Question: ESPN (originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is a U.S.-based global cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network) and the Hearst Corporation (which owns a 20% minority share) The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen along with his brother Scott and Ed Egan.

ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol, Connecticut. The network also operates offices in Miami, New York City, Seattle, Charlotte, and Los Angeles. John Skipper currently serves as president of ESPN, a position he has held since January 1, 2012. While ESPN is one of the most successful sports networks, there has been much criticism of ESPN, which includes accusations of biased coverage, conflict of interest, and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts. , ESPN is available to approximately 94,396,000 paid television households (81.1% of households with at least one television set) in the United States. Nielsen has reported a much lower number in 2017, below 90,000,000 subscribers, losing more than 10,000 a day. In addition to the flagship channel and its seven related channels in the United States, ESPN broadcasts in more than 200 countries, operating regional channels in Australia, Brazil, Latin America and the United Kingdom, and owning a 20% interest in The Sports Network (TSN) as well as its five sister networks in Canada. 1. What station is this about?
2. Where does it mainly run from?
3. Anywhere else?
4. How many other places?
5. And they are?
6. Is the name an anagram?
7. What does it stand for?
8. How many companies own it?
9. Between whom?
10. Who controls the least?
11. Does the station have a sparkling reputation?
12. What are the problems?
13. Anything else?
14. How many homes can use it?
15. Does it keep growing quickly?
16. Is it in more than one country?
17. How many?
18. When was it created?
19. By how many people?
20. And they are? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. ESPN
2. Bristol
3. yes
4. Five
5. Miami, New York City, Seattle, Charlotte, and Los Angeles
6. yes
7. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
8. one joint venture
9. The Walt Disney Company and the Hearst Corporation
10. Hearst Corporation
11. no
12. accusations of biased coverage
13. conflict of interest
14. approximately 94,396,000
15. no
16. yes
17. more than 200 countries
18. 1979
19. Three
20. Bill Rasmussen along with his brother Scott and Ed Egan

Question: (CNN) -- There are plenty of reasons to fall in love with a staircase.

It's a home's conduit and connector. It ushers life along, makes a grand impression on visitors and serves as the backdrop for family memories.

"It's where my daughter took pictures for her first daddy-daughter dance," said Anisa Darnell, part of the Milk and Honey Home decorator team from Roswell, Georgia. Her home's staircase is also special to her because her grandfather posed with her daughter for a snapshot there before he passed away.

The back staircase in Emily A. Clark's home is significant because it's mostly used by her kids. "I've also caught them playing school on the little landing in the middle of the stairs."

Jacki Poovey and her husband designed their staircase to be a grand, welcoming part of their Cary, North Carolina home, but it's also at the heart of countless family memories. It still bears reminders of the time their puppy chewed every bit of molding from the edges of the newel post to the cap molding on the treads. "It's a lived-in home," says Poovey.

Massive undertakings, like DIY home renovations, can imbue a home's staircase with lasting impressions of the experience.

"If you paint three stories of spindles, you never forget it," Victoria Barnes said of the painstaking restoration she and her husband undertook in their 1890 Victorian home near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Barnes blogs about the "really, really, really slow" process of their work, which she calls wonderful and overwhelming.

Christine Price, from Manchester, England, can relate, having spent 250 hours stripping, sanding and painting the staircase in her Edwardian home. "The staircase is the first thing you see when you enter our home," she said. "Now that it's restored it makes such a huge difference to the whole feel of the house." 1. What part of a house is this story mainly about?
2. According to the article, is the staircase important to the house's atmosphere?
3. What photos were taken by the stairs?
4. What team of decorators is mentioned?
5. where are they from?
6. Is Emily's staircase in the front of the house?
7. Who uses it?
8. What do they do there?
9. Is it easy to forget restoring a staircase?
10. Who owns a Victorian house?
11. When does it date from?
12. Where is it located?
13. Was her work on the house easy?
14. Was it enjoyable?
15. How long did Christine spend on her project?
16. Is her house always Victorian?
17. What style is it?
18. What work did Christine do?
19. Is Jacki's staircase pristine?
20. Why not? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. The staircase
2. Yes
3. pictures for a first daddy-daughter dance
4. the Milk and Honey Home decorator team
5. Roswell, Georgia
6. No
7. Her kids
8. Playing school
9. No
10. Victoria Barnes
11. 1890
12. near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
13. No
14. Yes
15. 250 hours
16. No
17. Edwardian
18. stripping, sanding and painting
19. No
20. It has marks from where her puppy chewed it

Question: CHAPTER VII. NAUGHTY NAN

"Fritz, I've got a new idea," cried Mrs. Bhaer, as she met her husband one day after school.

"Well, my dear, what is it?" and he waited willingly to hear the new plan, for some of Mrs. Jo's ideas were so droll, it was impossible to help laughing at them, though usually they were quite sensible, and he was glad to carry them out.

"Daisy needs a companion, and the boys would be all the better for another girl among them; you know we believe in bringing up little men and women together, and it is high time we acted up to our belief. They pet and tyrannize over Daisy by turns, and she is getting spoilt. Then they must learn gentle ways, and improve their manners, and having girls about will do it better than any thing else."

"You are right, as usual. Now, who shall we have?" asked Mr. Bhaer, seeing by the look in her eye that Mrs. Jo had some one all ready to propose.

"Little Annie Harding."

"What! Naughty Nan, as the lads call her?" cried Mr. Bhaer, looking very much amused.

"Yes, she is running wild at home since her mother died, and is too bright a child to be spoilt by servants. I have had my eye on her for some time, and when I met her father in town the other day I asked him why he did not send her to school. He said he would gladly if he could find as good a school for girls as ours was for boys. I know he would rejoice to have her come; so suppose we drive over this afternoon and see about it." 1. Who needs a companion?
2. What is Annie's nickname?
3. Who was Mrs. Bhaer speaking to?
4. What is her husband's name?
5. What did she tell her spouse?
6. What is his wife's name?
7. Is Daisy spoiled?
8. Did Mr. Bhaer agree?
9. What was Annie's full name?
10. Who's mother passed away?
11. Is Annie's father still alive?
12. Did they already have boys?
13. What would having more girls do for the boys?
14. When did she talk to her husband?
15. Did her husband believe she already had someone in mind?
16. Who did she suggest?
17. What are their boys' names?
18. Was Mr.Bhaer amused? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. Daisy
2. Naughty Nan
3. her husband
4. Fritz
5. she had an idea
6. Mrs. Jo
7. yes
8. yes
9. Annie Harding
10. Annie's
11. yes
12. yes
13. learn gentle ways, and improve their manners,
14. after school
15. yes
16. Annie Harding
17. unknown
18. yes