Questions

1. Have you ever been down to skate in the U.S.?

What's the meaning of 'down to' here?

Is it correct to say: first of all, second of all, etc.?

Is it correct to say: first of all, second of all, etc.?

hear this "first of all, second of all," more and more. It seems to me it's not right and one should just say "first of all, second, third, etc. I've listened to a prominent radio talk show journalist get up to "fourth of all."Who is correct? Thanks

In common usage, "first of all" seems to be the only one that is generally accepted. If making multiple points, "first of all" is usually followed by "second" or "secondly", then "third" or "thirdly", and so on. The inclusion of "of all" for the first item in a list seems to be an indicator emphasizing to the person spoken to that a list of items or points is to follow. Thus, it is unnecessary after being used once.

I take this answer.

Article Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080410094147AAACygu

You don’t plan operations like this in some safe house.

This afternoon, the World Desk spoke with Bruce Hoffman, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University who has studied terrorism and insurgencies for more than three decades. He was formerly a scholar-in-residence at the Central Intelligence Agency, advised the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, and has recently returned from Pakistan. I have written briefly about Hoffman in a previous post. I consider him an insightful source.

While cautioning that it’s still too early to draw firm conclusions about the identity of the attackers, Hoffman says the sophistication of the attacks, which required high levels of training, manpower, and logistical coordination, points to “outside planning.” The terrorists assaulted several targets simultaneously; they took and kept hostages; and they carried enough weapons and ammunition to fight for several days. Pulling this off would have required planning and practice.

“It’s not like planting a bomb,” he said. “You don’t plan operations like this in some safe house.”

Hoffman confirmed that links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency and local Islamist terror groups are “very close,” but noted that this doesn’t mean the ISI played a role, or even knew about, the Mumbai attacks. “It could mean that far down the road in the past, these groups got the training they needed from the ISI,” he said.

The Pakistani government, through the ISI spy agency, was behind the creation of several of South Asia’s most violent Islamist militant groups, including the Taliban in Afghanistan and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir. But the Pakistani government doesn’t necessarily control the ISI, and the ISI doesn’t necessarily control its guerilla offspring. There’s a lesson here about not sowing the wind, but it’s a little late for Pakistan to learn it now. The entire country is at risk of being torn apart by the same brand of Islamist terror that was almost certainly behind the atrocities in Mumbai.

Bruce Hoffman says he believes Pakistan’s new president, Asif Ali Zardari, is sincere in his belief to advance peace between India and Pakistan and cooperate against the Islamist militants who threaten both countries. Terrorists assassinated Zardari’s wife, Benazir Bhutto, so his motivations might be personal. He may also be enough of a realist to recognize he doesn’t have much choice.


Note:

“It’s not like planting a bomb,” he said. “You don’t plan operations like this in some safe house.”

I am wondering what's the meaning of this sentence "You don't plan operations like this..." in this article. If you know it as well as you're willing to tell me, please mail to me or just leave a message. Thanks in advnace.




Article Source: http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/11/28/you-dont-plan-operations-like-this-in-some-safe-house/

The Mind''s Limits　

by Matthew Brown

How many things can you think of at once? Scientists can tell you the answer: four.

　　 It''s common for people to say something like "I''ve got too many things on my mind." Usually we assume that this is just an expression that means "I''m really busy" or "I''ve got a lot to think about." But scientists say there really is a limit to the number of things you can have on your mind. _(1)_　　 The research focuses on working memory, which is what we use for information that we''re paying attention to and using directly. Working memory is for dealing with something at the present moment. _(2)_　　 Previously, it was thought that the mind could handle about seven items at once. _(3)_ Of course, just about anyone can remember a seven-digit phone number. But what scientists now believe is that when people have to remember a large number of items, they use tricks to help them group the items. _(4)_　　 This explains how some people are able to remember huge series of numbers perfectly. At the World Memory Championships, for example, competitors manage to memorize hundreds of digits in only a few minutes. _(5)_　　 To prove their theory, the researchers had to devise a study that tested subjects'' memory but didn''t allow them to use these grouping methods. Most scientists now agree with the conclusions of the study. Can you prove them wrong?

(A) This might explain why many countries use seven-digit phone numbers.

(B) In the case of phone numbers, we put them into groups of three and four, which helps us to remember the series.

(C) According to scientists, these participants are actually grouping numbers together and using other strategies, but only thinking of about four items at one time.

(D) They have discovered that a person can only think of three or four things at one time.

(E) For example, we use working memory when we''re trying to remember a phone number that a friend gives us.

















answer: DEABC