Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and some other Asian languages. In Standard Chinese they are called Hanzi (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ). They have been adapted to write a number of other languages including: Japanese, where they are known as kanji, Korean, where they are known as hanja, and Vietnamese in a system known as chu Nom. Collectively, they are known as CJKV characters. In English, they are sometimes called Han characters. Chinese characters constitute the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world. By virtue of their widespread current use in East Asia, and historic use throughout the Sinosphere, Chinese characters are among the most widely adopted writing systems in the world.

Chinese characters number in the tens of thousands, though most of them are minor graphic variants encountered only in historical texts. Studies in China have shown that functional literacy in written Chinese requires a knowledge of between three and four thousand characters. In Japan, 2,136 are taught through secondary school (the Joyo kanji); hundreds more are in everyday use. There are various national standard lists of characters, forms, and pronunciations. Simplified forms of certain characters are used in China, Singapore, and Malaysia; the corresponding traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and to a limited extent in South Korea. In Japan, common characters are written in post-WWII Japan-specific simplified forms (shinjitai), which are closer to traditional forms than Chinese simplifications, while uncommon characters are written in Japanese traditional forms (kyujitai), which are virtually identical to Chinese traditional forms. In South Korea, when Chinese characters are used they are of the traditional variant and are almost identical to those used in places like Taiwan and Hong Kong. Teaching of Chinese characters in South Korea starts in the 7th grade and continues until the 12th grade where 1,800 total characters are taught albeit these characters are only used in certain cases (on signs, academic papers, historical writings, etc.) and are slowly declining in use.

1. how many letters do they have in Chinese?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. tens of thousands letters

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

(CNN) -- Syrian state TV aired Saturday what it said was a confession by citizen journalist Ali Mahmoud Othman, who activists say was arrested in March after he helped foreign journalists escape from the besieged city of Homs.

Othman helped run a media center in Baba Amr area of Homs, which provided information to international news media during a months-long crackdown on the civilian neighborhood by government forces.

Reporters Without Borders, the journalist watchdog group, said last month it was "extremely concerned" for the life of Othman after his detention.

Othman was transferred to Damascus two days after his arrest by the intelligence services in Aleppo on March 28, the group said.

Activists fear he may have been subjected to torture in detention.

Rafiq Lutf, described as a Syrian media researcher, told the state TV program he had spoken to Othman for seven hours uninterrupted, all of it videotaped.

His subject states his name is "Ali Othman aka Al-Jid from Baba Amr of Homs. I work as photography director and live streaming with Khalid Abu Salah at the media center. I communicate with the satellite channels, on top of them Al Jazeera, Arabiya, CNN, BBC, Sky News and Turkish channel TRT."

In the interview Othman describes how the media operation was set up in Baba Amr, and talks about demonstrations and the role of armed groups.

It is unclear under what circumstances the interview was taped.

But Heather Blake, UK representative for Reporters Without Borders, said: "Research by our organization and many other organizations indicates that many human rights defenders who are detained have been shown to give false confessions under much duress and torture.

1. What profession was Ali Mahmoud Othman?
2. Why was he arrested?
3. What kind of journalism did he do?
4. What did they do?
5. What happened after Ali Mahmoud was arrested?
6. By whom?
7. When was that?
8. Was anyone able to contact him?
9. Who was Rafiq Lutf?
10. What did he do?
11. What was discussed during their talk?
12. Is that all?
13. How long was the interview?
14. Was it videotaped?
15. Do people suspect he was tortured?
16. What channels was the interview broadcast on?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. citizen journalist
2. helped foreign journalists escape from the besieged city of Homs.
3. helped run a media center in Baba Amr area of Homs
4. provided information to international news media
5. transferred to Damascus two days after his arres
6. intelligence services
7. March 28
8. unknown
9. a Syrian media researcher
10. told the state TV program he had spoken to Othman for seven hours uninterrupted
11. describes how the media operation was set up in Baba Amr
12. and talks about demonstrations and the role of armed groups.
13. seven hours
14. yes
15. yes
16. state TV program

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

(CNN) -- I've returned to Washington after a long time away in my home in Britain to get a sense of the political mood in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. And I'm pretty depressed to discover that everyone is talking about Jeb Bush.

It's not that he wouldn't make a strong candidate for the GOP. It's that the thought of a third Bush in the White House feels distinctly un-American. Like you're all giving up on the whole "revolution" thing in favor of English-style aristocracy.

Speculation was reignited -- one suspects entirely by accident -- when George P. Bush told ABC that his father is "giving [the presidency] serious thought and moving ... forward." I've heard the opposite, that the candidate hasn't quite got the requisite enthusiasm. He also has plenty of weaknesses hidden by the fact that he hasn't declared yet (voters are always far keener on people who aren't officially running than those who are).

As Chris Cillizza wrote in The Washington Post, the former Florida governor's polling is unspectacular, he disagrees with the GOP base on some important issues and his patrician tone is better-suited to a general election than to a primary campaign.

Having said that, Jeb would still be a more than worthy addition to the race that right now is full of newbies to national politics (Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, etc.). He has gravitas, executive experience in a major state and a record of winning votes among the groups to which Republicans know they need to reach out.

1. Where does this person live?
2. Which year is this?
3. What is going on?
4. Who is a candidate?
5. Is the author excited?
6. How many Bushes would be a president if he won?
7. Does this feel American?
8. Who spoke to ABC?
9. What was he thinking about?
10. What is the candidate missing?
11. Has he announced his running yet?
12. How does he look in the polls?
13. According to who?
14. Who does he work for?
15. Does he agree with the rest of Republicans on all issues?
16. Are the other candidates seasoned politicians?
17. Who is someone else who is running?
18. Where was he a governor?
19. Do people prefer someone who has announced they're running?
20. What does he have a record of?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Washington
2. 2016
3. 2016 presidential election
4. Jeb Bush
5. no
6. three
7. no
8. George P. Bush
9. the presidency
10. enthusiasm
11. no
12. unspectacular
13. Chris Cillizza
14. The Washington Post
15. no
16. no
17. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul
18. Florida
19. yes
20. winning votes among certain groups