Question: Robert Frost was one of America's best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came late in his life.

He was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. He lived in California during his early childhood. He was named after the chief Southern general in America's Civil War. The general's name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to honor the general.

Someone once asked another American writer, Ernest Hemingway, how to become a writer. The best thing, he said, was to have an unhappy childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost's childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very good writer. Robert Frost's father was a reporter who wanted to be a politician. He often drank too much wine and became angry. Robert was the victim of his anger.

Robert Frost finished high school in 1891. After high school, Robert's grandfather offered to pay his costs at Dartmouth College. But Robert left the school after a few months. He did not like it. He spent the next few years working at different jobs. At one time, he worked in a factory. Later, he repaired shoes. He was a teacher. He was a reporter. Always, he wrote poetry.

Robert Frost attended Harvard University for two years. After that, he returned to the many jobs he held before. For a while, Frost tried to take care of a farm in the state of New Hampshire. He was not a successful farmer. And he continued to write poetry. He said that until 1930, he earned only about ten dollars a year from writing.

In 1912, he decided to try to make a new start. He took his family to Britain. The cost of living was low. In Britain, Frost found a publisher for his first book of poems. The book was called A Boy's Will. When it appeared in 1913. Frost received high praise from British readers. Praise was something he had not received in his own country.

Ezra Pound, another American poet living in Britain, read the poems and liked them very much. He wrote a magazine article about Frost. He also helped get Frost's second book of poems published in America. That book was called North of Boston. 1. Which one of America's best known writers is this story about?
2. Who was he named after?
3. What was Robert Lee famous for?
4. So, why was Frost named after him?
5. And where did Frost live as a young child?
6. Was he also born there?
7. In which year?
8. Why did he quit Dartmouth?
9. Did he have a happy childhood?
10. How many years did he go to Harvard?
11. What did he do in New Hampshire?
12. What did he write?
13. What was published in 1913?
14. Did people like it?
15. Who wrote an article about him?
16. What was the name of the book that he helped Frost get published?
17. What did Hemingway say about becoming a writer?
18. Who offered to pay Frost's way at Dartmouth?
19. What did did he graduate high school?
20. Was he ever a reporter like his father? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. Robert Frost
2. Robert Edward Lee.
3. chief Southern general
4. father wanted to honor the general
5. California
6. yes
7. 1874
8. He didn't like it.
9. no
10. two
11. tried to farm
12. poetry
13. A Boy's Will.
14. yes
15. Ezra Pound
16. North of Boston
17. The best thing was to have an unhappy childhood.
18. Robert's grandfather
19. 1891
20. yes

Question: Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, usually while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.

Diving is one of the most popular Olympic sports with spectators. Competitors possess many of the same characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility, kinaesthetic judgment and air awareness. Some professional divers were originally gymnasts or dancers as both the sports have similar characteristics to diving. Dmitri Sautin holds the record for most Olympic diving medals won, by winning eight medals in total between 1992 and 2008.

Although diving has been a popular pastime across the world since ancient times, the first modern diving competitions were held in England in the 1880s. The exact origins of the sport are unclear, though it likely derives from the act of diving at the start of swimming races. The 1904 book "Swimming" by Ralph Thomas notes English reports of plunging records dating back to at least 1865. The 1877 edition to "British Rural Sports" by John Henry Walsh makes note of a "Mr. Young" plunging 56 feet in 1870, and also states that 25 years prior, a swimmer named Drake could cover 53 feet. 1. What is the topic of the passage?
2. Is it unpopular in the Olympics?
3. How long has it been popular?
4. What happened in the 1880's
5. Where did it originate?
6. What other sports does it share traits with?
7. How many traits are listed?
8. What are two of them?
9. Who is Dmitri Sautin?
10. Did he win 5 medals?
11. How many did he win?
12. When did he win the first?
13. And the last?
14. When did the fist modern version of the sport begin? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. Diving
2. no
3. since ancient times
4. first modern diving competitions were held
5. England
6. gymnasts and dancers
7. Four
8. strength, flexibility
9. record for most Olympic diving medals won
10. No
11. eight
12. 1992
13. 2008
14. 1880s

Question: (CNN) -- Fernando Alonso ended his 2011 Formula One commitments wearing a Santa Claus outfit and the robes of a Magi, and the Spanish driver hopes next year will bring a return of the old Ferrari spirit.

The legendary Italian marque has won 31 world titles overall, but none since clinching a 16th constructors' crown in 2008.

Alonso was fourth in the drivers' standings this year, 135 points behind Red Bull's all-conquering Sebastian Vettel after winning just one race, while teammate Felipe Massa was a massive 274 points off the pace in sixth.

After being Father Christmas for Ferrari employees at the team's Maranello headquarters, and then one of the Three Wise Men at a sponsors' party, Alonso turned his attentions towards his bid to add a third world title to his 2005 and 2006 successes at Renault.

Argentina's new F1 project

"This is the time when one is always optimistic, but then we must wait for the start of the season to see where we really are. It's true that in the past few days, there was a good feeling at Maranello and there's an air of confidence about it," the 30-year-old told Ferrari's website.

"We want to reacquaint ourselves with the taste of winning that has eluded us for a while. Last spring, we made important changes to the structure of the technical part of the team and now we have adopted a new approach, a less conservative one, in the design of the new car.

"The philosophy behind the 2012 car is very different to that of 2011, especially in some key areas like suspension and aerodynamics." 1. What brand does Fernando Alonso drive for?
2. For which type of racing?
3. How does he rank this year?
4. Behind whom?
5. How far behind?
6. What brand does he drive for?
7. How old is Alonso?
8. How many world titles does he currently have?
9. When were they?
10. Is his car this year the same as last year?
11. How does it differ?
12. What costume did he wear to the sponsors' party?
13. Where was the employee Christmas party held?
14. Is Alonso confident about the upcoming season? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. Ferrari
2. Formula One
3. Fourth
4. Sebastian Vettel
5. 135 points
6. Red Bull
7. 30
8. 31
9. 2005 and 2006
10. No.
11. Suspension and aerodynamics.
12. wearing a Santa Claus outfit and the robes of a Magi
13. At the team's Maranello headquarters,
14. Yes.