1) In Finland, starting in autumn 2016, students won't have to learn cursive handwriting or calligraphy, but will instead be taught typing skills.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-30146160

Give one reason for thinking this is a good idea, and one reason for thinking it is a bad idea.

2) "Rainbows I Have Seen." What are the most memorable rainbows you have ever seen? Double rainbows? Circular rainbows? Rainbows in the spray from garden hoses? Rainbows on the wall when the sun shines through blocks of glass? Rainbows in oil slicks on the street?

3) In double-blind tests conducted in 2012, professional violinists were not able to tell the difference between the sound of a Stradivarius and the sound of a much cheaper modern violin. Do you think the study is correct? If so, do you think that it could be worth paying the price of a Stradivarius just because it is a Stradivarius, even if it does not actually sound better?

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/02/violinists-cant-tell-the-difference-between-stradivarius-violins-and-new-ones/#.VHtf84uicm8