input: EL PASO, Texas (CNN) -- The cell phone rang as Jorge Aguirre walked to a friend's funeral in Juarez, Mexico, last November -- a funeral for a fellow journalist who, Aguirre says, was assassinated for the critical stories he wrote.

Mexican federal police recently began patrolling Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas.

When he answered the phone, Aguirre heard a profanity-laced threat. "They told me I was next," Aguirre told CNN. "I thought they were going to kill me right there."

Aguirre immediately gathered up his family and darted across the border into El Paso, Texas. He hasn't returned to Juarez since that day.

Aguirre is seeking asylum in the United States, and he's part of a growing trend among Mexican citizens looking to escape the violence and corruption of their homeland. Watch journalists met with death threats "

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency that falls under the Department of Homeland Security, the number of Mexican nationals requesting asylum in the United States based on "credible fear" has gone up every year since 2003, even as the overall number of "credible fear" asylum cases remains steady.

In 2003, the USCIS reported 54 asylum cases from Mexican citizens. In 2008, that number reached 312. But asylum requests based on fear of violence aren't easy cases to make. Last year, the United States approved less than half of those cases.

"Whether they're fleeing extortionists or potential kidnappers or they're leaving because of the drug cartels, it tells you there are definitely problems in Mexico right now," said El Paso Mayor John Cook. 1. Who received a threat?
2. Was the threat in person?
3. How was it made?
4. Who was he telling about it?
5. What did he think was going to happen to him?
6. Where did he go?
7. Did he go alone?
8. With whom?
9. Where was he going when he got the threat by phone?
10. What was his friend's job?
11. Why was he killed?
12. Where was the funeral?
13. In 2003 how many asylum cases were there?
14. In 2008?
15. How many were approved?
16. Who is John Cook?
17. What is one reason they seek asylum?
18. And another? Return numbered answers in your output.

output: 1. Jorge Aguirre
2. no
3. by phone
4. CNN
5. he was going to be killed
6. El Paso, Texas
7. no
8. his family
9. a friend's funeral
10. journalist
11. he wrote critical stories
12. Juarez, Mexico,
13. 54
14. 312
15. less than half of those cases
16. mayor of El Paso
17. to escape violence
18. to escape corruption

question: "Can I stay home from school today? I'm ill," he tells his mum. His mother touches his head. "OK, but you will have to look after yourself. I am going to work now," she says. After the front door closes, Jack springs out of bed. He takes off the three warm sweaters he is wearing and puts on a T-shirt and shorts. Then he runs for the kitchen . He is very hungry. After breakfast, Jack turns on the TV. He watches some cartoons and a VCD all the morning. At eleven he calls his friend Tom, who is "ill" too. Tom says he will come over after lunch. The two boys play computer games all the afternoon. Tom has to leave at 4 o'clock, as his mother usually gets home early. Next day, Jack says he feels much better and goes to school. Their Maths teacher Miss Clark says with a smile, "We are having the Maths test now, class. Too many students were at home yesterday."
1. What does Jack get out of?
2. Why does he stay home?
3. What does he take off that he is wearing?
4. What does he put on after that?
5. What does he do after eating?
6. What does he watch?
7. What is the Jack's friend called?
8. Is he "sick," too?
9. When does Jack plan to go see Tom?
10. What time does Tom have to go home?
11. What is Jack's maths teacher called?
12. Does Jack's mother work?
****
answer: 1. school
2. because of a maths test
3. three warm sweaters
4. a T-shirt and shorts
5. turns on the TV
6. cartoons and a VCD
7. Tom
8. yes
9. after lunch
10. 4 o'clock
11. Miss Clark
12. yes

Question: CHAPTER XXI

A WILDCAT AMONG THE HORSES

The bringing down of the grouse filled the boys with satisfaction, and they inspected the game with much interest.

"They'll make fine eating," declared Roger.

"Let us see if we can't get some more," pleaded Phil. The "fever" of hunting had taken possession of him.

"We'll not find much in this neighborhood," said Dave. "But I am willing to go a little further," he added, seeing how disappointed the shipowner's son looked.

Placing the game over their shoulders, they reloaded their weapons and continued on through the forest, taking a trail that seemed to have been made by wild animals. Twice they had to cross a winding brook, and at the second fording-place Dave, who was in the rear, called a halt.

"What do you want?" questioned Roger, as he and Phil turned back.

"I want you to look at these hoofmarks," answered Dave, and he pointed up the stream a short distance.

All passed to the locality indicated, and each youth looked at the hoofmarks with interest. They were made by a number of horses, probably six or eight, and though the marks were washed a little, as if by rain, they could still be plainly seen.

"Do you think they were made by the horses that were stolen, Dave?" questioned Phil.

"I don't know what to think."

"The horse-thieves might easily have come this way," said the senator's son. "They would be more apt to go away from the ranch than towards it." 1. What are they doing?
2. Who was happy with the game they'd caught?
3. Who wanted to continue hunting?
4. Why couldn't they continue to do so there?
5. What was Phil's reaction to this?
6. Who was not happy they couldn't continue to hunt there?
7. What did they decide to do?
8. Who called for the others to stop?
9. What had he found?
10. What did Phil question?
11. Did the senator's son think they were? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. Hunting
2. The boys
3. Roger
4. They won't be able to find much in that neighborhood
5. He wanted to get some more.
6. The shipowner's son
7. To go a little further.
8. Dave.
9. Hoofmarks
10. Whether the stolen horses had made them.
11. The horse-thieves