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?
****
answer: 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

CHAPTER I

WYNDHAM PAYS DUTY

Red reflections trembled on the sea, a fringe of languid surf broke along the beach, and as the liner turned a point, a white town that rose in terraces, glimmered like a pearl. A yellow flag ran up to the masthead, the throb of engines slowed, and a noisy launch steamed out from behind the mole. Marston, leaning on the rail, watched her approach, and his look was thoughtful when he turned to Wyndham.

"If Don Ramon got our telegram, he's probably on board," he said. "I hope he is, because if he doesn't come it might imply he means to make things difficult for us. He could if he liked."

"Larrinaga will come," Wyndham replied. "From all accounts, he's a pretty good officer, but I don't expect he neglects his interests while he looks after the State's. I'm counting on this."

"I s'pose one mustn't be fastidious, but I don't want to get involved in fresh intrigue. The job we've undertaken is awkward enough."

"Very awkward," Wyndham agreed, with some dryness. "In a way, it looks too big for us. To begin with, we have got to pay duties we dodged, and satisfy the Government we cheated. Then, without exciting the latter's curiosity, we're going to stop a rebellion and carry off its leader. There's the worst puzzle. The fellow's cunning and powerful. Moreover, he's my uncle."

He stopped, for the engines clanked noisily as the screw turned astern; then the anchor splashed and the launch swung in to the gangway. The port doctor came on board and after him a man in tight-fitting American clothes. His wide black belt was spun from the finest silk and Marston noted his hat. Indians had woven the delicate material under running water; presidents and dictators wore hats like that, and none of the few produced were sent to Europe. It was obvious that Senor Larrinaga was now a man of importance. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Do the characters know if Don Ramon is on board the ship?
2. Why might he be?
3. Do they want to see him there?
4. Why?
5. What color was the ship's flag?
6. Are Marston and Wyndham on the ship?
7. Where are they?
8. What are they doing there?
9. Have Wyndham and Marston been acting honestly?
10. What immoral things have they done?
11. What do they have to do after making amends for those things?
12. who is the leader?
13. Is he intelligent?
14. Who was the first person they saw after the anchor dropped?
15. and the second?
16. what did Marston pay attention to in the man's outfit?
17. what was special about the hat?
18. what kinds of people wore similar hats?
19. Were a large number produced?
20. could they be purchased in Europe?
Answer: 1. No
2. If he got their telegram
3. Yes
4. if he doesn't come he might be making things difficult
5. Yellow
6. No
7. Leaning on the rail at the port
8. Watching the ship approach
9. No
10. dodged duties and cheated the government
11. stop a rebellion and carry off its leader
12. Wyndham's uncle
13. Yes
14. the port doctor
15. a man in tight-fitting American clothes
16. his hat
17. the material was woven by Indians under running water
18. presidents and dictators
19. no
20. no

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. James is going to the baseball field with his friend Tommy.

James has to practice because baseball season starts in a week.

He wants to be a good player when the season starts.

James has been lazy in practicing so he is not very good at baseball right now.

He has to make up for it by playing baseball for 5 hours every day for a week.

James thinks this is enough practice for him to catch up and be a good player when the season starts.

So James and Tommy practice every day. They throw the ball around. They practice batting and they practice fielding.

Tommy begins to see that James is getting better every day. He says "I do not believe it, James, but I think you are going to be pretty good when the season starts!"

Usually a week is not enough time to get pretty good at baseball but James is practicing so much he is fitting a month of practice into one week.

Then James has a setback. His glove rips during practice. He can't keep playing with a broken glove!

So Tommy and James go around town collecting bottles to trade in for five cents for each bottle.

James misses a day of practicing but they find enough bottles to turn in for thirty dollars.

This is enough money for James to buy a new glove!

So James buys a new glove and he and Tommy go back to the field and practice some more.

By the time the season comes James is one of the best players on his team. 1. Where was James going?
2. Who with?
3. Why were they going their?
4. When did their season start?
5. Is james a good player?
6. Does he want to be?
7. What is he going to do to improve?
8. What do they do to practice?
9. Does this help james get better?
10. Does Tommy notice?
11. Does he tell him so?
12. Did he have any set backs?
13. What was it?
14. Did they do anything to fix this?
15. What was it?
16. How much did they make collecting them?
17. Was it enough money for a new glove?
18. What did they do after they bought the new glove?
numbered_answers:
1. the baseball field
2. his friend Tommy.
3. to practice baseball
4. in a week
5. No
6. Yes
7. practicing 5 hours a day for a week
8. They throw the ball around. They practice batting and they practice fielding
9. Yes
10. Yes
11. Yes
12. Yes
13. a broken glove
14. Yes
15. To collect bottle caps?
16. thirty dollars
17. Yes
18. Practiced more