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Mathematics becomes more sociable
! F" ?; v0 Q. lEditorialp50 u+ z& K& V8 o' L5 w/ Z
! U8 e" T0 P3 b4 lThe Polymath project will give the field a new, more friendly, lease of life; \$ N+ p$ C" {) q- B
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The implications of interspecies communication
" K. z8 l u. ^" N$ {Editorialp5
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! i7 C0 |' t8 i9 w9 o+ vIf dolphins could talk to humans, it would be an unparalleled contribution to the debate about animal rights2 h7 G, b8 I) y4 e& w
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We need another green revolution' Q/ t( O6 n% Z! J# W2 C
Editorialp55 d9 k. h0 c1 a& \
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It is high time we made a new start on enabling major crops to make their own fertiliser
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, H) v9 ]/ I% [" T/ zElusive Higgs slips from sight again0 \: `0 |) y' b9 z% Q* m# G
News > Upfrontp6% t% B: c. D% h4 d1 X; e
3 m" b* J* H. Z3 u( ?A recent report hinted at a glimpse of the long-sought particle but a second detector has now checked its own data and found no sign of the particle/ P+ L9 c1 P1 ?0 C
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Osama bin Laden: how DNA identified his body
. P$ s8 m7 v9 X4 L' Z; aNews > Upfrontp6' Y& n% k/ T1 U- O- e2 |5 p
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DNA evidence identified the world's most wanted man with "99.9 per cent confidence", which would require comparison with the DNA of close relatives
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7 j" q9 m" I4 X4 {; E! W% {Strange cosmic ray hotspots stalk southern skies( ~% Q& e# ~; U* d
News > Upfrontp6
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Something relatively nearby seems to be hurling energetic, charged particles at Earth – but what?
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9 B) y) S# b1 X( kMilk miles show why it's hard to go locavore
* F' j, y2 h$ E* p3 ?4 a& lNews > Upfrontpp6-7
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3 r9 H9 `1 a; m" M& iCutting the journey of a carton of fresh milk from cow to cup would end up increasing the journey of other dairy products
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- Q8 [% ]; o! I, g+ a, z4 n60 Seconds
( }- B# `4 {5 @News > 60 Secondsp74 J1 d; c2 B/ E1 i9 @( Z
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Ants that almost as large as hummingbirds, recreational drug kills kidney cells, cooperative robots and more$ q. F# x2 ]( H! K8 S
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Deadly weather in US could become the norm
4 B; M- C: {7 Q+ E7 Z7 a- j- q7 |News > Upfrontp7
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' ]# V/ p& f3 r; _Whether or not climate change makes severe weather worse, rising populations mean there are more people in harm's way, researchers say
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Painkillers need clearer warnings to prevent liver damage' H) p7 o9 F& W$ x, @ @* h6 T
News > Upfrontp7
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Over-the-counter painkillers need clear warnings to help people recognise their potential toxicity- |. K0 @6 w: s/ L! b* m
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Evolutionary push could help crops self-fertilise. {" v9 [/ z4 R
News > This Weekpp8-9$ K0 L' @! i3 ^. p
: ~* n( t1 I6 @' R$ ?; e: qAgriculture would be transformed if crops could produce fertiliser as legumes do. New research suggests it might be easier than we thought5 T% c2 f. K& g- j
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How to build the global mathematics brain
, Y5 w0 H8 v; S# q- \/ c( }News > This Weekpp10-11" ?- f' w. h( ]- J/ r' M
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A successful wiki-style pro-am mathematical project belies the stereotype of the brilliant loner
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3 E* S% M! b% {* \% V. M! tAsteroids make life's raw materials
/ j+ Z& p6 T, _0 x" j. s" k% kNews > This Weekp14
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. _+ N+ _3 ~7 O; h; w4 J5 N2 dRocks from an asteroid have been shown to power the synthesis of life's essential chemicals for the first time9 g, e( K0 @% Z; C7 P- E4 N. e
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Drug pacemaker relieves hassle of daily shots- a9 k/ @% x* D
News > This Weekp15
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% f/ i0 N0 ]! X3 S3 vA new implant could deliver timed doses of a drug for a year& s1 a: v4 H+ C3 @
2 z& j% t& s0 K$ W! o9 |7 \Second experiment hints at seasonal dark matter signal
( p. f9 l# k" qNews > This Weekp16
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For years, one lonely team has been insisting that it sees a seasonal variation in dark matter signals – now another group is reporting similar findings0 E$ _( B% F+ |
$ T( {( T, t- x! s. v- l2 AWhy do we remember some dreams but not others?
