Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
CHAPTER XIII

SHOCKS ALL ROUND

Billie had been standing near the wall, inspecting a portrait of the late Mr. Josiah Appleby, of which the kindest thing one can say is that one hopes it did not do him justice. She now shrank back against this wall, as if she were trying to get through it. The edge of the portrait's frame tilted her hat out of the straight, but in this supreme moment she did not even notice it.

"Er--how do you do?" she said.

If she had not been an exceedingly pretty girl, one would have said that she spoke squeakily. The fighting spirit of the Bennetts, though it was considerable fighting spirit, had not risen to this emergency. It had ebbed out of her, leaving in its place a cold panic. She had seen this sort of thing in the movies--there was one series of pictures, "The Dangers of Diana," where something of the kind had happened to the heroine in every reel--but she had not anticipated that it would ever happen to her; and consequently she had not thought out any plan for coping with such a situation. A grave error. In this world one should be prepared for everything, or where is one?

"I've brought the revolver," said Mr. Peters.

"So--so I see!" said Billie.

Mr. Peters nursed the weapon affectionately in his hand. He was rather a shy man with women as a rule, but what Sam had told him about her being interested in his revolver had made his heart warm to this girl.
1. What did Billie not notice?
2. by what?
3. Where was the frame?
4. was there a picture in the frame?
5. whos?
6. who had a fighting spirit?
7. how was Billie feeling?
8. what was she thinking about?
9. what thing?
10. did it have a name?
11. which was?
12. did she feel this was happening to her?
13. what exactly?
14. was she prepared?
15. Who was she speaking with?
16. what did he bring with him?
17. did Billie know he was going to bring it?
18. did she hask about it?
19. who told Mr. Peters she was interested in it?
20. how did Mr. Peters feel?

Numbered answers:
1. her hat was tilted
2. the portrait's frame
3. the wall
4. yes
5. Mr. Josiah Appleby,
6. the Bennetts
7. panic
8. that she had seen this sort of thing before
9. in one series of pictures
10. yes
11. The Dangers of Diana
12. yes
13. something of the kind had happened to the heroine in every reel
14. no
15. Mr. Peters
16. revolver,
17. yes
18. no
19. sam
20. made his heart warm

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
(CNN) -- NBC's "Constantine" joined the growing party of comic book-based TV series with its Friday night premiere on NBC. But critics couldn't quite agree on whether it was worth staying home (or even DVRing) to catch it.

Matt Ryan stars as John Constantine, a rebellious and not very likable exorcist with an affinity for trench coats and cigarettes -- at least, that's how he appears in "Hellblazer," the DC comic book upon which the show is based. To adhere to network standards, Constantine ditches his bad habit for TV, a source of contention for Hitfix.com critic Alan Sepinwall and others.

"The absence of John's most physically self-destructive habit is symbolic of a larger issue," he said. "And as John will tell anyone who listens... symbols have meaning, and when you take them away, you can take away the power they represent."

'Constantine' adds to TV's comic-book trend

That's not all that worries critics about Constantine, who introduces the real world of demons and ghouls in the premiere. Fans and critics believe Ryan's performance will make this show sink or swim, similar to Hugh Laurie on "House" or Benedict Cumberbatch on "Sherlock." For some of them, it's not looking good.

"Ryan is a particular problem, I'm sorry to say," Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz said. "I don't know if he was miscast or poorly directed, but something about his grooming, makeup, and line delivery make him sound like (and sometimes resemble) Jim Carrey in comic high-dudgeon mode."

Others, however, took a more positive view of his performance.
1. What show premiered?
2. on what network?
3. Do critics like it?
4. Who plays the main character?
5. and who does he play?
6. What is the show based on?
7. which is?
8. What does he have an affinity for?
9. and?
10. Who sounds like Jim Carey?
11. who said this?
12. What does Hugh Laurie play on?
13. what does Cumberbatch play in?
14. Is John's habit missing in the show?
15. why was it ditched?

Numbered answers:
1. Constantine
2. NBC
3. no
4. Matt Ryan
5. ohn Constantine
6. Hellblazer
7. DC comic book
8. trench coats
9. cigarettes
10. Ryan
11. Matt Zoller Seitz
12. House
13. Sherlock
14. yes
15. symbolic of a larger issue

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Marjorie Gestring

Marjorie Gestring was a springboard diver from the United States who won the gold medal in 3-meter springboard diving at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany at the age of 13 years. With the cancellation of the Olympics in 1940 and 1944 because of World War II, Gestring did not get a chance to defend her title, and her comeback attempt for the 1948 Summer Olympics failed.

Bob Mathias

17-year-old American Bob Mathias won the decathlon only four months after taking up the sport. He is the youngest athlete in Olympic history to win a men's track and field event. By the time Mathias retired from decathlon competition in 1952, he had nine victories in nine competitions. He had won two gold medals separately in 1948 and 1952. In 1954 a film about his early life called The Bob Mathias Story was made, in which he and his wife played themselves.

Fu Mingxia

Fu Mingxia was born on August 16, 1978 in Wuhan, Hubei Province. At an early age, her father taught her to swim at a nearby river. She started exercising gymnastics at age 5, soon turning to diving. Fu Mingxia left home at age 9 to train in Beijing. In the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Fu Mingxia became China's youngest Olympic champion ever when she won the 10-meter platform gold at the age of 13.

Ian Thorpe

Ian Thorpe was born on 13 October, 1982. He is a former Australian freestyle swimmer. At the age of 14, he became the youngest male ever to represent Australia. Ian Thorpe, 17 years old, won the gold medal in the 400m freestyle by breaking his own world record in Sydney 2000. He has won five Olympic gold medals.
1. What event was Marjorie Gestring compete in?
2. What olympics did she win a gold metal in?
3. Why didn't she compete in the Olympics in 1940 and 1944?
4. When was Iam Thrope born?
5. What did he do at age 14 that was so impressive?
6. How many gold medals did Bob Mathias win?
7. What years did he win them in?
8. What Did Iam thrope medal in?
9. How many Olympic medals has he one total?
10. Who's world record did he break in the year 2000 at Sydney?
Numbered answers:
1. springboard diving
2. 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin
3. World War II,
4. 13 October, 1982
5. youngest male to represent Australia in the Olympics
6. two
7. 1948 and 1952
8. 400m freestyle
9. five
10. his own