Problem: Jeremy Wirick, 9, has been back in school for less than two months, but he has already had several asthma attacks. A recent attack happened on October 2, after he pushed himself too hard in gym class. Running, power walking, jogging and push-ups took their toll. When Jeremy got home an hour or two later, he was out of breath. He needed to use a nebulizer, a machine that helps send medicine quickly to the lungs, to get his breathing back to normal.

Asthma attacks like Jeremy increase in September and October. More than six times as many asthma sufferers who are elementary-school age need hospital treatment in the fall as in the summer.

Experts believe many factors can contribute to back-to-school asthma. Kids get together in close spaces, they start passing viruses around. A viral infection can cause an asthma attack. There are also certain fall allergies that can cause attacks. Exercise is another common cause of an attack. Besides, the stress of school can make asthma worse.

Parents can play a big role in helping kids with asthma start the school year right. Dawne Gee's10-year-old son, Alexander, has had asthma since he was a baby. Before the school year starts, she tells school workers in writing about her son's asthma.

The Gees live in Kentucky, which has passed laws allowing students to carry their asthma medication with them at school. Alexander's mom makes sure he has his inhaler with him when he goes to school and that he keeps it on hand at all times. In Delaware, where Jeremy lives, kids are allowed to carry their inhalers at school.

The American Lung Association says that about 6.2 million American children suffer from asthma. Asthma is the chronic illness that causes students to miss the most days of school. There are many things that schools can do to help students control their asthma
1. In what months do the number of asthma attacks increase?
2. Can viral infections trigger attacks?
3. What is one other trigger for an attack?
4. Stress arising from what can cause an attack?
5. How old is Jeremy?
6. What is his last name?
7. In what month was his latest attack?
8. On what day?
9. This this attack occur after a class?
10. Which one?
11. Did the students power walk in this class?
12. What are the two other exercises mentioned for this class?
13. What machine does he need to use?
14. Does is send medicine to a particular organ?
15. Which one?
16. What is the name of Gee's son?
17. How old is he?
18. Since when has he had asthma?
19. What is Mrs. Gee's first name?
20. In what state do the Gees live?
Answer: 1. September and October
2. yes
3. certain fall allergies
4. school
5. Nine
6. Wirick
7. October
8. 2nd
9. Yes
10. gym
11. Yes
12. jogging and push-ups
13. nebulizer
14. yes
15. the lungs
16. Alexander
17. 10
18. since he was a baby
19. Dawne
20. Kentucky

Problem: Many American presidents in the 19thcentury were born in poor families. They spent their childhood in little wooden rooms. They got little education . Washington and Lincoln, for example, never went to school and they taught themselves. Lincoln once did jobs of a worker, shopkeeper and post officer in his early years. A large number of U. S. presidents had experiences in the army. The two best known were Ulysses Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Grant was a general in the American Civil War and Eisenhower was a hero in the Second World War. It happened that they graduated from the same school--West Point Military Academy . One may be surprised to learn that both of them did not do well in the school. Eisenhower, for example, was once fined because he broke the rules of the school. The jobs of U. S. presidents are tiring. He must _ anything important which happens both at home and abroad. Every day, a lot of work waits for him to do, and he has to make many important decisions. When Franklin Roosevelt was a child, he was once brought to visit President Taft. The old president said to him, "When you grow up, you should not be president. It's a tiring job."
1. In what century were there many Presidents from poor families?
2. Where did they spend their childhood?
3. Name two presidents who were self-taught.
4. Which presidents graduated from the same school?
5. What President was fined for breaking rules?
6. Which college do some Presidents have in common?
7. Which President did Thaft once visit when young?
8. From which country are these Presidents?
9. In what military branch were many Presidents?
10. What did Thaft say to Roosevelt?
11. In what was was Grant a general?
Answer: 1. the 19th century
2. in little wooden rooms
3. Washington and Lincoln
4. Grant and Eisenhower
5. Eisenhower
6. West Point Military Academy
7. Franklin Roosevelt
8. America
9. the army
10. "When you grow up, you should not be president. It's a tiring job."
11. the American Civil War

Problem: Do you know more and more Chinese artists have made regular donations to charity or put their efforts into charity work in China? Here let's know some of them. Faye Wong and her husband Li Yapeng started the Yan Ran Angel Foundation for harelipped children three years ago. It was named after their daughter. Its purpose is to help children under 14 to cure their harelips. The couple donated one million yuan (about $ 133,000) to start the organization. Cong Fei was born in a poor family. He became a successful singer in Shenzhen. He helped 178 poor students and disabled people for more than 10 years. Before he died of an illness at the age of 37 in 2006, he decided to donate his cornea to people with eye problems. He helped six people see the world. Guan Mucun has donated money to Project Hope to help poor students finish primary education. Thirty of these poor students have already finished high school with her support. Guan has also helped with charity work for environment protection, HIV/AIDS prevention, blood donation and "Mother Water". Guan had an unlucky childhood: her mother died when she was only 10 years old. With the help of the government and her neighbours, she grew up and was successful as a famous singer. Action star Jackie Chan is a wholehearted supporter of charities including UNICEF, Operation Smile and his own Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation. In 2007, he used much of his spare time to visit the farthest parts of China on his Dragon's Heart Charity Missions. The Dragon's Heart Foundation aims to meet the needs of poor children and the elderly in the hardest-to-reach areas of the country. Chan has made several trips to these poor villages, bringing warm clothing, wheelchairs and school supplies, and helping to build schools.
1. what organization did Faye Wong start with her husband?
2. what was it named after?
3. does it help children over 14?
4. what does it help children under 14 with?
5. what is the name of Jackie Chan's charitable organization?
6. does he support other charities?
7. when did he go on the Dragon's Hearth Charity Missions?
8. how old was Guan when her mother died?
9. which project did she donate money to?
10. who does that help?
11. how many have finished school because of this?
12. was cong fei rich?
13. what was his profession?
14. how old was he when he died?
15. how many people did he help with eye problems?
16. what did he donate to people with eye problems?
17. how much in total did Faye Wong and her husband donate to start their organization?
18. where was Cong Fei a famous singer?
19. who else grew up as a successful singer?
20. what did Jackie Chan bring to the villages?
Answer:
1. Yan Ran Angel Foundation
2. their daughter
3. no
4. harelips
5. Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation
6. yes
7. In 2007
8. 10
9. Project Hope
10. poor students
11. Thirty
12. Not untill later in life
13. a singer
14. 37
15. six
16. his cornea
17. one million yuan (about $ 133,000)
18. Shenzhen
19. Guan Mucun
20. warm clothing, wheelchairs and school supplies