- f4 h! d" c( ~6 q* X% W8 GNews > This Weekp16- K! h. s/ H9 Y) @& U7 E1 s
' {6 O% d6 Q6 C% k2 ?We recall dreams using the same brain mechanisms that control whether we remember things when awake
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: ?$ G: \6 [# D9 ^'Dwarf' black holes might help explain dark matter
$ t4 a" H$ z+ X1 b2 BNews > This Weekp18) R' l! |& ^8 b" {% h
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Black holes might come in more sizes than small, medium and large – if so, mini black holes could contribute to the universe's mysterious dark matter8 {, r) C; E( U
) v0 j% _, t( j3 y5 ]5 N; K. MOut-of-Africa migration selected novelty-seeking genes5 Y/ n0 a* D% d5 Q1 H w1 k
News > This Weekp18" z) n# e' O7 _) O
5 e: r8 E y, ~& a4 w4 Q) zAs humans migrated around 50,000 years ago, evolution may have latched onto a gene linked to risk-taking and adventurousness
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& U; u6 a: A/ l# d; ~; P/ V6 mBrainless box jellyfish know which way is up) n* b$ b9 p/ o" s. L) a* f
News > In Briefp20! j0 @- Q0 t$ C4 G; [
: C/ a4 l z% @, E. DThe poisonous jellyfish navigates its mangrove swamp home by peering out of the water at the tree canopy above* I8 h& B1 e8 t w4 B; N
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How sickle-cell carriers fend off malaria
4 [& o; ]& Y/ xNews > In Briefp20" n' r% {6 F w% B$ i4 A4 E" x, b1 w
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Teasing out the mechanism which helps people with one sickle-cell gene resist malaria suggests new treatments for the disease
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Monkeys show signs of advanced memory powers( T' a6 V9 Q9 P' y8 X5 M. U# s$ z3 \
News > In Briefp20
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Rhesus monkeys can do more than simply recognise familiar shapes
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The universe's first stars were whirling dervishes
1 `2 N% _2 j' s$ ENews > In Briefp20, o, K0 M7 u J' g( h V
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The very first stars may have rotated several times faster than today's – the "spinstars" may have died in gamma-ray bursts that we could yet observe
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+ b2 |& @# b! `; j1 `- O* ~" _A sideways look suggests leaning tower will topple
# B& G+ N0 I+ f" L+ F/ @$ _0 x/ cNews > In Briefp21
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# o+ @- v0 g5 x" i: ?, L+ mYour evaluation of whether an object is going to fall over depends on which way your head is tilted$ M3 w# }( j1 g6 p. A
9 z0 j$ F o& z8 |# L% w- P* CFleeting antimatter trapped for a quarter of an hour6 q& m8 n2 t, M) U
News > In Briefp21
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A magnetic trap has held anti-atoms for 1000 seconds, which should allow tests of whether matter and antimatter are true mirror images in a few years6 i& Z0 c7 e4 `+ b& o2 Z
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Ghostly nebulae show mysterious alignment5 O( |3 H X$ _; A n- R/ F9 N! T
News > In Briefp21
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6 V/ Z- s% I& B9 H( d5 OElongated nebulae in the centre of our galaxy seem to lie in the same plane as the galactic disc, hinting at a mysterious alignment of stars in the region
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Heart attacks are more dangerous in the morning
6 q% e1 |" t7 e9 S9 m* PNews > In Briefp21
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Heart attacks that occur between 6am and noon appear more dangerous than those that occur in the afternoon, possibly due to fluctuating levels of protective proteins
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' C6 s; k7 }( ]! z hTalk with a dolphin via underwater translation machine
$ Z+ n5 x' a+ g5 |" C$ z ] {Technology > Newspp23-24
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A computer system that divers can wear may bridge the language barrier between us and dolphins# P4 E$ N8 w- r* c& _
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In-car projection for drive-by advertising
$ [) y& N( F4 E& MTechnology > Newsp24
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0 K7 N- ]: ]1 T( N- B3 K7 k- uA new display technology could turn car windows into roving 3D advertisements, but will this compromise safety?
