Problem: She has been a life long NRA member ; and champion of the 2nd amendment . She strongly believes in earmark reform ; she even refused a $ 350 million earmark for a bridge to no where project in her own state . She said quote " Thanks but no thanks " . She believes in tax cuts for small businesses ; which are the back bone of our economy .

What may have caused her to refuse the $ 350 million ear mark for a bridge ?

A: She did n't want others to pay for it .

Problem: She said the lilacs filled the air there with a blueness she has n't seen since . My aunt usually asks where I ' m calling from , though I ' ve lived in the same place 25 years . She wonders about a wineglass stuck to my mother 's dining table for years after that no - good boyfriend left for the coast . She remembered him fondly , though they parted in a storm of recrimination and hurt .

Who is the narrator 's conversation partner nostaligic for ?

A: Their old flame .

Problem: This time Rikki keeps her hand clamped tight over the struggling boy 's mouth for a good two minutes before she lets him go . He looks up at her afterwards , breathing hard to catch his breath , with a frank look of wary fascination on his face . And down and back around toward the shops walks Rikki . Here now on a street corner Rikki runs across several of her old buds , classmates from their days together at Casimir Pulaski High . " Hey Rikki !

What may have caused Rikki to put her hand over the boy 's mouth ?

A:
She was showing her dominance .