Q: Zinc is a chemical element with symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element of group 12 of the periodic table. In some respects zinc is chemically similar to magnesium: its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2. Zinc is the 24th most abundant element in Earth's crust and has five stable isotopes. The most common zinc ore is sphalerite (zinc blende), a zinc sulfide mineral. The largest mineable amounts are found in Australia, Asia, and the United States. Zinc production includes froth flotation of the ore, roasting, and final extraction using electricity (electrowinning).

Brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc, has been used since at least the 10th century BC in Judea and by the 7th century BC in Ancient Greece. Zinc metal was not produced on a large scale until the 12th century in India and was unknown to Europe until the end of the 16th century. The mines of Rajasthan have given definite evidence of zinc production going back to the 6th century BC. To date, the oldest evidence of pure zinc comes from Zawar, in Rajasthan, as early as the 9th century AD when a distillation process was employed to make pure zinc. Alchemists burned zinc in air to form what they called "philosopher's wool" or "white snow".

Answer the following questions:
1. What does Zn symbolize?
2. what is it?
3. what is the atomic #?
4. which group is it found in an the chart?
5. what is the chart's title?
6. How is brass related to zinc?
7. when did people start using it?
8. where?
9. Was Zinc metal produced on a large scale?
10. when did it start?
11. when did Europe discover it?
12. How far back does zinc production date back?
13. where?
14. where is the oldest evidence of the element found?
15. what method was used in it's production?
16. why was zinc burned in air?
17. what was another name for it?
18. who burned it?
19. Is zinc the most abundant element found?
20. how does it rank?
A: 1. Zinc
2. a chemical element
3. 30
4. group 12
5. the periodic table
6. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc
7. since at least the 10th century BC
8. in Judea
9. no
10. the 12th century in India
11. the end of the 16th century
12. the 9th century AD
13. Rajasthan
14. Zawar
15. distillation
16. o form what they called "philosopher's wool
17. white snow
18. Alchemists
19. no
20. 24th
Q: Sen. Ted Cruz slammed the White House on Tuesday for a "failure of leadership" as President Barack Obama prepares to nominate his administration's fourth defense secretary.

The Texas Republican, who is considering a 2016 run in hopes of heading his own White House administration, called the unusually high turnover at the helm of the Defense Department emblematic of a White House that puts politics above U.S. national security.

"It seems what the administration is looking for is a defense secretary who will follow the orders of a political White House rather than focus on defending the national security interests of this country," Cruz said. "At a time when the threats are this grave, we shouldn't see turnover at the Defense Department than one has at a typical Burger King."

Cruz said he did not know Ashton Carter, the former No. 2 man at the Pentagon who is expected to be Obama's nominee to succeed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, but Cruz said he looks forward to learning more about Carter and his "good reputation."

But Cruz emphasized he was unsettled to see several potential picks pull their names out of the running to head the department, including former Pentagon official Michele Flournoy and Sen. Jack Reed.

"It says something that so many people are saying, 'No, thank you, I don't want to serve in an administration that overrides the Defense Department, that treats the defense secretary as subservient to political lackeys in the White House," Cruz said.

Cruz made the remarks Tuesday at an event cosponsored by Concerned Veterans of America and the conservative publication The Weekly Standard during which he bore out his hawkish foreign policy and staked out positions starkly in contrast to Obama.

Answer the following questions:
1. Who thought there was a failure at the White House?
2. What position does he hold?
3. For what state?
4. What party?
5. When did Cruz make the comment?
6. Did he think the defense department was doing a good job?
7. What kind of establishment did he compare them to?
8. What event did he say these things at?
9. Who had decided not to run as the head of the department?
10. What did she do?
11. Does she still work there?
12. Who else had pulled out?
13. Who is he?
A: 1. Ted Cruz
2. Senator
3. Texas
4. Republican
5. On Tuesday
6. No
7. Burger KIng
8. An event cosponsored by Concerned Veterans of America and The Weekly Standard
9. Michele Fluornoy
10. She was a Pentagon official
11. No
12. Jack Reed
13. A senator
Q: Alexandra Scott was born to Liz and Jay Scott in Manchester, Connecticut on January 18, 1996, the second of four children. Shortly before her first birthday, Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer. On her first birthday, the doctors informed Alex's parents that if she beat her cancer it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. Just two weeks later, Alex slightly moved her leg at her parents' request to kick. This was the first indication that she would turn out to be a courageous and confident child with big dreams and big accomplishments. By her second birthday, Alex was able to stand up with leg braces . She worked hard to gain strength and to learn how to walk. She appeared to be overcoming the difficul-ties, until the shocking discovery within the next year that her tumors had started growing again. In the year 2000, the day after her fourth birthday, Alex received a stem cell transplant and informed her mother, "When I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand. " She said she wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to help other kids, like they helped me. True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $ 2,000 for her hospital. People from all over the world, moved by her story, held their own lemonade stands and donated the earnings to Alex and her cause. In August of 2004, Alex passed away at the age of 8, knowing that, with the help of others, she had raised more than $ 1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex's family--including brothers Patrick, Eddie, and Joey--and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her inspiring cause through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Answer the following questions:
1. What were Alex's mom and pop's names?
2. How old is Alex today?
3. Where was she born?
4. How much did her first lemonade stand earn?
5. Who helped her with it?
6. Who'd she give the earnings to?
7. What was her illness called?
8. Which is?
9. How old was she when she died?
10. How many siblings did she have?
11. What were their names?
12. Did Alex wear something on her legs to help her stand?
13. What?
14. In what year did she receive a stem cell transplant?
15. What did she inspire other to do?
A:
1. Liz and Jay Scott
2. she passed away in 2004
3. Manchester, Connecticut
4. $2,000
5. her older brother
6. her hospital
7. neuroblastoma
8. a type of childhood cancer
9. Eight
10. three
11. Patrick, Eddie, and Joey
12. yes
13. leg braces
14. 2000
15. hold their own lemonade stands and donate the earnings to charity