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Know where the wind blows to boost power grid capacity
" i/ ?# P3 {! g- cTechnology > Newspp24-25. i0 ~+ b5 q/ P% `4 P7 N1 s, g
* |$ x; D, f' [7 FCooler cables can carry more power – with a dynamic model that shows what the wind is doing, power companies could send more juice down the line
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# G9 U. X, \- {# x! w, ~( F1 ]7 wOne Per Cent0 R2 A0 g W$ Q D' T& [
Technology > Newsp25
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5 I( Q$ |0 y" o1 f- A4 DSony admits users' data theft, bendy caterpillar robot and free Wi-Fi for everyone?8 S3 E# m8 s- u2 K& {
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Toughening up vulnerable networks one link at a time
+ h* v: X+ n, e# dTechnology > Newsp262 S5 I# o' ~; X6 N* h) U" r
f# u7 f/ j9 D9 s( n# R) k( `4 KA simple way to strengthen networks could protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attack
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Time to put weather forecasters on the spot# L6 d$ Z% f `1 ]2 I' K
Comment and Analysispp28-29
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" q! Q) W" a) S" j5 M; `The reliability of weather forecasts is surprisingly hard to measure. The BBC's Weather Test will make amends, says Roger Harrabin$ u2 m7 Q0 X) H
8 w3 e8 s! ~. u f4 y, \1 oUS navy chief: I'm on a mission to stop using oil
- v9 X/ p" p* f2 O" _5 UOpinion > Interviewp29, F# O% ^1 h: o4 N
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From biofuelled fighter jets to solar power-generating blankets, Ray Mabus wants to wean the US navy off fossil fuels
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5 a- o/ i' W2 H& b9 z( V# xFree debate+ t" Y5 R3 g3 k
Lettersp30/ E8 O, f( h3 t* d
" O2 G6 v; ~; `+ q9 g( G' IDan Jones's article (16 April, p 32) explores whether a mechanistic, and therefore deterministic, view of what we are degrades our view of ourselves... _" ^' {8 A" A7 A7 C' k9 s* x* I
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Happiness paradox
5 U1 g' c# m6 U0 {( mLetterspp30-31
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The special report on happiness (16 April, p 46) did not mention the Easterlin paradox, that the average happiness of developed nations has not generally...
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Blast the waste
, n! Q% R2 m& ~% }Lettersp31
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The advantages of thorium nuclear power (26 March, p 8) seem mostly unproven in practice, and the technology will probably take more than a decade...
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For the record0 O& a' \& Y- I! w8 k$ i
Lettersp31
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3 e$ Q+ T. k; J+ v. B( {• A conversion error made as our feature about cockroaches (16 April, p 40) was being prepared for publication led to the radiation doses we quoted...& K/ H" Q- o& Q4 V6 X
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Growth must slow
# q; k" D9 n6 b0 m6 S n4 L4 |Lettersp31* n6 R) }: j9 x* H/ Z' o5 F
) I( u0 w+ K6 q, P0 e' E1 @Achim Steiner's article (16 April, p 28) about the conflict between agricultural expansion and conservation appears to assume a growing world population is inevitable...
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" ~6 h& C" \2 B! Y& ~The name game4 x5 h$ a# {0 N, h0 z. _
Lettersp31
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# a8 W8 ?' B: a% uThe misleadingly easy quiz questions that John Chen came across (Feedback, 9 April) have been around for years. I recently used them as an icebreaker..., q _6 B& T' `% A
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Wealth disorder?/ _0 s7 }" m, [7 n T$ d- ~
Lettersp31! p0 j, x- c! v; ~
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I found Jessica Hamzelou's article on psychopaths very interesting (9 April, p 8). She stated that the study showed "brain areas involved in reward"...& O8 M, _( D+ f! Z
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Enigma Number 1645
* A/ C( |! J' |" o& l! OOpinion > Enigmap31
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% u1 B! c3 i! n+ K! e/ G+ p" O7 |Five roboethical principles – for humans6 i' W1 j0 z, M# R& ?
