question: There was once an alligator who liked to wear orange sweaters. He liked that is was orange instead of a boring color like white or black. All of the other alligators would laugh and point at him and say mean things about him. They would say it was silly for an alligator to wear a sweater. One night it got very cold and the ground was very hard. The alligator rested well with his sweater to keep his tummy warm and protected from the cold ground. After that night all of the alligators wore different colored sweaters (red, blue, green, and yellow) and were safe and warm from the cold weather. They thanked him and apologized for laughing before. The point of this story is that sometimes silly ideas turn out to be the best ideas and we shouldn't make fun of others.
1. What is the main character in this story?
2. How was he different from others?
3. What color?
4. why?
5. How did wearing them negatively impact him?
6. Were they always mean?
7. What made them change?
8. Did they ever do something nice to him?
9. What is the moral of this tale?
10. How many different colors of sweaters did the others end up wearing?
****
answer: 1. an alligator
2. he like to wear sweaters
3. orange
4. white and black are boring colors
5. All of the other alligators would laugh and point at him and say mean things about him.
6. no
7. they wanted to be warm
8. yes
9. sometimes silly ideas turn out the best
10. Four

question: The Chinese put up with a lot living in the world's most populous country: standing on over-crowded trains for 40 hours; sleeping outside hospitals to secure a doctor's appointment; waiting more than a year to earn a driver's license.

Add getting a U.S. entry visa to the list. Applicants here have waited as long as 60 days to secure an appointment at one of five U.S. consular locations in China that process visas. There, they're often greeted by long lines, followed by a face-to-face interview that can end badly in a matter of seconds.

Now there are only about 100 U.S. visa officers in China, facing considerable challenges during the summer when tourists and students travel the most. "It's not easy work," Charles Bennett, minister-counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said to his staff. "You're making, in some cases, life-changing decisions many times a day, and that can cause great tiredness."

To adapt, US consular services expanded their hours, took on about a dozen additional staff and hope to have another 20 officers by spring. More facilities are also being expanded.

Despite the shocking numbers, the embassy remains troubled by charges that it rejects applicants unreasonably and that the process is unfairly burdensome. "I'm fed up," said Wendy Liu, 24. The single woman from Beijing said she was recently refused a visa and told to re-apply when her personal life and finances were more stable. "I'll go anywhere but the U.S. now," she said. "I thought America was supposed to be a country of freedom."

To visit the US, Chinese nationals must prove that they have enough money and family or business ties that make it likely they'll return to China. The Department of Homeland Security said it did not keep records on how many Chinese overstay their visas.

Student visas can be refused on grounds of national security. Beijing native Tan Ge, 25, believes he was not accepted after he stated his interests in infrared technology and nanoelectronics on his application. He now studies in Canada after being forced to abandon a full scholarship to Arizona State University.

By its very nature, the on-the-spot process at the U.S. Embassy can feel unbearable to Chinese applicants, who are asked to take their bank statements, property deeds , marriage licenses and HUKOU, a Chinese household ID.

"It made me feel very uncomfortable," said Xu Yong, 28, a journalist who needed a business visa last month to cover a conference in New York. "They made me feel like someone from a Third World country up to no good."

After giving his fingerprints, Xu waited to be called for his interview, sitting in an area that was as quiet as a library. Each passing minute seemed to be as long as a century.

After an hour, Xu was called with three other people to a window for their interview. Two were rejected before his turn. Then the American officer, speaking fluent Chinese, reached for Xu's paperwork, asked some simple questions and said, "Congratulations."

"I was so nervous. The first thing I did when I got out was to call my mom and tell her I passed," Xu said. "She was the one who warned me it wasn't going to be easy."
1. What is the main topic?
2. How many U.S. visa officers reside in China?
3. Are they adding more?
4. What is one drawback of living in such a crowded country?
****
answer: 1. unknown
2. about 100
3. Yes.
4. Waiting all night at a chance to get a doctor's appointment.

question: CHAPTER XIV.

DENIS M'GOVERY'S TIDINGS.

As soon as he had finished his breakfast on the morning after the night's events just recorded, Father John took his hat and stick, and walked down to Drumsna, still charitably intent on finding some means to soften, if he could not avert, the storm which he saw must follow the scenes he had witnessed on the previous evening. Ussher would have considered it want of pluck to stay away because Thady had told him to do so; Feemy also would encourage his visits, and would lean more to her lover than her brother--especially as her father, if it were attempted to make him aware of the state of the case, would be sure to take Feemy's part. Father John felt it would be impossible to induce the old man to desire Ussher to discontinue his visits, and he was confident that unless he did so, the Captain would take advantage of the unfortunate state of affairs at Ballycloran, and consider himself as an invited guest, in spite of the efforts Thady might make to induce him to leave it. But what the priest most feared was, that the unfortunate girl would be induced to go off with her lover, who he knew under such circumstances would never marry her; and his present object was to take her out of the way of such temptation. Father John gave Feemy credit for principles and feelings sufficiently high to prevent her from falling immediately into vice, but he at the same time feared, that with the strong influence Ussher had over her, he might easily persuade her to leave her home, partly by promising at some early time to marry her, and partly by threatening her with desertion. He thought that if she were at present domiciled at Mrs. McKeon's, Ussher might then be brought to hear reason, and be made to understand that if he was not contented to propose for and marry Feemy, in a proper decent manner, he must altogether drop her acquaintance.
1. Where is John heading?
2. What is his title?
3. How is he traveling?
4. What does he have with him?
5. What time of day is it?
6. Did he eat?
7. Which meal?
8. Would the father want Ussher to stop coming around?
9. Who's father is it?
10. Who does Feemy want to marry?
11. Does he pan to marry her?
12. What does Father John want him to do?
13. Is he worried Feemy will run off with him?
****
answer:
1. to Drumsna
2. Father
3. he's walking
4. his hat and stick
5. morning
6. yes
7. breakfast
8. yes
9. Feemy's
10. Ussher
11. no
12. altogether drop her acquaintance
13. yes