News-Based English Reading Comprehension Exercises

May has already been fiercely criticized by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has demanded a second referendum on Scottish independence. Sturgeon has made plain her view that Britain is heading for a "bad deal" on Brexit and wants Scotland to have a vote on independence before the terms of the deal are signed.

Sturgeon´s demand that the referendum be held between late 2018 and early 2019 was met with fierce criticism by May, who rejected the motion by saying it wasn't the "right time" for such a vote. On Sunday, Sturgeon said she could revise her timetable for the referendum if May was willing to compromise. May, who last week declared that the UK is facing a "defining moment" in its history, will visit Wales Monday as she steps up her charm offensive.
She will hold meetings with Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Brexit Secretary David Davis.

What is true about Sturgeon?

The caravan and Chappell´s removals truck might lend the scene an initial familiarity, but the particularly parched nature of the landscape and curious dilapidated horse buggy to the right add a creeping sense of the uncanny to Ben Murphy´s 2006 shot – ultimately borne out by the absence of the protagonist himself. This is one of the images from his show `The Riverbed´, a study of the habitats of counter-cultural communities in remote areas of Andalucia in south eastern Spain, and being someone who since his teenage years had an interest in those on society´s fringes, the subject matter seems close to Murphy’s heart.

And in that interest it has been possible for him to engage with the more nuanced tribal aspects of those allying themselves with a rejectionist identity, be they hermit or cyber-punk.

What is this text referring to?

Uber president Jeff Jones is quitting after six months on the job because of concerns over the firm's management culture. "The beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber," Jones said in a statement. Jones was second in command to CEO Travis Kalanick, running Uber's ride-hailing operations, marketing and customer support. A former Target executive, he was named president at the end of August. "We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best," Uber said in a statement.

The startup started looking for a chief operating officer this month to work as the new No. 2 to Kalanick, who admitted he needed help leading the company after a series of crises. Jones's the latest in a series of high-profile exits from Uber. The head of the company's maps business is also set to leave this month.

What can be inferred from this text?

Millions of people walk into Toronto public libraries each year. The majority have a safe, educational experience.
But recent disturbing, and at times, violent incidents at multiple libraries in the city has the union sounding the alarm for increased security.

However, CityNews has learned a staff-less public library pilot project is coming to Toronto and that has raised even more questions and concerns.

``We have huge concerns, not only for the delivery of the library services, but obviously the major concern is safety,´´ said Maureen O’Reilly, the president of the Toronto Public Libraries Union.

What can be deduced from this report?

Mary Smith has a great explanation for her self-described "awkward" clapping at last month's Academy Awards. The actress was captured on camera clumsily attempting to clap during the ceremony and folks on social media noticed. One viewer tweeted: "Why does Mary Smith clap like The Grinch?!"

According Smith, the 119-carat diamond ring she was wearing made applause a challenge.
"It was really difficult because I had a huge ring on that was not my own," she said on "Kyle and Jackie O Show." "It was absolutely gorgeous, and I was terrified of damaging it. It's like, is there not more important things to be focused on than the seal clap?"
Smith, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her performance in a drama movie had a dilemma: to clap or not to clap? "It was really awkward!" she continued.

What was the actress's main worry?

Read the text and answer the questions.

Hundreds of Germans working in the education and cultural sectors will be expelled from Russia next month, the German foreign ministry says. It confirmed media reports that Russia had decided to cap the number of German employees from the start of June. They include teachers at the German school in Moscow and staff at the Goethe Institute cultural association. The move follows tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats and increasingly strained relations between Russia and Germany. Last month, Russia and Germany each declared 40 employees of their respective embassies personae non gratae - or unwelcome - and expelled them. German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that the latest move will affect a "low-to-mid three-digit number" of employees, including diplomats. "In view of this unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible decision, the Federal Government is now concerned with ensuring a minimum presence of intermediaries in Russia while also maintaining a diplomatic presence," the newspaper quoted the German foreign ministry as saying. In making a decision on the maximum number of Russians in Germany, the ministry said it would aim at ensuring real balance in practice. Several EU countries have expelled Russian diplomats since the start of the war in Ukraine. More than 40 diplomats suspected of spying were issued expulsion orders from four EU countries in March 2022.

Read the text and answer the questions.

The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group has announced that its forces have started withdrawing from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin has vowed to transfer control of the city to the Russian army by 1 June, but Kyiv says it still controls pockets of the city. He said his forces were ready to return if the Russian regular army proved unable to manage the situation. The battle for the city has been the longest and bloodiest of the war. Wagner mercenaries have led the fighting there for the Russian side, and Mr Prigozhin this week said that 20,000 of its fighters had died in Bakhmut. "We are withdrawing units from Bakhmut today," Mr Prigozhin said in a video released on Telegram from the destroyed city. BBC Verify has geolocated the video to an area near a pharmacy in the east of Bakhmut. Mr Prigozhin - who announced the capture of the city on Saturday - is seen telling his men to leave ammunition for the Russian army. He adds that some Wagner fighters will stay behind to assist Russian troops. "The moment when the military are in a tough situation, they will stand up," he says, before warning two fighters to not "bully the military". The Wagner boss has repeatedly targeted top Russian military officials, criticising them publicly for not supporting his troops. Last month, he even threatened to pull his troops out of the city if they were not provided with much-needed ammunition. Despite Wagner's claims to be handing over Bakhmut, Ukraine has not conceded that the city has fallen. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said on Thursday that its forces still control part of the Litak district in the southwest of the city. "The enemy has replaced Wagner units in the suburbs with regular army troops. Inside the town proper, Wagner forces are still present," she posted on Telegram.