Opinion > The Big Ideapp32-33
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Science fiction primes us to expect robots to run amok. But as they go mainstream, it's still us that need policing, argues Alan Winfield6 d; J2 \5 x3 @6 C, H% M" y
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The limits of knowledge: Things we'll never understand7 R. F1 X) ^/ ~8 \
Features > Cover Storypp34-394 [/ M/ m2 I# J6 E5 Q( }; X& }
" @: |7 s) {6 r6 s" x0 TFrom the machinery of life to the fate of the cosmos, is there anything science can't explain? Yes, says Michael Brooks
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Out with a bang: The Tevatron's deathbed revelation3 z9 Z2 N0 g! T: V" x
Features > Featurepp40-43
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1 z7 L+ v$ P& b( q+ J, E* v7 uWith just months before the iconic particle accelerator is dismantled, physicists are racing to confirm a tantalising glimpse of unexpected new particles
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0 a( T9 D# y% m4 ?0 }Blue alert: The dark side of night light
& _8 q& T9 G% W% b3 q XFeatures > Featurepp44-477 _5 }0 p) s8 P0 w; ]
1 H/ ^2 e7 d _2 D3 gFrom streetlights to smartphones, our world is bathed in artificial light – and we're only just waking up to the profound effect it has on us/ v4 P/ v, l5 p6 q$ {8 s
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Exploring animals' emotional experiences
* Q) M' j0 q* r3 Z$ ]Opinion > CultureLabp480 S- `( s1 v* F& j! t4 j0 l4 ^
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Jonathan Balcombe's The Exultant Ark is an exploration of the nascent research into animal pleasure, replete with emotive photographs h) p2 u# K+ v; W8 q
' O; [3 ?6 x) A5 V9 N4 @Cool viruses from pox to pandemics
. C' |1 G; U2 f& P* pOpinion > CultureLabp49* ], q# |- ?9 r; [
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A Planet of Viruses by Carl Zimmer has plenty of "wow" moments. Shame about the lack of context and simplistic faith in science
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The birth and rise of batteries R5 _4 x- O* t8 E; R+ m, m
Opinion > CultureLabp49- {* r, m7 W2 k6 U
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Bottled Lightning by Seth Fletcher is a compelling tale of using science to solve a global problem and illuminating for anybody interested in innovation
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The modern marvel of magnetic levitation/ Z0 s6 }5 L! ?8 R. @
Opinion > CultureLabp49
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In Rising Force, James Livingston soars to the heady heights of maglev and floats the idea that the technology could still have commercial success3 E' X' N9 ~9 \
9 B, F/ t/ [7 I) J, ?! p* JAstrobiology: Are we alone in the universe?
$ |! T& h, K" i b1 u, K" u7 j& TFeatures > Instant Expert
$ a& k9 ^- U6 m6 c* e( w; NIt is only with the gigantic telescopes and interplanetary probes of the space age that we finally have a realistic hope of answering the question
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4 X8 P* `- e) z0 @" R9 J/ P# rAstrobiology: Are we unique?9 d4 f- M' t( k
Features > Instant Expert
3 H3 P" ?% V( h; P' E4 DFinding irrefutable signs of any life beyond Earth would surely be one of the most revolutionary discoveries for human science and society
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# x0 p; C& d7 S! W9 W" q3 }Astrobiology: Hot topics in the search for ET
5 |. Y4 O* ?2 CFeatures > Instant Expert
; |, Z: @3 M' MAs more and more exoplanets are discovered by ever-better telescopes, we're refining our ideas about how to spot signs of life – and where to look for it0 Y) x" H2 V6 R
& E6 Y9 |. V* _ A* q$ k9 | o2 L8 nAstrobiology: The hunt for alien life c E0 @/ X2 n
Features > Instant Expert% I6 m5 r1 ^, h& y: a4 U1 D
Powerful telescopes, clever astronomy and trips to some of Earth's most extreme and remote places are helping identify the most promising places to start; }) z" f' [3 G3 G+ V1 F8 I. I6 j
; ~0 \. I( W% _Feedback: Redundant gestures get the thumbs up
9 t# y+ y7 h3 V+ d2 h$ h. q9 g0 ?Feedbackp56
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Let your fingers do the talking – old style, wallpaper made of paper that you put on walls, a job you can put off for 224 years, and more
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% y' \2 T5 u5 N, ?3 ?; z# wHappy feet$ R; b4 |, W c5 x5 J1 r3 j
The Last Word > Last Word Answerp57& r+ C$ X9 _& [+ E8 z" C, L3 w! X) C
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Gerroff
& |' b$ m$ U8 U. m0 \The Last Word > Last Word Questionp57
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No Skidding
+ {, H2 K. t" \ L4 v zThe Last Word > Last Word Questionp57
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Water marked
/ j5 ?: h+ z& ]7 D4 |8 I. k, lThe Last Word > Last Word Questionp57+ \* v+ J8 z0 k5 {* B
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发表于 2011-5-8 21:40
