Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Blameless

I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin.

In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything bad happened.

"Who did this? "my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen.

"This is all your fault, Katharine, "my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke.

From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told on each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table.

But the Whites didn't worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died.

In July, the White sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud of having a new driver's license ,Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met.

The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah's new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn't see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car.

Jane was killed immediately.

I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I've ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child.

When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had a few cuts on the head; Amy's leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girls' tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches .

To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, "We're so glad that you're alive. "

I was astonished. No blame. No accusations.

Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign.

Mrs. White said, "Jane's gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will ever bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister's death? "

They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She's also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane.
1. What was the name of the family that was completely different?
2. They treated Katherine like what?
3. Was Katharine often blamed for things at home?
4. A place for blame was set where?
5. Did the Whites also place blame?
6. What eve?nt drove this home to Katharine
7. Who were the 2 older sisters?
8. Who was the youngest?
9. What was Amy excited about?
10. What did Amy ultimately do?

Numbered answers:
1. Whites
2. a long-lost cousin
3. Yes
4. at the dinner table
5. No
6. Jane's death
7. Sarah and Jane
8. Amy
9. practicing her driving on the trip
10. continued into the crossroads without stopping

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
There once was a giant orange farm in space. No human had ever been there before. It could not be reached by plane, spaceship, car, or any other means of travel. The farm was run by large squirrels, and was started in 1032. They owned the planet the farm was on, called Etopit. In the year 2037, one brave man named Hugo wanted to travel to Etopit to see the farm. On Earth, it was known the squirrels grew better oranges than any other animal, including rabbits, dogs, and horses. Hugo wanted to learn the squirrels' secrets and bring them back to Earth. Hugo was no normal man. He could sneeze so hard that it would send him flying into the air. Hugo put on a squirrel costume, and had his friend Ralph tickle his nose for 7 hours. Hugo sneezed so hard he flew into space and landed in Etopit. The squirrels did not know he was a human because of his costume. Hugo met Rufus and Xenon, 2 of the most power squirrels in space. He told them his name was Tiddlywink, and that he was sent by the squirrel king from Etopit's moon Rebeti to help them grow even more oranges. Rufus and Xenon told him all their secrets. Hugo wrote all of them down, then sneezed so hard he went back to Earth! With his help, Earth has now become the best place to grow oranges.
1. what type of land was out in the atmosphere?
2. had living people been there?
3. How did one get there?
4. Who ran the farm?
5. and when did they open it?
6. where was the farm at?
7. And who did that belong to?
8. Who desired to go to this planet?
9. and in what year?
10. why?
11. who did it the best?
12. How did the gentleman get himself to Etopit?
13. who helped him with that?
14. how did he assist?
15. for how long?
16. What was he wearing when they did this?
17. Could the natives tell that he wasn't one of them?
18. Who did he meet first?

Numbered answers:
1. an orange farm
2. no
3. unknown
4. squirrels
5. 1032
6. Etopit
7. the squirrels
8. Hugo
9. 2037
10. to learn the secret to growing oranges
11. the squirrels
12. by sneezing
13. Ralph
14. he tickled his nose
15. 7 hours
16. a squirrel costume
17. no
18. Rufus and Xenon

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Appointments to the Order of the British Empire were at first made on the nomination of the self-governing Dominions of the Empire, the Viceroy of India, and the colonial governors, as well as on nominations from within the United Kingdom. As the Empire evolved into the Commonwealth, nominations continued to come from the Commonwealth realms, in which the monarch remained head of state. These overseas nominations have been discontinued in realms that have established their own Orderssuch as the Order of Australia, the Order of Canada, and the New Zealand Order of Meritbut members of the Order are still appointed in the British Overseas Territories.

Any individual made a member of the Order for gallantry could wear an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same riband, ribbon or bow as the badge. It could not be awarded posthumously and was effectively replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal. If recipients of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the Order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves. However, they only used the post-nominal letters of the higher grade.
1. What did the Empire change to?
2. What were appointments based on?
3. Can the United Kingdom make nominations?
4. What were the appointments for?
5. Who was in charge of some states?
6. Which areas was that?
7. Did the Viceroy make nominations?
8. Where is he from?
9. How many leaves were on the emblem?
10. People belonging to what could wear that?
11. Could you become a member after death?
12. What replaced it?
13. When?
14. What happened to overseas nominations in areas with their own orders?
15. Could the still be appointed in the British areas?
16. What was the name of New Zealands group?
17. Did Canada have their own?
18. What about Australia?
19. What about China?
20. What could you get a promotion for?
Numbered answers:
1. the Commonwealth
2. The nomination of the self-governing Dominions of the Empire
3. Yes
4. Order of the British Empire
5. the monarch
6. Overseas
7. yes
8. India
9. Two
10. The Order for gallantry
11. No
12. The Queen's Gallantry Medal
13. 1974
14. They were discontinued
15. Yes
16. Order of Merit
17. yes
18. Yes, they did too
19. No
20. For gallantry or otherwise