Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Chapter XI

Now that Grandfather had fought through the Old French War, in which our chair made no very distinguished figure, he thought it high time to tell the children some of the more private history of that praiseworthy old piece of furniture.

"In 1757," said Grandfather, "after Shirley had been summoned to England, Thomas Pownall was appointed governor of Massachusetts. He was a gay and fashionable English gentleman, who had spent much of his life in London, but had a considerable acquaintance with America. The new governor appears to have taken no active part in the war that was going on; although, at one period, he talked of marching against the enemy, at the head of his company of cadets. But, on the whole, he probably concluded that it was more befitting a governor to remain quietly in our chair, reading the newspapers and official documents."

"Did the people like Pownall?" asked Charley.

"They found no fault with him," replied Grandfather. "It was no time to quarrel with the governor, when the utmost harmony was required, in order to defend the country against the French. But Pownall did not remain long in Massachusetts. In 1759, he was sent to be governor of South Carolina. In thus exchanging one government for another, I suppose he felt no regret, except at the necessity of leaving Grandfather's chair behind him."

"He might have taken it to South Carolina," observed Clara.

"It appears to me," said Laurence, giving the rein to his fancy, "that the fate of this ancient chair was, somehow or other, mysteriously connected with the fortunes of old Massachusetts. If Governor Pownall had put it aboard the vessel in which he sailed for South Carolina, she would probably have lain wind-bound in Boston harbor. It was ordained that the chair should not be taken away. Don't you think so, Grandfather?"
1. when did Pownall become governor?
2. where was Shirley then?
3. did people like Pownall?
4. what happened in 1759?
5. what did he leave behind?
6. what war did grandfather fight in?
7. what did he decide to tell the kids?
8. where did Pownall grow up?
9. did he take part in the war?
10. what did he think about doing against the enenemy?
11. why didnt he?

Numbered answers:
1. In 1757
2. England
3. yes
4. he was sent to be governor of South Carolina
5. Grandfather's chair
6. the Old French War
7. some of the more private history of the old piece of furniture
8. London
9. no
10. marching against them
11. it was more befitting a governor to remain quietly in our chair

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Washington (CNN)Ted Cruz is back in his favorite place: the spotlight.

As the first candidate to quit the charade of "exploring" a presidential run and actually jumping in, the Texas Republican senator presented an image Monday of decisiveness and vision -- all before an auditorium of mostly supportive young evangelicals.

Now comes the hard part.

Cruz must make inroads with wide swaths of the GOP if he hopes to break through as a top-tier candidate. He doesn't have many friends in the party establishment thanks to his hard-line tactics on issues like Obamacare. And he's facing steep competition for the conservative vote from the likes of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Even evangelicals, Cruz's target audience during his launch speech at Liberty University, aren't firmly in his column.

The firebrand's decision to jump-start the 2016 election season now is an implicit admission of the daunting challenges he will face in a crowded GOP field where multiple Republicans will vie for the same social and evangelical support base.

"Ted is clearly a player," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a Christian public policy ministry. "But the competition this cycle is very steep."

By choosing Liberty University in Virginia, which was founded by fundamentalist preacher Jerry Falwell, to roll out his long shot campaign, Cruz made clear he won't cede the Christian right to another candidate.

"From the dawn of this country, at every stage, America has enjoyed God's providential blessing," said Cruz, roaming the stage with a microphone like a megachurch preacher on a Sunday morning. "Over and over again, when we faced impossible odds, the American people rose to the challenge. You know, compared to that, repealing Obamacare and abolishing the IRS ain't all that tough."
1. who said "ted is a player"?
2. what is his name?
3. what does the Family research Council do?
4. who was Tony referring to?
5. which state is he a senator?
6. is he republican or a democrat?
7. what is his favorite place to be?
8. who is giving him competition?
9. of what state?
10. what title does Scott Walker have?
11. where was Cruz's launch speech?
12. who found it?
13. does Ted have many friends in the party?
14. is Cruz prepared to cede the Christian right?
15. doe he want to abolish the IRS?
16. what does he want to do to Obamacare?
17. Is he looking to target evangelicals?
18. what year did he kick off his campaign?

Numbered answers:
1. president of the Family Research Council,
2. Tony Perkins
3. Christian public policy ministry
4. Ted Cruz
5. Texas
6. Republican
7. the spotlight.
8. . Scott Walker
9. Wisconsin
10. Wisconsin Gov.
11. Liberty University
12. Jerry Falwell
13. unknown
14. No
15. Yes
16. repeal
17. yes
18. 2016

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
I don't think I can win the race Tim told his parents over breakfast. His mother asked "Why not?" but his father was silent. Tim knew his father didn't believe he could be a racer: only last year, he had sent Tim to a doctor to ask why his son wasn't a better runner. The doctor told him Tim could be anything he wanted to be, and maybe he didn't like to run.

Tim, who had always preferred a good book to P.E. class, wanted to show his family that he really could be what they wanted him to be, so he spent his allowance on a pair of green running shoes and signed up for his school's Spring Fun Run.

Tim answered, "I'm going to try to win, but Angela is so quick! No one ever beats her at recess."

"Well, we'll be there for you, either way" his mother said.

Tim took an apple and walked to the bus. Since the race was after school today (school was letting out at 3:00 today, instead of 3:15), he knew he would be too nervous to think about anything else until it began. He didn't even bring his new book with him, an action book starring an orphan named Simon that Tim sometimes pretended to be.

3:30 arrived and the race was about to begin. All the other students had brought running shorts, but Tim was going to have to run in his school pants. Suddenly, he saw that his shoes were untied. As he bent down to tie them, one of the older boys kicked the back of his knee, making him fall down right as the race began. By the time he got up and tied his shoes, he saw he would finish in last place, as the other kids were much farther ahead of him.

It was almost 4:00 before Tim saw the end of the run. By the time Tim reached the finish line, the group of parents waiting on their kids was very small, as some kids had been finished for a long time. Tim's father asked, "What took you so long? I'm surprised to see you here at all! Why did you sign up for this when we all knew you wouldn't win?"

Tim thought about why he signed up. It wasn't about winning the race, or making his father proud. It was about finishing, and showing himself that the doctor was right: he could be anything he wanted to be, like his favorite character, Simon.
1. What did Tim say?
2. to whom?
3. when?
4. What did his mother say?
5. His father?
6. What did Tim think?
7. What did his dad do?
8. for what?
9. When?
10. What did he say?
11. What did Tim prefer?
12. to what?
13. What did he want to show?
14. What was that?
15. What did he buy?
16. What color?
17. What did he sign up for?
18. What was he going to try to do?
Numbered answers:
1. I don't think I can win the race
2. his parents
3. over breakfast.
4. "Why not?"
5. he was silent
6. his father didn't believe he could be a racer:
7. Sent him to the doctors
8. to ask why his son wasn't a better runner.
9. last year,
10. Tim could be anything he wanted to be, and maybe he didn't like to run.
11. A good book
12. P.E. class,
13. he really could be what they wanted him to be,
14. a runner
15. shoes
16. green
17. Spring Fun Run.
18. to win