Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Charles Dickens is often thought of as one of the greatest British writers. February 7 marked the 200th anniversary of his birthday. Yet for many, his language is old-fashioned and his stories often improbable. So why do so many people know and read Dickens today?

One reason is the British government's insistence that every child studies a Dickens novel at school. Alongside William Shakespeare, Dickens is on every English literature school reading list.

His stories, though often long by today's standards, are great moral tales. They are filled with colorful characters.

Earlier this month, a ceremony was held in Portsmouth, where Dickens was born. Prince Charles said at the ceremony, "Dickens used his creative genius to campaign passionately for social justice... His characterization is as fresh today as on the day it was written."

His books stand out from many other writers because of his insight into human nature. Dickens, like Shakespeare, tells us truths about human behavior. They are as true in the 21st century as they were to his readers in the 19th century.

Readers have returned to Dickens' books again and again over the years to see what he has to say about their own times.

No surprise then that it was Dickens whom Britons turned to during the economic crisis in the last couple of years. Dickens helped them make sense of a world that was rapidly falling apart. The BBC adapted one of his less well-known novels, Little Dorrit, into a popular television drama that introduced many Brits to the novel for the first time. A dark story about greed and money, it was the perfect illustration of bad times.

As long as Dickens's novels have something to say to modern audiences, it seems likely that he will remain one of Britain's best-loved writers.

1. who is the story about?
2. was he alive 300 years ago?
3. Was his birth in the month that follows January?
4. on what day?
5. where was he born?
6. what happened there recently?
7. did anyone prominent attend?
8. who?
9. was one of his works mentioned?
10. which one?
11. does it have an upbeat plot?
12. what is it about?
13. has it recently been reinterpreted?
14. by who?
15. in what medium?
16. was it a dark comedy?
17. what was it?
18. where is the Dickens from?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Charles Dickens
2. No
3. Yes
4. the 7th
5. Portsmouth
6. a ceremony was held
7. Yes
8. Prince Charles
9. Yes
10. Little Dorrit
11. No
12. greed and money
13. Yes
14. The BBC
15. television
16. No
17. a drama
18. England

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

So while most social apps are about connecting with friends, family or good-looking strangers, Moore began to wonder if a mobile tool could use the same readily available location information to help you avoid certain people.

That's how he and Chris Baker were inspired to create Cloak, a free iPhone app that pulls in location check-ins from your contacts' Instagram and Foursquare accounts. It maps out the positions of people you know based on their most recent social posts so you can give them the slip.

Cloak's tagline is "Incognito mode for real life." You might say it's an anti-social network.

Click on a bubble on the map, and you'll see a person's name, his or her location and about how long ago he or she checked in there. If it was a while ago, the image will appear faded, like a ghost.

"We feel like we've reached the point of social fatigue -- too many networks with too much information, all the time," Baker says. "It's OK to turn off and pick up a copy of 'Walden' and just be alone."

The app lets people set up push alerts for acquaintances they'd prefer to avoid such as exes, frenemies or annoying co-workers. If someone wants to drop off the grid completely, he can set up these notifications for everyone in his social networks -- presumably while sneaking through dark alleys or hiding behind sunglasses and a hat.

1. what is cloak?
2. who created it?
3. where does it pull check-in information from?
4. how many sources is that?
5. where did Brian move to recently?
6. how many unplanned encounters did he have when he got there?
7. over what timeframe?
8. what is the apps tagline?
9. is it pro-social?
10. what is it then?
11. can you use the app on everyone?
12. who thinks that we've reached a point of social fatigue?
13. who was it that Brian kept running into?
14. what happens to old check in locations on the map?
15. similar to what supernatural entity?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. iPhone app
2. Brian Moore and Chris Baker
3. your contacts' Instagram and Foursquare accounts.
4. Three
5. New York
6. four
7. six months, to be exact.
8. "Incognito mode for real life."
9. no
10. You might say it's an anti-social network.
11. If they have one of the sources enabled
12. Baker
13. ex-girlfriend.
14. It will appear faded
15. a ghost.

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

There was once a baseball player who lived in a faraway land. The Baseball players name is Tyler. Tyler was very cool and had a lot of friends. Tyler could throw a baseball in many different ways. His favorite way to throw it was fast. Other people liked to throw it slow, some people liked to throw it on their head, and some people even rolled it on the ground. Not Tyler, whenever he picked up a baseball he threw it very fast. People from all over the world came to see Tyler throw the baseball. He met a guy named Peter, who liked him a lot. Peter made a lot of people, like his friends Lucy and Jerry, give Tyler things for being good at baseball. Tyler was so good at baseball people gave him a big house. He liked a lot of things about the house. He liked the movie theatre, the bowling place, and the swimming pool. However his favorite thing about the house was the trampoline. Tyler got all of these things because he could throw a ball fast, he thought it was very cool. Tyler invited all of his friends over and they had a pool party.

1. How many different ways do people like to throw the ball?
2. What was the name of the baseball player?
3. Was he popular?
4. Did he know a lot of ways of throwing a ball or a few?
5. Who did he meet?
6. What did he think of him?
7. Who were Peter's friends?
8. What did he make them do?
9. What's one of the things they gave him?
10. Did the baseball player like it?
11. What was his favorite thing about it?
12. Who did he invite to his place?
13. All of them or just some?
14. What did they do together?
15. How did he like to throw the ball?
16. Who came to watch him play?
17. Where did he live?
18. What's another cool feature his house has?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Other people liked to throw it slow, some people liked to throw it on their head, and some people even rolled it on the ground
2. Tyler
3. Tyler was very cool and had a lot of friends
4. Tyler could throw a baseball in many different ways.
5. Peter
6. liked him a lot
7. Lucy and Jerry
8. give Tyler things for being good at baseball
9. big house
10. He liked a lot of things about the house
11. trampoline
12. his friends
13. all
14. they had a pool party.
15. fast
16. People from all over the world
17. faraway land
18. swimming pool.