question: The Second Boer War (, , "Second Freedom War"), known variously as the Boer War, Anglo-Boer War, South African War or Anglo-Boer South African War, started on 11 October 1899 and ended on 31 May 1902. Britain defeated two Boer states in South Africa: the South African Republic (Republic of Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. Britain was aided by its Cape Colony, the Colony of Natal and some native African allies. The British war effort was further supported by volunteers from the British Empire, including Southern Africa, the Australian colonies, Canada, India and New Zealand. Inside Britain and its Empire there also was significant opposition to the Second Boer War.

Britain was overconfident and under-prepared. The Boers were very well armed and struck first, besieging Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking in early 1900, and winning important battles at Colenso, Magersfontein and Stormberg. Staggered, Britain brought in large numbers of soldiers and fought back. General Redvers Buller was replaced by Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener. They relieved the three besieged cities, and invaded the two Boer republics in late 1900. The onward marches of the British Army were so overwhelming that the Boers did not fight staged battles in defense of their homeland. Britain quickly seized control of all of the Orange Free State and Transvaal, as the civilian leadership went into hiding or exile. In conventional terms, the war was over. Britain officially annexed the two countries in 1900, and called a "khaki election" to give the government another six years of power in London.
1. When did the Boer war start?
2. When did it end?
3. What countries fought?
4. Was Britain confident?
5. Did anyone aid them?
6. Who?
7. Who attacked first?
8. Where did the strike?
9. When?
10. What did the British do in return?
11. Did they switch generals?
12. Who was the old one?
13. And who took over for him?
14. When did Britain officially annex the countries?
15. what did the call for?
16. What did it do?
****
answer: 1. October 11th 1899
2. May 31 1902
3. Main two: Britain and South Africa
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. the Australian colonies, Canada, India and New Zealand
7. The Boers
8. Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking
9. the early 1900s
10. They brought in a bunch of soldiers and fought back
11. Yes
12. General Redvers Buller
13. Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener
14. 1900
15. "khaki election"
16. gives the government another six years of power in London.

question: A gramophone record (phonograph record in American English) or vinyl record, commonly known as a "record", is an analogue sound storage medium in the form of a flat polyvinyl chloride (previously shellac) disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the periphery and ends near the center of the disc. Phonograph records are generally described by their diameter in inches (12", 10", 7"), the rotational speed in rpm at which they are played (16 23, 33 13, 45, 78), and their time capacity resulting from a combination of those parameters (LP long playing 33 13 rpm, SP 78 rpm single, EP 12-inch single or extended play, 33 or 45 rpm); their reproductive quality or level of fidelity (high-fidelity, orthophonic, full-range, etc.), and the number of audio channels provided (mono, stereo, quad, etc.).

The phonograph disc record was the primary medium used for music reproduction until late in the 20th century, replacing the phonograph cylinder recordwith which it had co-existed from the late 1880s through to the 1920sby the late 1920s. Records retained the largest market share even when new formats such as compact cassette were mass-marketed. By the late 1980s, digital media, in the form of the compact disc, had gained a larger market share, and the vinyl record left the mainstream in 1991. From the 1990s to the 2010s, records continued to be manufactured and sold on a much smaller scale, and were especially used by disc jockeys (DJ)s, released by artists in some genres, and listened to by a niche market of audiophiles. The phonograph record has made a niche resurgence in the early 21st century 9.2 million records were sold in the U.S. in 2014, a 260% increase since 2009. Likewise, in the UK sales have increased five-fold from 2009 to 2014.
1. Is "phonograph record" a British term?
2. What dialect is it from?
3. How many synonyms are there for what's often called just a "record" are there?
4. What are they?
5. Are these items digital?
6. Are they currently the most popular way to transmit music?
7. When did they stop being the most popular?
8. What was popular before?
9. When did the gramophone record become more popular than the cylinder?
10. And what replaced the gramophone record?
11. Are vinyl records fading away?
12. Who uses them today?
13. What's the nickname of that profession?
14. What kind of people like to hear music coming from records?
15. How many different ways of distinguishing types of records are there?
16. What are they?
17. How many sizes are there?
18. How many speeds?
19. How is the speed measured?
20. What material are they made from?
****
answer: 1. No
2. American English
3. three
4. gramophone record, phonograph record and vinyl record
5. no
6. No
7. late in the 20th century
8. the phonograph cylinder record
9. the late 1920s
10. compact discs
11. No
12. disc jockeys
13. DJs
14. audiophiles
15. Five
16. diameter, speed, time capacity, reproductive quality and number of audio channels
17. three
18. four
19. in the rpm at which they are played
20. polyvinyl chloride

question: CHAPTER XX

PLOTTING AGAINST DICK ROVER

"Gabe Werner!"

"Where is he?"

"Up the street," answered Randy. "Come on after him."

"Who's the man you are after?" questioned one of the men who had been interviewing Andy and Fred.

"He's a young fellow who once went to a military academy with us. He's a regular bully and did something for which he ought to be locked up," was Fred's reply, and then he rushed down into the street, following his three cousins.

"How can Gabe Werner be down here?" questioned Andy. "Why, we left him in New York City!"

"I can't help that, Andy. It was Werner just as sure as I am standing here. I just happened to glance out of the window and saw him crossing the roadway. He turned his face straight toward me, and I couldn't help but recognize him."

"Where did he go?"

"I'll point out the place when we get there."

By this time the four Rovers had left the boardwalk and were plowing along on the side of the road through mud that varied from an inch to six inches in depth. They had started to run, but were soon compelled to slow up.

"Gee, this is something fierce!" panted Andy.

"Oh, you cinder path!" chanted his twin. "Wouldn't you like to do a hundred-yard dash on this road?"

"It's not much farther," announced Jack. "I saw him heading for that shack yonder."

The place he mentioned was a small building erected of rough boards, with a galvanized roof. They neared the shack to find two men sitting before it on a log smoking their pipes. They appeared somewhat startled.
1. Who were the men after?
2. Who was being interviewed?
3. Where did randy think he was?
4. Why?
5. How many rovers were there?
6. From where did they depart?
7. How deep did the mud reach?
8. Where did Jack see Gabe heading?
9. Where was it?
10. What kind of top did the building have?
11. Was it a large place?
12. How many people were there?
13. What were they doing?
14. Smoking what?
15. Where the guys expecting someone to show up?
****
answer:
1. Gabe Werner
2. Andy
3. New York City
4. we left him
5. four
6. boardwalk
7. an inch to six inches
8. shack
9. yonder
10. galvanized
11. no
12. two
13. smoking
14. pipes
15. yes