Q: The city of Yangzhou came into being at the Spring and Autumn Period ( about 500 AC ). As the key transportation link at joint place of the Great Canal ( Beijing-Hangzhou) and Changjiang (Yangtze River), Yangzhou has been from the Sui Dynasty (600 AD.) an economically rich city, and then reached its top in the Tang Dynasty. At that time Yangzhou was a famous port and one of few biggest cities in East Asia. With the improvement of the local economy and easy transportation way, there happened in the history a special local culture, which has an important place in Chinese culture. Many famous men of letters, poets, artists, scholars , statesmen, scientists and national heroes in the history were born in, lived in or had connection with Yangzhou. Li Bai, one of the greatest Chinese poets visited and stayed in Yangzhou several times in his life and one of his famous poems about Yangzhou has been so popular that Chinese of all ages can sing it and has become a symbol of Yangzhou . Zheng Banqiao, a famous Chinese painting painter in the Qing Dynasty heading a group called "Eight Eccentrics", had strongly influenced Chinese paintings. Wang Zhong and Yuan Yuan and some other scholars formed school of Yangzhou Scholars and achieved great success in the study of classic Chinese and writing. Zhu Ziqing, one of most famous modern Chinese writers and scholars, had always been proud of himself as a native of Yangzhou and thanked the city for being nourished by its rich culture. Quite a few other names you may come across frequently in the study of Chinese culture and history have connection with Yangzhou . Yangzhou was so attractive and important that many Chinese emperors in history had come specially to visit or check the city. Emperor Suiyang, who ordered to cut the Great Canal so that he could come more easily and quickly, died on his last trip to the city and buried here. Emperor Qianlong had come all the way from the north and visited the city nine times.

1. East Asia
2. Li Bai
3. a painter
4. at the Spring and Autumn Period
5. Eight Eccentrics
6. Wang Zhong and Yuan Yuan and some other scholars
7. classic Chinese and writing
8. Suiyang
9. no
10. nine
11. the north
12. the Sui Dynasty
13. the Tang Dynasty

Numbered questions:
1. What part of Asia is Yangzhou in?
2. Who was one of the greatest Chinese poets to visit there?
3. Who was Zheng Banqiao?
4. When did Yangzhou come into being?
5. What group did Zheng Banqiao head?
6. Who started the school of Yangzhou Scholars?
7. What did they study?
8. Which Emperor died on his last trip the the city?
9. Did Qianlong visit the city 10 times?
10. How many times did he visit?
11. Where did he come from?
12. What Dynasty is Yangzhou from?
13. What Dynasty did it reach it's peak, or top, in?

Q: One evening last fall, while Marcos Ugarte did his homework and his father, Eduardo, a teacher, prepared lesson plans, they heard shouting outside. Eduardo, 47, and Marcos, 15, stepped onto the balcony of their two-story home. Immediately, Marcos' s eye was caught by a flame from one of their neighbors' houses. "Dad, the house is on fire!" Marcos cried. Dressed only in shorts, the barefoot teen dashed towards the Mas' home with his dad. Grandmother Yim Ma, mother Suzanne Ma, and son Nathan Ma were gathered on the front grassland shouting for help. When the Ugartes got there, they saw through the open front door that father Alex Ma was falling down the stairs, coughing, his face black with dirt. "Is anyone else in the house?" Eduardo asked. "My son!" Alex managed to say, pointing to the second floor. Eduardo started up the stairs, but thick, black smoke, swirling ash, and extreme heatforced him to his knees. He inched upstairs and down the hall where Alex said he would find Cody, eight, who had locked himself in a bedroom. "I'd never seen smoke like that," says Eduardo. "My glasses immediately turned black from the ash." As the fire spread across the hall, Eduardo banged on the bedroom door and tried to turn the handle. But Cody didn't respond, and Eduardo made his way back downstairs. At the same time, Marcos saw Yim and Suzanne pulling an aluminum ladder out of the garage. "Cody was standing at the window, screaming for help," says Marcos. "I knew I had to do something." He grabbed the ladder, positioned it near the window, and climbed towards the boy. When Marcos reached the window, he pushed the screen into the room and persuaded Cody out. "It's OK," Marcos told him. "I've got you." Holding Cody with one arm, Marcos moved down the ladder. Halfway down, he handed the boy to a neighbor. The day after the fire, Alex visited Marcos. "Thank you for saving my son," Alex said. "You are his hero forever."

1. teacher
2. nothing
3. shorts
4. preparing lesson plans
5. house
6. neighbors' house
7. three
8. Alex Ma
9. His son
10. eight
11. window

Numbered questions:
1. What profession is Marco's father in?
2. What was Marcos wearing on his feel when he ran outside?
3. What was he wearing?
4. What was the teacher doing when Marcos caught his attention?
5. What was burning?
6. Whose house?
7. How many of the Ma's were waiting outside for help?
8. Who was still inside?
9. Who else?
10. How old was he?
11. And where was he?

Q: Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. An illegal act by an officeholder constitutes political corruption only if the act is directly related to their official duties, is done under color of law or involves trading in influence.

Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, gombeenism, parochialism patronage, influence peddling, graft, and embezzlement. Corruption may facilitate criminal enterprise such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, though is not restricted to these activities. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is also considered political corruption.

The activities that constitute illegal corruption differ depending on the country or jurisdiction. For instance, some political funding practices that are legal in one place may be illegal in another. In some cases, government officials have broad or ill-defined powers, which make it difficult to distinguish between legal and illegal actions. Worldwide, bribery alone is estimated to involve over 1 trillion US dollars annually. A state of unrestrained political corruption is known as a kleptocracy, literally meaning "rule by thieves".

1. Corruption.
2. Over 1 trillion dollars.
3. The use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain.
4. No.
5. Yes.
6. Not always.
7. Kleptocracy.
8. Rule by thieves.

Numbered questions:
1. What is bribery a type of?
2. How much money is estimated to change hand from bribery?
3. What is political corruption?
4. Would a mayor robbing a store be considered political corruption?
5. What about a senator accepting bribes to vote for a proposal?
6. Are political corruption laws generally the same worldwide?
7. What is defined as uncontrolled political corruption?
8. What's the literal meaning of that?