TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you're given a question, along with three passages, 1, 2, and 3. Your job is to determine which passage can be used to answer the question by searching for further information using terms from the passage. Indicate your choice as 1, 2, or 3.
PROBLEM: Question: Who was the Los Angeles Skyhawks backup in 1976 before Marine Cano? Passage 1:In 1976, Cano signed with the Los Angeles Skyhawks of the American Soccer League. There, he was the backup to Brian Parkinson and helped the Skyhawks to the ASL championship title. In 1978, he moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League. In 1979, he returned to the ASL with the California Sunshine. In 1980, he played for the Cleveland Cobras in the ASL. That fall, he signed with the Cleveland Force in the Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1985, he played for the independent Los Angeles United. In 1986, he moved to the Los Angeles Heat of the Western Soccer Alliance. He played for the Heat as a backup to David Vanole in 1987, then left the league. In 1990, he returned to the Heat, now playing in the American Professional Soccer League. He permanently retired from playing following that season.
Passage 2:A tropical depression developed near Turks and Caicos Islands on June26. Moving west-northwestward, the depression struck Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas. By 12:00UTC the following day, the storm curved northwestward and strengthened into a tropical storm. While situated near Andros around 12:00UTC on June28, the cyclone peaked with winds of 50mph (85km/h). About eight hours later, it made landfall near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The storm emerged into the Gulf of Mexico near Cedar Key early on June30, before making landfall near St. Marks close to 14:00UTC with winds of 40mph (65km/h). Although the system quickly weakened to a tropical depression, it remained a tropical cyclone while moving in a semicircular path across the Southeastern United States. Early on July3, the storm emerged into the Atlantic near Beaufort, South Carolina. Around this time, Charleston observed a barometric pressure of , the lowest in relation to the system. The storm moved east-southeastward and continued weakening, until dissipating between Bermuda and Grand Bahama late on July4.
Passage 3:Born the son of the Rev. Richard St John Tyrwhitt and Caroline Tyrwhitt (nee Yorke), Tyrwhitt joined the training ship HMS Britannia as a cadet on 15 July 1883. He was assigned to the battleship HMS Alexandra in the Mediterranean Fleet in August 1885 and, following his promotion to midshipman on 15 December 1885, he was appointed to the cruiser HMS Calypso in the Training Squadron in November 1888. He transferred to the armoured cruiser HMS Australia in 1889 and, following promotion to sub-lieutenant on 14 March 1890, he transferred to the battleship HMS Ajax later that year. He joined the training brig HMS Pilot at Portsmouth in March 1892 and, having been promoted to lieutenant on 25 August 1892, he transferred to the light cruiser HMS Cleopatra on the North America and West Indies Station in late 1892. He became commanding officer of the destroyer HMS Hart in January 1896 and then became First Lieutenant on the despatch vessel HMS Surprise in the Mediterranean Fleet in late 1896. He went on to be First Lieutenant in the cruiser HMS Indefatigable on the North America and West Indies Station in December 1899 and, having been promoted to commander on 1 January 1903, he became Executive Officer in the cruiser HMS Aurora early in 1903.

