Q: Valentine's Day was coming. Helen felt hurt and lonely because this was her first Valentine's Day after the divorce .

Helen's twelve-year-old son, Jack, looked at his mother, knowing that this was a difficult time for both of them. In order to make his mother happy, he prepared a present, and handed it to her on Valentine's Day.

It was a beautiful gift package .Helen couldn't believe what was happening. She opened it and took out a lovely card and a small box.

"Now," he said, "read the card." It read as follows:

"I know that this isn't easy for you because it has been a hard year for both of us. I know that Valentine's Day is a special day for people in love. I want you to know that I love you. I know that Valentines are supposed to get chocolate. I went to the store today to buy some for you. Luckily, I got the last piece. I told the clerk it was just perfect."

Helen stood there for a moment and looked at her son. Her eyes sparkled in the light as tears formed in each corner. Jack knew he had done the right thing. Slowly she opened the small box, careful not to tear the paper. She would never forget the moment. She found a chocolate heart that was broken into pieces along with a note:

"I am so sorry that Dad left us, Mom. And all you were left with was a broken heart. But I just want you to know we still have each other.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Your son,

Jack"

1. Helen
2. because this was her first Valentine's Day after her divorce
3. He left her

Numbered questions:
1. Who was feeling alone?
2. Why?
3. Did she leave her husband or did he leave her?

Q: Lillan Hanson, a college junior, expects to graduate in about two years. Mrs Hanson, a rather unusual student, plans to go on to take more courses after she gets her degree. What makes Mrs Hanson different from most of her classmates?

What sets Lillian Hanson apart from the college crowd is her age-73 years. She has been going to college, a few courses at a time, for 27 years.

When Mrs Hanson graduated from high school, she went to her local bank and asked for a loan for college tuition and fees. The banker gave her no encouragement. He didn't think that country girl should be borrowing money to go to college. He thought she should be home doing work in the house or around the farm. So Mrs Hanson went home and raised a family of nine children instead of going to college. She still lives with her husband on the farm that has been in the family for five generations.

Mrs Hanson never forgot her dream of getting a higher education. When her children were grown, she tried again.

She finds the hardest part of going back to school at her age is to be sitting in class for long periods of time, because she is not as agile as she used to be. Mrs Hanson often gets up and walks around between classes to keep her joints from getting stiff. At the beginning of a course in using the computer, the other students all gave Mrs Hanson a warm round of applause when she introduced herself and explained why she was there and what her goals were.

1. fwalks between classes
2. t okeep her joints from getting stiff
3. applauded her
4. no
5. junior
6. two years
7. she plans to take more courses
8. getting an education
9. after her children were grown
10. yes
11. c73 years
12. unknown
13. five
14. yes
15. anine
16. yes
17. 73
18. the banker wouldn't lend her the money
19. he thought she should atay home
20. yes

Numbered questions:
1. What does she do to keep from getting too stiff?
2. Why?
3. What did the others do when she made her introduction?
4. Is she a normal student?
5. Which year is she in?
6. How much longer before she completes her education?
7. And after graduation?
8. What goal was always on her mind?
9. When did she try again?
10. Has she lived on the farm long?
11. How long?
12. How long have they been on the farm?
13. How many generations lived there?
14. Does she have any kids?
15. How many?
16. Is she married?
17. How old is she?
18. Why did she not attend college after graduation?
19. How come?
20. Was he sexist?

Q: October 21 was a very dark day in Texas.Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes,it caused the largest business damage in Texas's history.The worst thing is Hanna's destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines.According to Center Point Energy,Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers.Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark.Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents.

Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal.Schools,restaurants,retail stores and gas stations are open.Smiles are back.But harder-hit places,including Galveston,will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing,and coastal towns are a mess.Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas.Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage.Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13.Many school supplies were destroyed.

Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston,Texas.This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying.Believe it or not,Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing.When Paula was a girl,she was an orphan,but was taken in by her stepmom,Antonia Flores.Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years.Before the hurricane,Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter.There,she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed.

1. Clara Barton Village
2. Alamo Elementary School
3. no
4. Galveston,Texas.
5. Hurricane Hanna
6. October 21
7. yes
8. Hundreds
9. Paula Reed and Antonia Flores
10. 30 years
11. no
12. Galveston
13. 2.15 million
14. no
15. November 13

Numbered questions:
1. What is the temporary housing called?
2. Where is it located?
3. Is it in Austin?
4. Where then?
5. What was the tragedy that promptated these accomidatios?
6. When did this happen?
7. Was anyone unaccounted for?
8. How many?
9. Who was reunited?
10. How long of an absence?
11. Was Houston hardest hit?
12. Who had it worse?
13. How many households were left with out lights?
14. Are all the education centers open in Galveston?
15. When was the semester supposed to start?