Problem: For Urban Treuil, there's no escaping the misery.

Because of Hurricane Isaac, Treuil's home in Braithwaite, Louisiana, is ruined by floodwaters. So, too, is the gas station and convenience store he owned and ran in the community, 15 miles by car and 10 miles as the crow flies from New Orleans.

But all that pales to what Treuil, the fire chief for Braithwaite and Woodlawn in Plaquemines Parish, saw when he and fellow volunteer firefighters steered their boat up to the home of a couple he knew. Inside, they found the pair floating in the kitchen, the first of at least three fatalities in Louisiana being blamed on Isaac.

"It's not something I want to see, and I hope it's the last ones we do see," said an exhausted Treuil on Friday, a day after he pulled the couple from the home.

In terms of total deaths, Isaac doesn't compare to Hurricane Katrina, which led to nearly 1,800 fatalities in New Orleans and the vicinity seven years ago. Isaac struck Louisiana on Tuesday night as a Category 1 hurricane, not a Category 3 like Katrina.

Don't tell that, though, to the thousands of residents in St. Tammany, Ascension, Plaquemines and other parishes who Friday found their homes and hometowns still deluged. Even with a few drops of drizzle falling all day and with levels down considerably from the previous day, waters were still 10 feet deep in spots.

"This is unbelievable. Deja vu, man," Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish said Thursday as he surveyed the town of Ironton, inundated by floodwater and sludge. "There is more water here than Katrina."
1. Who is Urban Treuil?
2. Where does he live?
3. What happened there?
4. What category was it?
5. Is the same size as Katrina?
6. What was that one?
7. Is Braithwaite near New Orleans?
8. How close?
9. Did the town get flooded?
10. How deep did the water get?
11. Did other nearby towns get flooded too?
12. Which ones?
13. Were any businesses harmed?
14. Which ones?
15. Who owned those?
16. Were there fatalities?
17. How many?
18. Anyone Treuil knew?
19. How many?
20. Who found them?
Answer: 1. fire chief for Braithwaite and Woodlawn
2. Braithwaite, Louisiana,
3. Hurricane Isaac
4. Category 1
5. no
6. Three
7. yes
8. 15 miles by car
9. yes
10. 10 feet deep
11. yes
12. St. Tammany, Ascension, Plaquemines and other parishes
13. yes
14. Gas station and convenience store
15. Treuil
16. yes
17. Three
18. yes
19. Two
20. Treuil and fellow volunteer firefighters

Problem: Linda and Lucy were best friends. They graduated from high school and went to the same college for further studies.

After some days Linda found that her friend was behaving strangely. She would remain quiet, sleep too much and turn wild, very often. At first, Linda thought it was just because of the problems she had met in her studies. However, Lucy became even stranger over time. Finally, Linda couldn't take it any longer and asked Lucy about her strange behavior. Lucy broke into tears and said that she was going around with a boy, who was taking drugs and forcing her to take them, too.

Linda was shocked by her story. She then advised her friend to leave the boy. She reminded Lucy of her dreams of becoming a successful doctor and encouraged her to set an example for others. She also reminded her of how her parents would feel if they found out what their daughter was up to. Through her efforts, Lucy was finally able to leave the boy and drugs. During this time, her friend always stood by her.

Finally, the two friends graduated and their friendship grew stronger. They both became successful doctors, but never let each other down by getting into bad habits. They lived happily as close friends.

From the story we can know that true friends are those who encourage you to become the best you can ever be. They believe in you and will never leave you.
1. what was lucy taking?
2. who was lucy to linda?
3. why did she think she was on drugs?
4. did she become less strange or more strange?
5. was she taking drugs voluntarily?
6. was linda suprised?
7. who was making Lucy take drugs?
8. did he take them as well?
9. do true friends ever leave you according to the story?
10. what did both Lucy and Linda become after graduating?
11. was this one of Lucy's dreams?
12. who reminded her of it?
13. what did Linda tell Lucy to do?
Answer: 1. drugs
2. best friend
3. she was behaving strangely
4. Lucy became even stranger over time
5. no
6. yes
7. her boyfriend
8. yes
9. no
10. successful doctors
11. yes
12. Linda
13. leave the boy and drugs

Problem: (CNN) -- Mitt Romney is rumored to be announcing a choice soon for his vice presidential running mate, and conventional thinking suggests his pick is going to be "safe," someone who brings a high measure of conservative street cred, and preferablyfrom a swing state.

In other words, the rumor is the guy who has trouble getting people to like him is going to pick someone even more boring than him.

It seems he hasn't figured out that as long as Barack Obama is president, his base will be fired up in spite of his dull personality, so what he doesn't need to do is waste this pick on a running mate Republicans will like.

What he needs is someone who can attract voters on the fence.

A media darling with a successful track record to point to and someone whose social politics won't immediately get them labeled by independents as "crazy."

Romney risks playing running mate hand too early

Enter Michael Bloomberg: that union-fighting/gay-couple-loving renegade who would make things complicated for Democrats because he's managed to get elected three times in the most diverse region in the country while being a rich, old white guy.

Four years ago, Sen. John McCain selected a game changer who turned out to be better in theory than in practice. Like Sarah Palin, Bloomberg would be a curve ball. But while she got people talking,the New York mayor would get people talking and thinking.

How?

By being something many of the other VP options are not: a real Republican. An old school Republican.
1. Who does the author say might be a curveball to the campaign?
2. What position is he being considered for?
3. For which presidential candidate?
4. What party is he running under?
5. Is he expected to make a "safe" choice?
6. From which type of state would a "safe" person be?
7. Who is Romney running against?
8. Who might Bloomberg make things "complicated for"?
9. Does he support unions?
10. Who else was described as a "game changer" in a previous election?
11. Who selected her?
12. How many years ago was that?
13. Who does the author describe as a "rich, old white guy"?
14. How many times was he elected, despite that reputation?
15. Does the author find Romney boring?
Answer:
1. \ Michael Bloomberg
2. VP
3. Mitt Romney
4. Republican.
5. yes
6. a swing state.
7. unknown
8. Democrats
9. no
10. Sarah Palin
11. John McCain
12. Four
13. Michael Bloomberg
14. three times
15. yes