SOLUTION: 1

PROBLEM: Question: Was the GDP of Egypt larger than that of Syria the year of the Israeli invasion into Lebanon? Passage 1:PA 741 begins at an intersection with PA 722 in the borough of East Petersburg in Lancaster County, heading to the south on two-lane undivided Lemon Street, which is unsigned and locally maintained. The road passes homes prior to crossing into East Hempfield Township, where it becomes Rohrerstown Road and continues through industrial parks. PA 741 gains a center left-turn lane and becomes signed at the Commercial Avenue intersection. The route continues to an interchange with PA 283, at which point it becomes state-maintained. The road crosses the Little Conestoga Creek into Manheim Township after PA 283. The route becomes two lanes again and turns east prior to turning southwest and crossing the Little Conestoga Creek back into East Hempfield Township. At this point, PA 741 becomes McGovernville Road and comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern's Lititz Secondary and Amtrak's Keystone Corridor. The road passes a mix of homes and woods as it comes to the Harrisburg Pike intersection, where it makes a turn to the south onto Rohrerstown Road, a three lane road with a center left-turn lane. PA 741 passes homes to the west and a branch of Lancaster General Hospital to the east prior to coming to the US 30 interchange. In the area of the interchange, PA 741 is briefly a divided highway. Following US 30, the route becomes a two-lane undivided road and passes residences prior to crossing Norfolk Southern's Columbia Secondary and entering the residential and commercial community of Rohrerstown. Here, PA 741 crosses PA 23. After leaving Rohrerstown, the road passes a mix of farms and businesses prior to an intersection with PA 462.
Passage 2:Blignaut went to the State School in his birthplace Paarl, where he subsequently attended the Gymnasium (Grammar School). After his exams Blignaut went to Cape Town, where he joined the colonial administration. In 1861 he passed the examination for the State Service Certificate of the Cape Colony and in 1862 he moved to the Orange Free State. Here he was appointed to the position of clerk to the Landdrost and Justice of the Peace of Philippolis (17 September 1862). At the time, civil, judicial, and military administration were still very much in the same hand. In view of Basotho threats, President Brand ordered the reorganisation of the Orange Free State defence, and the formulation of clear regulations for the different Volunteer Corps, which were administered by the Landdrosts' offices. For Philippolis Blignaut and J.G. Fraser attended the conference.
Passage 3:According to historians William Cleveland and Martin Bunton, Beirut became an international banking center because of its "laissez-faire economic system". Business owners from Cairo, Damascus, and Baghdad moved to Beirut for economic opportunities. Despite Lebanon's cultural liberalism and economic prosperity, sectarian tensions remained as citizens identified themselves through their sects. With Muslims calling for greater representation and with Cold War tensions, Lebanese leadership had to decide whether to ally with the West or with Egypt, Syria and its Arab history. Christians wanted to continue alliances with the West but Muslims were drawn to Nasser's pan-Arabism. Multiple factors including sectarian tensions and Palestinian refugee settlement in southern Lebanon contributed to the beginnings of the Lebanese Civil War. In 1976, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad sent troops into Lebanon to fight PLO forces on behalf of Christian militias. This led to escalated fighting until a cease-fire agreement later that year that allowed for the stationing of Syrian troops within Lebanon. The Syrian presence in Lebanon quickly changed sides; soon after they entered Lebanon they had flip-flopped and began to fight the Christian nationalists in Lebanon they allegedly entered the country to protect. The Kateab Party and the Lebanese Forces under Bachir Gemayel strongly resisted the Syrians in Lebanon. Following the Israeli invasion into Lebanon in 1982, new Lebanese President Amine Gemayel sought the support of Syrian troops to stabilize the region. Syria fought Israeli troops after the latter's invasion of Lebanon.

SOLUTION: 3

PROBLEM: Question: On what body of water is the island located where Hurricane Alicia made landfall on August 17th? Passage 1:Even though he was raised in a Loyalist and Quaker home, Enoch was elected Captain of the rebels at Malahide, Ontario during the Rebellions of 1837. Enoch and his brothers comprised one of the most active Loyalist families to join the rebels. Court records show that Enoch was arrested and jailed in London on Dec. 21, 1837, convicted of high treason, sentenced to death, then reprieved on May 19, 1838. Hundreds of his neighbours signed the petition for clemency in the case of Enoch, his brother John, and neighbour Harvey Bryant. His sentence was first commuted to transportation to a penal colony on Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) for life, and then relaxed to 14 years of penal servitude but he was eventually pardoned and released on a peace bond on Oct. 5, 1838. His brother, Elias Moore, was released after a short stay in jail because the key witness absconded. Elias then returned to his seat in the 13th Parliament of Upper Canada.
Passage 2:Hurricane Alicia was a small but powerful tropical cyclone that caused significant destruction in the Greater Houston area of Southeast Texas in August1983. Although Alicia was a relatively small hurricane, its track over the rapidly growing metropolitan area contributed to its $3billion damage toll, making it the costliest Atlantic hurricane at the time. Alicia spawned from a disturbance that originated from the tail-end of a cold front over the northern Gulf of Mexico in mid-August1983. The cyclone was named on August14 when it became a tropical storm, and the combination of weak steering currents and a conducive environment allowed Alicia to quickly intensify as it drifted slowly westward. On August17, Alicia became a hurricane and continued to strengthen, topping out as a Category3 major hurricane as it made landfall on the southwestern end of Galveston Island, Texas. Alicia's eye passed just west of Downtown Houston as the system accelerated northwestwards across East Texas; Alicia eventually weakened into a remnant area of low pressure over Oklahoma on August20 before they were last noted on August21 over eastern Nebraska.
Passage 3:The NFL locked out its officials in June. As a result, the first three weeks of the season were played with replacement officials. The lack of regular officials came to a head in the Week 3 Monday night game between Green Bay and Seattle. The game was a defensive affair as Packers led, 127, in the closing moments of the game. On the final play Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass toward the end zone. Seattle receiver Golden Tate and Packers defender M. D. Jennings each grabbed hold of the ball. In the process, one official signaled touchdown while another signaled touchback. Simultaneous possession was the final ruling which gave Seattle the touchdown and the win. However, the nearby officials missed Tate pushing Cornerback Sam Shields with both hands and causing a pass interference penalty in the process. The game's aftermath included major discussion and focus on the play forcing the NFL to reach a settlement with the regular officials. The loss also hurt the Packers in the playoff race as the team finished 115 behind the 1141 San Francisco 49ers. The loss mattered as Green Bay had to travel to San Francisco in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. A win would have assured a 1st round bye for Green Bay. The game was called the Fail Mary

SOLUTION:
2