Word: merited
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...capital into a city whose time was now. Stadiums were built, entire transportation networks laid out. The areas that couldn't be prettified in time were hidden behind Olympic billboards that would have made Grigori Potemkin proud. Lest visitors think that China was somehow not sophisticated enough to merit hosting the world's premier sporting spectacle, local residents were admonished not to wear more than three contrasting hues at the same time. At a time of national glory, it just wouldn't do to have clashing colors...
...Jiang Wenwen), who came in fourth overall, performed a four-minute routine entitled "Little Birds Jumping and Flying Happily." During their turn, the Canadians blew water from their mouths, as if they were comely fountains spouting water. The Russians, who took the gold with straight 10s for technical merit, wore swimsuits with such variegated sequins that I failed to take note of what the two Anastasias (Ermakova and Davydova) were actually doing. I know immense physicality and endurance is involved in each routine, and that the smiles mask burning lungs. The Russians, for instance, are known to practice eight hours...
...past, American teachers could count on earning more money the longer they served. But a growing number of schools have begun to tie pay to performance. About 20% of U.S. children are now in school districts experimenting with merit pay, according to the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) at Vanderbilt University. Denver's ProComp was one of the first of these programs, and everyone from local teachers to Barack Obama has cited it as a role model. "The whole education world is watching right now," James Guthrie, a public-policy-and-education professor at Vanderbilt and NCPI's executive...
Although tourist attractions may have their merit, I have found commuting to be an indispensable experience. It is an activity that on the surface may seem mundane but continues to present new surprises. The Tokyo metro has given me an expansive look into the life of Tokyoites, and I never cease to be intrigued...
...since the London bombings three summers ago. In Iraq, his most successful franchise operation is on the ropes. Across the Muslim world, opinion polls suggest his popularity has faded, and many of his early supporters - including prominent jihadi ideologues - have denounced him. Even his messages on the Internet scarcely merit headlines in the mainstream media. Did you know he posted two audio messages on the Web in May? I didn't think...