Q: Charlie Bell became chief executive of McDonald's in April. Within a month doctors told him that he had color1ectal cancer. After stock market hours on November 22nd, the fast-food firm said he had resigned; it would need a third boss in under a year. Yet when the market opened, its share price barely dipped then edged higher. After all, McDonald's had, again, shown how to act swiftly and decisively in appointing a new boss.

Mr. Bell himself got the top job when Jim Cantalupo died of a heart attack hours before he was due to address a convention of McDonald's franchisees . Mr. Cantalupo was a McDonald's veteran brought out of retirement in January 2003 to help remodel the firm after sales began falling because of dirty restaurants, indifferent service and growing concern about junk food. He devised a recovery plan, backed by massive marketing, and promoted Mr. Bell to chief operating officer. When Mr. Cantalupo died, a rapidly convened board confirmed Mr. Bell, a 44-year-old Australian already widely seen as his heir apparent, in the top job. The convention got its promised chief executive's address, from the firm's first non-American leader.

Yet within weeks executives had to think about what to do if Mr. Bell became too ill to continue. Perhaps Mr. Bell had the same thing on his mind: he usually introduced Jim Skinner, the 60-year-old vice-chairman, to visitors as the "steady hand at the wheel". Now Mr. Skinner, an expert on the firm's overseas operations, becomes chief executive, and Mike Roberts, head of its American operations, joins the board as chief operating officer.

Is Mr. Roberts now the new heir apparent? Maybe. McDonald's has brought in supposedly healthier choices such as salads and toasted sandwiches worldwide and, instead of relying for most of its growth on opening new restaurants, has turned to upgrading its 31,000 existing ones. America has done best at this; under Mr. Roberts, like-for-like sales there were up by 7. 5% in October on a year earlier.

The new team's task is to keep the revitalization plan on course, especially overseas, where some American brands are said to face political hostility from consumers. This is a big challenge. Is an in-house succession(, ) the best way to tackle it? Mr. Skinner and Mr. Roberts are both company veterans, having joined in the 1970s. Some recent academic studies find that the planned succession of a new boss from within, such as Mr. Bell and now (arguably) Mr. Roberts, produces better results than looking hastily, or outside, for one. McDonald's smooth handling of its serial misfortunes at the top certainly seems to prove the point. Even so, everyone at McDonald's must be hoping that it will be a long time before the firm faces yet another such emergency.

1. McDonald's
2. .Jim Cantalupo and Charlie Bell
3. unknown
4. Jim Cantalupo
5. Charlie Bell
6. Mr. Skinner and Mr. Roberts
7. unknown
8. 44
9. Mike Roberts
10. yes

Numbered questions:
1. What fast food chain is the article in reference to?
2. Who are veterans of the company?
3. Who was the first non american CEO?
4. Who died while being CEO?
5. and his successor was?
6. Who joined the team in the 70's?
7. Who resigned from the company in November?
8. How old was he when he became CEO
9. Who is assumed to be the new lead of the corporation?
10. Has the company been doing well under his guidance?

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. Once there was a fish who had lived his whole life in his bowl. He often got bored and wished to see the rest of the world, but because he was a fish, he couldn't leave the water. So one day he made a special fish suit that would allow him to walk on land and breathe air like humans. He knew this would change his life, and make him rich, but first he would have to test it out.

He put the suit on and leaped from the bowl that until now had been his whole world. The suit worked! Now he could go where he wanted.

First he went to the kitchen of the house. There he saw a parrot eating a cracker. Second he went outside to the yard. He saw squirrels there running around looking for food. Third he went to the barn in the field. He saw a mommy cow. She was teaching her calf how to run. Finally he went to forest where he saw more trees than he had ever seen in his whole life.

But after all this he was tired, and made up his mind to go back to his home in the bowl. It was a lot of work trying to see the world. He took off the special suit and splashed back into the water. His suit had passed the test and he was very happy, but he had made up his mind that his bowl was the place for him. 1. Where did the fish live?
2. For how long?
3. Did he find that exciting?
4. So how'd he feel?
5. And what did he want to do?
6. Could he?
7. Why?
8. Why not?
9. So what'd he do to change that?
10. What'd it do?
11. And what else?
12. Like who?
13. What'd he know?
14. But what'd he have to do first?
15. Did the suit work?
16. Where could he now go?
17. So where'd he go first?
18. What'd he see there?
19. Doing what?
20. Where did he go next?
numbered_answers: 1. in his bowl.
2. his whole life
3. No
4. He often got bored
5. see the rest of the world
6. No
7. he couldn't leave the water.
8. because he was a fish
9. he made a special fish suit
10. allow him to walk on land
11. breathe air
12. humans
13. this would change his life, and make him rich
14. test it out
15. Yes
16. where he wanted
17. the kitchen of the house
18. a parrot
19. eating a cracker
20. outside to the yard.

Tammy likes the park. There are swings at the park. There is a slide at the park.

Mary goes to the park with Tammy. They jump rope. They play tag. They like the park.

Tammy and Mary have fun at the park. Tammy has a dog named Max. Tammy and Mary take Max to the park.

Max likes the park. He chases rabbits. He chases a ball. Tammy throws the ball to Max. Mary throws the ball to Max.

The park is no fun in the rain. Tammy and Mary cannot go to the park when it rains. Mother says no. They are sad when they cannot go to the park.

Tammy and Mary play in the house when it rains. They play with dolls. They dress up and have a tea party.

Today is sunny. Tammy and Mary can go to the park. Mother says yes. They can take Max to the park. They are happy when it is sunny. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What does Tammy like?
2. What's there?
3. Who is with her?
4. Who is with them?
5. Do they enjoy themselves?
6. When is it not?
7. What do they do then?
8. At what?
9. Do they do that today?
10. What do they do?
11. How do they feel?
12. Why?
Answer:
1. the park
2. swings
3. Mary
4. a dog named Max
5. yes
6. in the rain
7. play in the house
8. a tea party
9. no
10. go to the park
11. happy
12. it is sunny