question: First published in 2001, the book Life of Pi written by Canadian author Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize and an Asian American Prize for Literature. It is the story of a young boy named Pi who spends 227 days at sea with a small group of animals after disaster strikes their ship and is an account of his journey of survival and hardship.

Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel, on whom Life of Pi is based, is a young boy living in Pondicherry, India, where his father owns a zoo. The story starts when Patel's family decide to move to Canada, along with their zoo animals for their new home.

However, because of the bad weather, the ship sinks. Pi along with an orangutan , an injured zebra, a hyena and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker are the only survivors who take shelter in a small lifeboat. Both the injured zebra and the orangutan are soon killed and eaten by the hyena. The tiger in turn kills and eats the hyena, leaving just the two of them alone on the boat now.

In an effort to avoid being eaten by Richard Parker, Pi acts himself as the head of the group and remains safe from harm. Since he does not want the tiger to die for fear of going mad by being alone on the boat, he fishes and feeds the two of them in order to stay alive.

The life of Pi then enters its third stage when their lifeboat washes up on the shores of Mexico and the tiger escapes into a nearby forest leaving Pi alone. After the Mexicans refuse to believe Pi's story, he changes his tale by replacing the animals with his mother, a cook and a sailor and asks the Mexicans which one they prefer. They prefer hearing the first story though they do not believe a word of it.

In my view, Life of Pi is a must read book for all those who love reading.
1. What's the name of the book being discussed?
2. Who wrote it?
3. Whois the main character?
4. Who came with Pi and his family when they left Canada?
5. What did they travel on?
6. What happens to it?
7. Does Pi survive?
8. Who else survives?
9. What happens to the oragutan and zebra?
10. What happens to the hyena?
11. By what?
12. What is its name?
13. /who feeds him?
14. With what?
15. Where does Pi end up?
16. And Richard Parker?
17. Do the Mexicans believe Pi?
18. Why did Pi feed Richard Parker?
19. When was the book published?
****
answer: 1. Life of Pi
2. Yann Martel
3. Pi
4. their zoo animals
5. A ship
6. the ship sinks
7. Yes
8. an orangutan , an injured zebra, a hyena and a Bengal tiger
9. Both the injured zebra and the orangutan are soon killed
10. It is eaten
11. The tiger
12. Richard Parker
13. Pi
14. he fishes
15. Mexico
16. a nearby forest
17. No
18. fear of going mad by being alone
19. 2001

question: CHAPTER XXI

"To-day," Hamel declared, as he stood at the sideboard the following morning at breakfast-time and helped himself to bacon and eggs, "I am positively going to begin reading. I have a case full of books down at the Tower which I haven't unpacked yet."

Esther made a little grimace.

"Look at the sunshine," she said. "There isn't a breath of wind, either. I think to-day that I could play from the men's tees."

Hamel sighed as he returned to his place.

"My good intentions are already half dissipated," he admitted.

She laughed.

"How can we attack the other half?" she asked.

Gerald, who was also on his way to the sideboard, suddenly stopped.

"Hullo!" he exclaimed, looking out of the window. "Who's going away this morning, I wonder? There's the Rolls-Royce at the door."

Hamel, too, rose once more to his feet. The two exchanged swift glances. Moved by a common thought, they both started for the door, only to find it suddenly opened before them. Mr. Fentolin glided into the room.

"Uncle!" Gerald exclaimed.

Mr. Fentolin glanced keenly around the room.

"Good morning, everybody," he said. "My appearance at this hour of the morning naturally surprises you. As a matter of fact, I have been up for quite a long time. Esther dear, give me some coffee, will you, and be sure that it is hot. If any of you want to say good-by to Mr. John P. Dunster, you'd better hurry out."

"You mean that he is going?" Hamel asked incredulously.
1. Who was talking about the weather?
2. What did she notice?
3. Anything else?
4. Was she talking?
5. To whom?
6. What arrived at the house?
7. How did he get there?
8. Who noticed it first?
9. Through what?
10. Was the new arrival family?
11. What beverage did he request?
12. Who was suppose to provide it for him?
13. Was it an expected visit?
14. What temperature did he like his drink?
15. Was someone about to leave?
16. What were they eating?
17. What specifically?
18. Who was mentioned as eating that?
19. What did he promise to start doing?
20. What did he have that would help with that?
****
answer: 1. Esther
2. sunshine
3. no wind
4. yes
5. Hamel
6. Mr. Fentolin
7. a Rolls-Royce
8. Gerald
9. the window
10. yes
11. coffee
12. Esther
13. no
14. hot
15. Mr. John P. Dunster
16. breakfast
17. bacon and eggs
18. Hamel
19. reading
20. a case full of books

question: (CNN) -- The names on the formal, state-government-erected memorial signs by the sides of Ohio highways are not famous to the outside world.

But once you know the story behind them, you understand completely. You look at those signs and you offer a silent word of thanks.

Usually stretches of highways around the country are named for politicians, or for renowned figures from American history, or perhaps for singing stars or athletes or Hollywood actors who were born in the area.

For the last several years, though, whenever I've been in Ohio I have noticed the highway signs with the unfamiliar names.

Last week I got in touch with the Ohio Department of Transportation to ask about them.

The answer makes you want to pause humbly.

On August 31, 2009, Marine Lance Cpl. David R. Hall, of Elyria, Ohio, was killed in an explosion while serving in Garmsir, Afghanistan. He was 31; he worked at a Ford assembly plant back home before joining the Marines.

In most cases of fallen service members, there is a solemn funeral ceremony when their remains are returned home, and a respectful obituary in the local newspaper. It can feel all too fleeting.

But in Ohio, in recent years, there has been an effort to do more.

Which is why the Ohio General Assembly authorized that a stretch of State Route 2 in Lorain County -- David Hall's home county -- be named, now and forever, to honor him.

"After the General Assembly votes to name a portion of a highway, we manufacture the signs and put them up at the designated places," said Steve Faulkner, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. He said that two signs are usually erected, each facing a different direction, so that people in cars on either side of the highway will see the honoree's name.
1. From what state is David R. Hall?
2. From what city?
3. What branch of the military was he in?
4. Was he killed?
5. How?
6. While stationed where?
7. How old was he when he died?
8. What kind of plant did he work at before?
9. A stretch of what was named to honor him?
10. In what county?
11. Who authorized this?
12. What position does Steve Faulkner hold?
13. For?
14. Why are two signs put up to face a different location?
****
answer:
1. Ohio
2. Elyria
3. Marines
4. yes
5. in an explosion
6. in Garmsir, Afghanistan
7. 31
8. Ford assembly plant
9. State Route 2
10. US
11. Ohio General Assembly
12. a spokesman
13. Ohio Department of Transportation
14. so that people in cars on either side of the highway will see the honoree's name