Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart. "I have two kids in college, and I want to say 'come home', but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education." says Jacobs. The Jacobs family did work out a solution. They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school. With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around. At the same time, tuition continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade. "If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt." Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted. How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem? A) They asked their kids to come home. B) They borrowed $20,000 from the school. C) They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs. D) They got help from the school and the federal government.
D
The aims of the Illustrators' Exhibition,staged as part of the Bologna Children's Book Fair,organized by BolognaFiere and held from 23 to 26 December,are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers. QUALIFICATIONS *Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality,if they were born before 31st December 1992,whose artwork is intended for use in children's books,are qualified to enter the Exhibition,either directly or through publishing houses or schools. *Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Nonfiction Category.Illustrators may only enter one category. *Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be reentered. *The confirmation form must be filled in and a photograph attached,then presented together with illustrations no later than 15 October. SHIPMENT Entries may be delivered by post,express delivery service or by hand.From abroad,please use the following forms:Form "A" for registered mail or post by air;Form "B" if using an international forwarding agent or airline. To avoid delays,material should not be sent by normal post.Material should be sent "carriage paid",including any customs and delivery costs. BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the nonarrival or late arrival of artwork.All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number,publisher's name and address. REQUIREMENTS The illustrations(i.e.the size of the sheet) must not exceed the following dimensions: Fiction: 32x42 cm (or 42x32 cm) Nonfiction: 50x70 cm (70x50 cm) Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered,nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere.The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board,maximum thickness 2 mm (for scanner separation purposes). SELECTION PROCESS All artworks received by the stated deadline and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group (whose decision is final),including five... The illustrators'works will not be considered if they _ . A) are received after the day of 15 October B) are smaller than the required size C) have already been published abroad before D) don't meet the demands of the international experts
A
Q: Wearing ties was originally the mark of Britain's most powerful classes, which made the tie itself a symbol of power and respect. And that led it to be adopted by a much larger tribe--the business tribe. You cannot wear a tie if you work with machinery. So wearing a tie became a sign that you were a man who used your brain to make a living, rather than your hands. It showed you were serious. It showed you were a professional. It meant that everyone who wanted a job in business had to wear one. It was just impossible to take seriously a man who didn't wear a piece of color1ed silk around his neck. This is how millions of people came to be wearing ties across the world. They are part of the uniform of business. "Ties offer a point of indifference," says John Milne, head of the British Guide of Tie Makers. "They give a chance to say something about their own personality." So if you happen to meet a man with a very brightly color1ed tie, there is a good chance that he is the office joker. There is also a good chance that he will be wearing brightly color1ed socks. Is there a future for ties? The signs are not promising. Tie wearing seems to be rare among the new bread of entrepreneurs in the Internet and new technology industries. Many political leaders,including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now go without ties. This shows they are men of the people--but not the people wearing ties. Up until around 1960, it was common for men across the Western world to wear hats as part of their business uniform. That changed with the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. Kennedy never wore a hat in fact his nickname was"hatless Jack". Seeing that the most powerful man in the world did not have to wear a hat, millions of other men decided that they did not have to, either. Hats simply vanished across the Western world. Perhaps"tieless Tony"(UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) will have the same effect as "hatless Jack". In Britain, ties were first used as a sign to show a person's _ . A) personality B) social position C) job D) favorite hobby
A: B
(Q).
President Abraham Lincoln often visited hospitals to talk with wounded soldiers during the Civil War.Once,Lincoln went over to the bedside of a young dying soldier. "Is there anything I can do for you?"asked the President. The soldier obviously didn't recognize Lincoln, and with some effort he was able to whisper, "Would you please write a letter to my mother?" So the President carefully began writing down the soldier's words,"My dearest mother, I was badly hurt while doing my duty. I'm afraid I'm not going to recover. Don't _ too much for me, please. Kiss my sister Mary for me.May God bless you and Father." The soldier was too weak to continue, so Lincoln signed the letter for him and added, "Written for your son by Abraham Lincoln."The young man asked to see the note and was astonished when he discovered who had written it."Are you really the President?"he asked. "Yes, I am,"replied Lincoln quietly.Then he asked if there was anything else he could do."Would you please hold my hand?"asked the soldier."It will help to see me through to the end." In the quiet room, the tall gaunt President took the soldier's hand and spoke warm words of encouragement until death came. When the soldier's mother read the letter, she would probably be _ . A) sad but feel greatly relieved B) apologetic but grateful C) calm and thankful D) sorry and feel it unexpected
(A).
A