into the second category.

Akin assessing candidacy with conservatives in Florida

His statement that a woman being raped could magically shut off her reproductive system and avoid becoming pregnant was so outrageous that even Mitt Romney quickly denounced him. (Surprising, because Romney failed to condemn Rush Limbaugh's despicable comments regarding Sandra Fluke, the law student whom Limbaugh called a "slut" on his radio show after she appeared before Congress to discuss contraception.) Akin's statement also brought national attention to his radical position that a woman who becomes pregnant from rape should be required to carry the baby to term.

1. Todd Akin
2. A woman being raped could magically shut off her reproductive system
3. To avoid becoming pregnant
4. Mitt Romney
5. He failed to condemn Rush Limbaugh's despicable comments
6. He called her a "slut"
7. Radio
8. His position that a woman who becomes pregnant from rape should be required to carry the baby to term.
9. No
10. Barrack Obama
11. He had campaigned in "57 states."
12. Two

Numbered questions:
1. Who said something outrageous?
2. What did he say?
3. To what end?
4. Who distanced themselves from the comment?
5. Why was this unexpected?
6. What was that about?
7. On what media?
8. What did Akin's mistake bring to light?
9. Is he the fist person to make a public mistake?
10. Who else?
11. What did he say?
12. How many kinds of mistakes are there?

Q: CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

A SURPRISING DISCOVERY--AND MORE.

When Ian Macdonald had seen his father's house fairly stranded on the knoll, and had made it fast there with innumerable ropes, thin and thick, as the Lilliputians secured Gulliver, he bethought him that it was high time to visit the Little Mountain, to which his father had gone on at that time, and inform him of the amazing fact.

Before setting off, however, common propriety required that he should look in at Willow Creek in passing, not only to let them know what had occurred, if they had not already observed it, but to ask if there was any message for Mr Ravenshaw.

First releasing Peegwish, who now regarded him as a maniac, he embarked with him in the punt, and rowed over.

It was by that time approaching the afternoon. Before that--indeed before the house of Angus had gone afloat--Tony, Victor, and Petawanaquat had gone off to the Little Mountain in search of Mr Ravenshaw. Those of the family who remained behind had been so busy about their various avocations, that no one had observed the sudden removal of their neighbour's dwelling.

"Cora! quick! come here!" cried Elsie, in a tone that alarmed her sister. "Am I dreaming?"

Cora looked out at the window, where the other stood as if petrified. "Angus Macdonald's house on the knoll!" she screamed.

The scream brought her mother and Miss Trim hurriedly into the room. They stared in speechless amazement, and rubbed their eyes, but they could not rub the house of Angus Macdonald off the knoll.

1. as a maniac
2. on the knoll
3. the afternoon
4. with innumerable ropes
5. one
6. to visit the Little Mountain
7. no
8. To search for Mr Ravenshaw.
9. inform him of the amazing fact.
10. look in at it
11. Cora
12. looked out at the window,
13. she screamed

Numbered questions:
1. How did Peegwish look at Ian?
2. Where was his dad's house stuck?
3. What time was it when he reached Willow Creek?
4. How did he secure the house?
5. how many had earlier gone to the smaller peak
6. Where had ian's dad gone?
7. Had the neighbours noticed the missing building?
8. what was he aiming to do at his neighbours?
9. and?
10. What was Ian going to do at Willow Creek?
11. Who did Elsie call for?
12. what did Cora do?
13. and?