INPUT ARTICLE: Article: 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.

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.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It is important to take any sick fish out of your tank and put them in their own quarantine tank to prevent spreading the disease to other fish. You can also remove healthy fish from your main tank and quarantine them instead. Quarantine tanks should be around 10 to 20 gallons (38 to 76 L) of water, and have no gravel or decorations. Keep your goldfish in the tank until they are healthy again (around two to four weeks). You can identify this disease because of white spots that will appear on the body of the goldfish. In order to get rid of this disease you have to kill the parasite by slowly raising the temperatures of the aquarium 1-2 degrees every hour until you reach above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and leaving it at that temperature for 10 days. Additionally you can do a salt treatment to treat ich disease:  Change 40 percent of the water, vacuum the gravel, remove any plants in the tank. Add salt to the tank (1 tablespoon for every gallon of water). Do not add all of the salt at once – add 20% at a time, every 15 minutes. Your goldfish may have dropsy if they look bloated and swollen. To cure dropsy, test the water in your tank and change it until there is no ammonia and nitrites in the water. Lower the temperature to around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit (13-15 degrees Celsius). Mix ¼ cup warm water, 1 teaspoon of Epson salt and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every 10 gallons (37.9 L) of water that is in the tank then pour the mixture into the water. For three days only feed your fish steamed peas or beans that are chopped or mashed with the skins removed. Alternatively, you can choose to not feed your fancy goldfish for three days in a row then gradually start feeding them vegetables again to cure their swim bladder. The quality of the water can affect your goldfish and cause diseases. The water may look good and clear, but that does not mean the ammonia levels aren't too high and the water isn't toxic. Regularly change part of the water and make sure the tank is not too crowded to prevent illnesses.

SUMMARY: Quarantine your fish to prevent spreading the disease to other goldfish. Treat goldfish ich disease. Cool the tank's water to cure dropsy. Cure swim bladder disorder by feeding your goldfish peas or beans. Change the water in your goldfish tank to prevent more diseases from occurring.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You will need several items, all of which you can find at most health food stores – beeswax, coconut oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, vegetable glycerin and beetroot powder. This recipe will yield about 40mL of lip gloss stain, which will fill four 10mL (or 0.33 fluid ounces) tubes or jars. The exact amounts needed are:  3 grams (or 0.1 ounces) beeswax; 6 grams (or 0.2 ounces) coconut oil; 16 grams (or 0.56 ounces) castor oil; 10 grams (or 0.35 ounces) jojoba oil; 1 gram (or 0.03 ounces) vitamin E oil; 4 grams (or 0.14 ounces) vegetable glycerin; 1 tsp beetroot powder. Put all of the oils the recipe calls for (coconut, castor, jojoba and vitamin E) into a saucepan and melt them together over low heat. Stir until the mixture looks well-blended.  Remove the saucepan from heat and allow to cool. Stir the oils occasionally as you proceed with the rest of the recipe. Stir well to combine the two ingredients. Continue stirring until the mixture is a deep red color and the consistency is that of a thick, viscous liquid. Stir the oils in the saucepan first to test their readiness. It’s ready to mix once it cools slightly and has a thick, creamy consistency. Whisk the red mixture with your creamy oil mixture until well-blended. Once mixed, the substance should appear very thick and dark maroon in hue. The final product will be a vibrant, gorgeous red hue. These make wonderful gifts!  Allow the lip gloss stain to cool fully before using. This product also doubles as a fantastic cheek stain.

SUMMARY:
Gather your ingredients. Heat the oils together in a saucepan. Mix the vegetable glycerin and beetroot extract together. Combine the oil mixture with the red mixture. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into your containers.