Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family and all of my close friends were back home in Florida, and I was all alone in a rather cold California. I was working too many hours and became very sick. I was working a double shift at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, it was about 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and I was feeling really miserable inside. There were a few of us working and very few customers waiting to be helped. When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter, I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a cane. He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning. He looked so confused and very worried. I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel, but he seemed to become more confused with each question. He just kept saying, "She said I have to go to New Orleans." After much time, I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the curb on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans, where he had family. She had given him some cash and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket. When I asked if he could come back tomorrow, he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay. He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. Naturally, I felt a little ashamed. Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas, when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant. It broke my heart. Immediately, I told him we would get it all straightened out, and our Customer Service agent helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning. We gave him the senior citizen's fare, which gave him some extra money for travelling. About this time he started to look very tired, and... Last Christmas the writer had a miserable time because _ . A) there were more customers than usual waiting to be helped B) it was freezing cold in California at Christmas time C) she was working all alone at the ticket counter D) she was far away from her family and friends
D
(Question)
The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away. An initiative started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day. If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices. And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve. Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach. But given that the federal government spends nearly $190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students. Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency from colleges. The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates. And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account. But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place. The administration's new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools. President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about $10 billion from the current $2.7 billion. He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job. That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence... Why did the Obama administration start the initiative last fall? A) To require colleges to make their graduation rates known to the public. B) To help colleges perform better in the future. C) To help parents and students make better choices of colleges. D) To put more pressure on colleges that are not doing well enough.
(Answer)
C
Time: July 16-20, 2016 Location: Norman Park Conference Center Price: 500 Students who have completed the 5th, 6thor 7thgrade and meet the specified requirements can take part in this exciting mission opportunity. Children will spend 5 days in the Center joining in various activities. Our theme for this camp is "Teamwork". The title speaks to our goal: We want this trip to help our students improve their _ awareness. WHAT TO DO: STEP ONE: FORM WORK *Click on the link to print out the necessary forms: Propel Missions Camp Forms *Complete the forms, printing neatly and clearly. *Turn in your forms along with a copy of your insurance card to the office during business hours. PARTICIPANT FORM * This form must be signed and notarized . * Your form may be notarized at the office during normal office hours, at the Children's reception desk before and after service times, or by a Notary Public of your choosing. SPECIAL NEEDS FORM(If needed) Special Needs form should be filled out only if there is a particular need (as described in the form) of which we and the camp should know. ROOMMATE FORM This form will help us place your child in a room with the peers of his or her preference. We will provide a list of students attending at your request to help your child make his or her choices. STEP TWO: READ Click on the link and read carefully the Parent Information Packet provided by the camp: Propel Missions Camp Forms 2016 Contact Information If interested, contact Pastor Scott atscott. Morrison@fbcvidalia.orgor call the office at (912)537-4169. It can be known from the passage that _ . A) the camp will give an insurance card to every child. B) there are only indoor activities for all campers C) the aim of the camp is to improve the kids' independence D) there are two ways for you to contact the camp
D