def load_text(file_name):
    """
    Load lines from a plain-text file and return these as a list, with
    trailing newlines stripped.

    Arguments:
        file_name (str or unicode): file name.
    Returns:
        list of str or unicode: lines.
    """
    with open(file_name) as text_file:
        lines = text_file.read().splitlines()
    return lines