INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Jokers, or class clowns, devote their time and energy to providing comic relief for the classroom. When you are in the mood for the class clown’s antics, their jokes are hilarious; when you are not in the mood, their attempts and humor can drive you mad. Since class clowns thrive on the reaction of their “crowd,” the best way to ignore a joker is to have no physical or verbal reaction to their jokes.  Class clowns aim to please and are highly sensitive to criticism. If you can not remain silent, a choice remark could put a temporary end to their comedy bit. If you get in trouble for something the class clown did, don’t overreact. Remain calm and ask the teacher to speak with you after class. When you are speaking one on one with the teacher, explain your side of the story and apologize for any inconvenience you may have caused. Work with your teacher to develop a plan on how to avoid situations like this in the future. Overly competitive students thrive on the knowledge that they are better than others. Their determination to prove themselves as superior students can leave others in the class feeling unintelligent and overlooked. If a competitive classmate asks you how you did on an assignment, they are just looking for chance to brag about their score. When this happens, just walk away. If their pestering persists, tell them that you prefer to keep your grades private. For example, you may say: “Sorry, I like to keep that kind of information to myself,” “You did really well on the test. Thanks for sharing your score; I prefer to keep mine private,” or “Please stop asking me. I am not comfortable sharing my grade with you.” Overly talkative classmates often struggle with self-awareness and egotism. Ignoring chatterboxes is extremely difficult. Their incessant chatter is inconsiderate and distracting. Try to tune them out and stay focused on the lecture or task at hand. If necessary, politely ask them to be quiet or speak softer.  For instance, you may say: “I’m having a hard time hearing the teacher. Will you please lower your voice or stop talking?” or “Your talking is really distracting me. Can you stop talking so that I can focus?” If you could not hear what your teacher said, raise your hand and ask them to repeat it. “Sorry, I missed what you said over all the chatter. Can you say that again, please?” If you are at your wits end, seek help from your teacher. Stay after class and talk to your teacher about the chatterbox. Your teacher may rearrange the seating chart and or talk to the student privately.

SUMMARY: Pay no attention to the class clown. Limit your interactions with competitive students. Tune out chatterboxes.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Place a straight edge on top of the brick and mark a horizontal line with a pencil. Afterward, flip it over and do the same to the bottom side. Be sure that both lines are parallel to each other. Since you're only cutting along the top and bottom of the brick you can skip the sides when you're drawing lines. to a circular power saw. Clip a pair of vice grips along the side of the old power saw blade to prevent it from moving. Loosen its center bolt using a wrench and take it off. Now, take off the small rim under the bolt—also known as the flange—and remove the old blade. Attach your new diamond blade and make sure that the teeth are facing opposite to the cutting direction. Lay the flange on top and retighten the bolt. Attach vice grips to the new blade while retightening the bolt to prevent it from moving. Practice moving the blade with your left hand and be sure you're comfortable with the saw. Hold the saw steady with your right hand. Push the blade against the brick to test its stability—it should remain in place. Place a small carpet or rubber mat under your brick if it's moving around. Start by setting the saw blade to a depth of 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm). Now, turn on the saw and cut along the penciled line on top of the brick. As you use your left hand to guide the blade, use your right hand to press down on the saw and apply downward pressure to the brick. Repeat this process with the bottom of the brick until you have scorelines on the front and back surfaces.  To adjust the blade depth, release the blade lever by loosening it. Now, move the base of the saw upward to reveal the blade. Stop when only 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of the blade is exposed and tighten the blade lever to lock the depth in place.  Remove the blade from the brick every 30 seconds to maintain a cool blade temperature. Place the brick onto a step and hold it in place with your non-dominant hand. With your dominant hand, strike the unwanted end of the brick that is not supported by the step with a hammer. The brick should break into 2 pieces cleanly along the score lines.  If you can't find a step, grab the brick with your hands and firmly hit the tip of the unwanted end onto a concrete floor. Just be aware that you're more likely to create a messy or jagged break using this method. Use a 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide cold chisel and hammer to remove jagged edges. Another alternative is a stone carving file. When using a file, stroke outward along the brick away from you. Afterward, lift the file, bring it back toward you, and repeat the process until the jagged edges are smooth.
Summary: Draw a cutline onto the top and bottom of the brick with a pencil. Attach a diamond masonry blade Grip the handle with your left hand and place your right on the blade's shield. Saw along the top line 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) deep. Strike the unwanted end of the brick after placing it on a step.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Pour 2 cups (470 ml) of vegetable oil into a large skillet and turn the burner to medium-high. Insert a frying thermometer onto the side and heat the oil until it reaches 375 °F (191 °C). Adjust the burner as needed to keep the oil temperature at 375 °F (191 °C).

SUMMARY:
Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.