Problem: The term Carnival is traditionally used in areas with a large Catholic presence. However, the Philippines, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, does not celebrate Carnival anymore since the dissolution of the Manila Carnival after 1939, the last carnival in the country. In historically Lutheran countries, the celebration is known as Fastelavn, and in areas with a high concentration of Anglicans and Methodists, pre-Lenten celebrations, along with penitential observances, occur on Shrove Tuesday. In Eastern Orthodox nations, Maslenitsa is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent. In German-speaking Europe and the Netherlands, the Carnival season traditionally opens on 11/11 (often at 11:11 a.m.). This dates back to celebrations before the Advent season or with harvest celebrations of St. Martin's Day.

Traditionally a carnival feast was the last opportunity to eat well before the time of food shortage at the end of the winter during which one was limited to the minimum necessary. On what nowadays is called vastenavond (the days before fasting) all the remaining winter stores of lard, butter and meat which were left would be eaten, for it would soon start to rot and decay. The selected livestock had in fact already been slaughtered in November and the meat would be no longer preservable. All the food that had survived the winter had to be eaten to assure that everyone was fed enough to survive until the coming spring would provide new food sources.
1. What is a carnival feast?
2. Why would they need to do this?
3. when is there likely to be a shortage?
4. what is vastenavond
5. what types of foods were consumed
6. Which countries celebrate Carnival
7. Do the Phillipines celebrate?
8. When did they stop?
9. What was the last carnival there called?
10. What do Lutheran countries call it?
11. what is Shrove Tuesday?
12. When does the carnival season traditionally start?
13. What does it coincide with?
14. How did they get meat?
15. When did they do that?
16. Why did they have to eat it quickly?
17. When would they get abundant food sources again?
18. Where is the term Carnival most recognized from?
19. Was the Phillipines Catholic
20. What time do people generally start celebrating Carnival
Answer: 1. an opportunity to eat well
2. before a food shortage
3. the end of the winter
4. the days before fasting
5. lard, butter and meat
6. Eastern Orthodox nations
7. no
8. after 1939
9. Manila Carnival
10. Fastelavn
11. unknown
12. on 11/11
13. harvest celebrations
14. slaughtered livestock
15. in November
16. it would rot
17. spring
18. areas with a large Catholic presence
19. yes
20. at 11:11 a.m.

Problem: When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry at the door. "I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive," says Baxter, who'd rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. "It's there and it beckons . That's human nature (but)...we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don't know where it should stop."

Americans are connected at unprecedented levels--93% now use cell phones or wireless devices; one third of those are "smart phones" that allow users to browse the web and check e-mails, among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road, staying in touch with friends and family, efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The _ : often, we're effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.

That's why, despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever, 2010 was the year we stopped talking to one another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mails while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess .

"What we're going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before," says Scott Campbell. "It can be a good thing, but I also see new ways the traditional social construction is getting somewhat torn apart."

Our days are filled with beeps and pings--many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much, but we can't seem to stop posting, texting or surfing. "We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing, " says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off. "Our human purposes are to really have connections with people," she says. "We have to reclaim it. It's not going to take place by itself."
1. What percentage of Americans use wireless devices?
2. What are 1/3 of those?
3. What did we stop doing in 2010?
4. What social media site is mentioned?
5. What kind of anxiety is it causing?
6. What are we going to see more of in the future?
7. according to whom?
8. What does Sherry Turkle want to remind people to do?
9. What does she think human's purpose is?
10. Does she think it will happen all by itself?
11. What does Gretchen Baxter do when she gets home?
12. Where does she live?
13. Is she married?
14. Does she have children?
15. How old is her child?
Answer:
1. 93%
2. smart phones
3. we stopped talking to one another
4. Facebook
5. social anxiety
6. new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected
7. Scott Campbell
8. she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off
9. to really have connections with people
10. no
11. she checks her Blackberry at the door
12. New York City
13. Yes
14. Yes
15. 12