def Activate(line):
    """Checks if we are reading nodes, elements, or something else
    
    Parameters
    ----------
    line : string
        The line to check for activation
        
    Returns
    -------
    active : string
        'nodes' if we are going to read nodes, 'elems' if we are going to read
        elements, 'prop' if properties, or 'none' otherwise
    """

    active = 'none'
    if line[:5].upper() == '*NODE':
        active = 'nodes'
    elif line[:6].upper() == '*CNODE':
        active = 'cnodes'
    elif line[:8].upper() == '*ELEMENT':
        active = 'elems'
    elif line[:9].upper() == '*CELEMENT':
        active = 'celems'
    elif line[:4].upper() == '*D2C':
        active = 'd2c'
    elif line[:5].upper() == '*NSET':
        active = 'nset'
    elif line[:6].upper() == '*ELSET':
        active = 'elset'
    elif line[:5].upper() == '*LOAD':
        active = 'load'
    elif line[:3].upper() == '*BC':
        active = 'bc'
    elif line[:6].upper() == '*TRACK':
        active = 'track'
    else:
        print("Unknown item in input file: %s"%line)
    
    return active