question: (CNN) -- A key United Nations committee on Thursday condemned Myanmar's human rights record while the secretary-general of the world body stressed the need for democratic reform.

In a call to freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the importance of a peaceful democratic transition and reconciliation process in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1991, has spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest for her opposition to authoritarian rule in the nation formerly known as Burma. She was released last week.

"The secretary-general told Aung San Suu Kyi that he was encouraged by the spirit of reconciliation emanating from her statements and appeals for dialogue and compromise following her release," the U.N. said in a statement.

A U.N. General Assembly subset committee approved a draft resolution denouncing "the ongoing systematic violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Myanmar."

The resolution also slammed the nation's recent elections and said they were not fair and inclusive.

Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., welcomed the resolution and said it honored the commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"The government of Burma continues to commit serious human rights violations, including arbitrary and prolonged detentions of its citizens, rape and sexual violence, discrimination and violence against ethnic minorities, and impose serious restrictions on freedom of speech, press association and assembly," Rice said in a statement.

Suu Kyi and Ban vowed to pressure the nation's military junta to release more than 2,100 political prisoners.
1. what did the subset committee approve?
2. what did it denounce?
3. who condemned Myanmar's record?
4. who is Suu Kyi?
5. what has she been doing the last 21 years?
6. has she been released?
7. why was she under house arrest?
8. Who is Susan Rice?
9. how does she feel about the resolution?
10. what are some things Burma has been doing?
11. including?
12. why was Kyi released?
****
answer: 1. a draft resolution
2. the ongoing systematic violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Myanmar."
3. A United Nations committee
4. a Nobel Peace Prize recipient
5. being on house arrest
6. yes
7. for her opposition to authoritarian rule
8. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N
9. she welcomed it
10. committing human rights violations
11. arbitrary and prolonged detentions of its citizens
12. unknown

question: Biodiversity, a contraction of "biological diversity," generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. One of the most widely used definitions defines it in terms of the variability within species, between species, and between ecosystems. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) within an area, biome, or planet. Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be greater near the equator, which seems to be the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is richest in the tropics. Marine biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans. There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity. Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and has been increasing through time, but will be likely to slow in the future.
1. What tends to cluster in hotspots?
2. Will it speed up or slow down in the future?
3. What's it a contraction of?
4. Does it talk about life on Mars?
5. What type of life does it refer to?
6. Does it encompass a variety of life?
7. Are ecosystems important parts of biodiversity?
8. What about species?
9. What type of gradients are there in species diversity?
10. Which band in all oceans is it highest?
11. Are the sea surface temperatures there higher or lower than other places?
12. Which coasts?
13. What type of biodiversity on those coasts?
14. Is biodiversity distributed evenly on Earth?
15. Is it found more or less in the tropics?
16. What type of biodiversity is greater near the equator?
17. What is that a result of?
18. Is genetic variation part of biodiversity?
19. What other types of variation are as well?
20. Does species variation extend to the whole planet?
****
answer: 1. Biodiversity
2. slow
3. biological diversity
4. no
5. life on Earth
6. yes
7. yes
8. yes
9. latitudinal gradients
10. mid-latitudinal
11. higher
12. Western Pacific
13. Marine
14. no
15. more
16. Terrestrial
17. warm climate and high primary productivity
18. yes
19. ecosystem and species
20. yes

question: The rivalries between the Arab tribes had caused unrest in the provinces outside Syria, most notably in the Second Muslim Civil War of 680692 CE and the Berber Revolt of 740743 CE. During the Second Civil War, leadership of the Umayyad clan shifted from the Sufyanid branch of the family to the Marwanid branch. As the constant campaigning exhausted the resources and manpower of the state, the Umayyads, weakened by the Third Muslim Civil War of 744747 CE, were finally toppled by the Abbasid Revolution in 750 CE/132 AH. A branch of the family fled across North Africa to Al-Andalus, where they established the Caliphate of Cordoba, which lasted until 1031 before falling due to the Fitna of al-Andalus.

Ali was assassinated in 661 by a Kharijite partisan. Six months later in the same year, in the interest of peace, Hasan ibn Ali, highly regarded for his wisdom and as a peacemaker, and the Second Imam for the Shias, and the grandson of Muhammad, made a peace treaty with Muawiyah I. In the Hasan-Muawiya treaty, Hasan ibn Ali handed over power to Muawiya on the condition that he be just to the people and keep them safe and secure, and after his death he not establish a dynasty. This brought to an end the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs for the Sunnis, and Hasan ibn Ali was also the last Imam for the Shias to be a Caliph. Following this, Mu'awiyah broke the conditions of the agreement and began the Umayyad dynasty, with its capital in Damascus.
1. When was Ali assasinated?
2. by whom?
3. WHo finally beat the Umayyads?
4. Who is Hasan ibn Ali?
5. what else was he renowned for?
6. What was his bloodline?
7. Where was the Caliphate of Cordoba formed?
8. How long did the Caliphate exist?
9. What happened to it to cause its demise?
10. How was ali killed?
11. What did Hasan ibn Ali do with his power?
12. To whom?
13. Why?
14. Did he establish a dynasty?
15. Did Mu'awiyah keep the conditions of the contract?
16. in what way did he break the agreement?
17. Where was it located?
18. Where is all of this going on at?
19. What war was this known as?
20. When did it take place?
****
answer:
1. in 661
2. by a Kharijite partisan.
3. the Abbasid Revolution
4. a peacemaker,
5. as the Second Imam for the Shias,
6. Muhammad was his grandfather
7. Al-Andalus,
8. until 1031
9. the Fitna of al-Andalus.
10. assassination
11. He handed over power
12. Muawiya
13. to keep the people safe and secure
14. no
15. no
16. he began the Umayyad dynasty
17. in Damascus.
18. in the provinces outside Syria,
19. the Second Muslim Civil War
20. in 680692 CE