Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Choose a partner if you want. Start with a squidge-off. Time the game.

Answer: Partners use blue and red winks or they use green and yellow winks. Once you have a partner, you should stand diagonally across from your partner on the mat’s opposite corners.  Blue winks are put in the corner diagonally positioned across from red; the same is true of green and yellow.  If you’re playing in a team, each player should take one of the two colors of the pairs above. Team play in Tiddlywinks is called “pairs.” If you just playing against another person, one player will use blue and red winks and the other green and yellow winks. This is called “singles.” It’s possible to play with three people. In that instance, one of the people controls both colors and the other two each control one other color. This means that you see whose winks get closest to the pot or into it. If yours makes it into the pot or is closest, you get to start.  Place the pot in the middle of the mat. Place the winks behind the baselines. Each corner of the mat should contain winks of only one color. Arrange the colors clockwise in alphabetical order from the English language (blue first, and then green, etc.) Tiddlywinks turns then move in clockwise rotation after the squidge-off. Play a wink of each color from behind the baseline in the direction of the pot. You always want to make sure you stay behind the baseline when you play a wink. The wink in or closest to the pot is the winner. Then, put the winks back behind the baseline. Generally, games of Tiddlywinks last 20 minutes for single matches and 25 minutes for pairs. Start the clock after the squidge-off.  The game can end before the time runs out, though, if someone squidges all the winks of their color into the pot. Games with three players usually run 22.5 minutes. You can also choose to play until all winks are potted. There is usually a round limit period after the ending of the time period if all the winks are not potted. That means you continue playing until the turn of the color that won the squidge off. Five further rounds of the color are played, with each ending after the turn of the color that won the squidge-off.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Ask for a moment to organize your thoughts. Begin a short speech with a headline statement. Start with a story if you’re making a longer speech. Map out your structure and use it as a guide. Restate your main points at the end of your remarks.

Answer: In formal speech and debate, you’re allowed a limited amount of time to plan impromptu remarks on an assigned topic. If someone asks you to speak on the spot, tell them you’d like a few minutes to think of what to say and to jot down some notes. You shouldn’t try to write out your remarks in full. Just jot down a few key words to help you remember your main points. If you’re just speaking for 5 minutes or less, introduce your topic with a concise, attention-grabbing summary statement. If you'd like, you can make a joke to break the ice first, but make it quick and ensure it is relevant to the topic. Since your time is limited, you should get to the point sooner rather than later.  Suppose you’re asked to talk about a work project at a company meeting. You might start with a joke to introduce the problem the project addresses: “As a member of the design team, I want to personally thank all engineers present for not staging an all out mutiny due to the ongoing specification problems.” After breaking the ice, get straight to the point: “We understand your frustrations, and we’ve established new software solutions and pricing protocols to prevent future miscommunications.” Avoid making jokes like, “Three guys walked into a bar…” Instead, stick with funny or absurd comments that relate to your own personal experience, but keep it brief. If you’re speaking for 15 or 20 minutes, you have time to grab the audience’s attention with a story related to the topic. The story’s resolution might introduce the problem or topic, or you could start the story in your introduction and conclude it at the end of your speech. For instance, if your assigned topic is how dogs improve quality of life, you could open with a story about rescuing your pooch. List your main points early in your remarks so your audience clearly understands the direction you’re taking them. Additionally, mapping out your structure will help you stay on track for the rest of your speech.  If you’re presenting a school project, you might say, “Despite their friendship and philosophical commonalities, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre held contrasting ethical views. I’ll start by discussing their similarities, then I’ll explain their quarrel over whether political justice warrants violence.” For this example, you could spend 1 to 2 minutes on the philosophers’ similarities, a minute or so on each of their ethical stances, and another minute clarifying the differences between their perspectives. After you’ve delivered the body of your remarks, remind your audience of the path you’ve lead them. Commit this formula to memory: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them.” You can adapt this structure for any topic, so keep it in mind any time you’re asked to make off the cuff remarks.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Observe everything in the room when you get there. Leave nothing untouched. Spread out to different clues and puzzles. Pass clues that you can’t solve onto someone else. Organize all clues and information. Create “used” and “unused” piles of objects. Leave used keys in their locks.

Answer:
Take a good look around the room to see the layout and different objects. Begin walking around and looking at signs, decorations on the walls, and take note of where furniture is placed. Take a mental note of or jot down anything that strikes you as unusual, such as a letter missing from a word or a decoration that seems out of place. Look underneath vases, tablecloths, tables, and chairs. Look inside of drawers and cabinets. If you find something that’s locked, there’s probably a key somewhere that will unlock it and most likely it is part of the puzzle series. You won’t have to climb anything or remove things from walls; your guide will tell you this, but it’s good to keep in mind so you don’t waste time trying those things. Resist the urge to watch and “help” someone else as they work on a puzzle, unless they ask specifically for your help. You’ll make better use of your time by going to a different puzzle or clue and focusing on solving that. Spreading out is especially helpful in the beginning of the game. Later, if there’s only one puzzle left open, then of course your group can gather around it and try to solve it together. Don’t spend more than 5 minutes alone on one particular puzzle. If you can’t think of any more ideas for solving it, ask for help or for a teammate to take it over entirely. If a few different people can’t figure it out, that may be a sign that you need more information to solve it, or a hint from your guide. Passing around items you can’t solve ensures that puzzles don’t get forgotten about; forgetting about a puzzle until the last minute can make your team think they are farther ahead than they really are. While it’s important to remember the original location of an object, it can also be helpful to put related things together. For instance, books or pictures that seem related, keys, or other similar loose objects should be placed together in a central location of the room. It is helpful to keep a running list of objects and where they were originally located. Choose a person on your team who enjoys making lists to keep track of where each object was when you found and moved it. Creating a pile of things you’ve already used and pile of things you haven’t used yet helps people to not look at an object over and over again. Keep in mind that in some rooms, objects can be used more than once, but organizing objects in this way will still help you to stay focused on what still needs to be done. Some objects may be “red herrings,” or objects particularly designed to make you think they are a clue, when they actually are not. Don’t spend a lot of time obsessing over 1 particular object if you can’t find a useful purpose for it. Once you’ve found a key that unlocks a certain lock, you most likely will not need it again. Leave it in the lock and try other keys for new locks first. If you end up short on keys, at least you will know where all of your used keys are and it will be easier to go get them if you need them.