question: John once told me a story about his friend, Michael. Michael happened to be on a train sitting next to a young man who seemed worried. Finally the young man told the friend that he was a convict returning home from a prison far away. What he did had brought shame on his family, and they had neither visited him nor written to him. He hoped, however, that this was only because they were too poor to travel and too busy to write. 

When he was set free he had written to tell them he wanted to go home. To make matters easy for them, however, he had asked them to put up a signal for him when the train passed their little farm. If the family had forgiven him, they were to put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree near the railway. If they didn't want him back, they were to do nothing, and he would stay on the train, and go far away. 

As the train neared his hometown his _ became so great that he was afraid to look out of the window. He asked Michael to watch for the big apple tree. They changed seats. In a minute, Michael put his hand on the young convict's shoulder, "There it is," His eyes was filled with sudden tears. "It's all right. The whole tree is white with ribbons."
1. who was he sitting next to?
2. Did the story have a happy ending?
3. what tree was it?
4. what did it have?
5. why did he think the family didn't visit?
6. who was he?
7. and?
8. how did he bring shame?
9. was the prison near home?
10. what were they to do if they forgave him?
11. how was he traveling?
12. how did he communicate?
13. what was he scared of?
14. and?
15. what was he afraid of?
16. what did he ask michael to do?
17. and what did they both do?
18. what would he do if they didn't forgive?
19. what were they to do if they didn't forgive?
20. where did Michael put his hand?
****
answer: 1. Michael
2. yes
3. anapple tree
4. ribbons
5. he thought they might be ashamed
6. a young man
7. a convict
8. because of what he did
9. no
10. put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree near the railway
11. by train
12. by letter
13. that they didn't want him back
14. unknown
15. to look out of the window
16. to watch for the big apple tree
17. They changed seats
18. he would stay on the train, and go far away.
19. they were to do nothing
20. on the young convict's shoulder


question: Central Europe is a term used to refer to lands with boundaries of various delineation. It is said to occupy continuous territory that are otherwise conventionally Eastern Europe and Western Europe. The concept of Central Europe is based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. Central Europe is going through a phase of "strategic awakening", with initiatives such as the CEI, Centrope and the Visegrád Four. While the region's economy shows high disparities with regard to income, all Central European countries are listed by the Human Development Index as very highly developed. 

Elements of unity for Western and Central Europe were Roman Catholicism and Latin. Eastern Europe, which remained Eastern Orthodox Christian, was the area of Graeco-Byzantine cultural influence; after the schism (1054), The area developed cultural unity and resistance to the Western world (Catholic and Protestant) within the framework of Slavonic language and the Cyrillic alphabet. According to Hungarian historian Jenő Szűcs, foundations of Central European history at the first millennium were in close connection with Western European development. He explained that between the 11th and 15th centuries not only Christianization and its cultural consequences were implemented, but well-defined social features emerged in Central Europe based on Western characteristics. The keyword of Western social development after millennium was the spread of liberties and autonomies in Western Europe. These phenomena appeared in the middle of the 13th century in Central European countries. There were self-governments of towns, counties and parliaments.
1. Is Central Europe encompass multiple territories?
2. Is it within one boundary then?
3. What it overlaps?
4. What unites it with Western Europe?
5. What church is dominant in the other part?
6. What culture influenced it?
7. What influenced it prior to that?
8. Is it opposed to western one?
9. For what elements?
10. What other elements strengthened it?
11. Who is Jenő Szűcs?
12. of which country?
13. To him were these two were connected?
14. When?
15. What were the main elements of western culture?
16. When it appeared?
17. Did it spread to the other part?
18. When?
19. What reflected that?
20. Is HDI high for Central Europe?
****
answer: 1. no
2. yes
3. Eastern Europe and Western Europe
4. Roman Catholicism and Latin
5. Eastern Orthodox
6. Graeco-Byzantine
7. schism
8. resistance
9. Catholic and Protestant
10. Slavonic language and the Cyrillic alphabet.
11. historian
12. Hungary
13. close connection
14. between the 11th and 15th centuries
15. liberties and autonomies
16. after millennium
17. yes
18. in the middle of the 13th century
19. self-governments of towns, counties and parliaments
20. yes


question: Joey felt the very first rain drop hit his hat. 

"Let's go inside!" he said to his friend Billy. 

The two ran inside the house as it began to rain more outside. Joey's mother was very happy that they missed the rain and got inside before it made a big mess. Joey and Billy weren't as happy. 

"What are we going to do in here all day?" asked Billy. 

"I don't know" said Joey, looking out the window as the rain came down. 

Harder. And harder. 

"Oh no! I left my baseball glove outside" said Joey as he watched it begin to fill up with rain. His glove was going to be a mess! 

Thankfully, Joey's dad pulled up in his car. Seeing the glove on the ground, he picked it up as he ran inside. 

"Careful sport, you almost lost this" he told his son as he tossed him the wet mitt. But Joey wasn't listening, he was looking past his dad as he walked through the door. The sky was clearing up! Joey ran outside, Billy came after him. 

"Look at that!" Billy said as he pointed at the sky. A rainbow was appearing, it was so beautiful! The rain wasn't bad after all!
1. Who left the baseball gloce outside?
2. What happened as he watched?
3. Who picked the glove up?
4. What was he doing at the time?
5. from where?
6. what did he call Joey?
7. did he put the glove away
8. what did he do?
9. Did joey listen?
10. why not?
11. what was happening there?
12. how many boys were there?
13. their names?
14. Who had been happy they'd missed the rain?
15. why?
16. when the boys went out, what did they see?
17. was it ugly?
18. what was it?
19. Did the boys like the rain?
20. who was the first to feel the rain?
21. Where?
****
answer:
1. Joey
2. filled up with rain
3. Joey's dad
4. running inside
5. his car
6. sport
7. no
8. tossed him the mitt
9. no
10. he was looking outside
11. The sky was clearing up
12. Two
13. Joey and Billy
14. Joey's mother
15. they would have made a mess
16. A rainbow
17. no
18. beautiful
19. yes
20. Joey
21. his hat