Question: Connie Lau hates smoking. "It smells awful, and it's so bad for you. It breaks my heart to see my friends smoking. I try to get them to give up smoking." She says.

So why does Connie walk into convenience stores and try to buy cigarettes? She is testing to see if stores will sell cigarettes to a kid who is younger than 18. "You have to be 18 to purchase cigarettes, and I'm 16, so if they sell to me, they're breaking the law," Connie says.

Connie isn't a vigilante ; She works with local police in her town of Castro Valley, California. Officers drive her to stores, and she goes in alone to try to buy cigarettes. If the person behind the counter sells her a pack, an officer comes in and writes the business a ticket for breaking the law.

Most stores obey the law and don't sell her cigarettes. The law requires that customers show ID if store employees ask them to. "When they ask your age, you can't lie," Connie says. "Most stores don't sell to me. In a year, we've visited almost 150 stores and had only 15 sales."

Working undercover can be scary, even with police nearby. Connie said one cashier refused to sell her cigarettes and then got angry when he found out her age. He threatened to call the authorities. "To calm him down, the police went in to explain that I was undercover," she says.

Most teens wouldn't think of going undercover for the police. What's Connie's motivation ? For starters, she can't stand smoking. But she also believes it's important for young people like her to try to make a real impact in their communities. In her view, teens can do more than get good grades in school, do chores at home, and do well in out-of-class activities.

Every time she stops the sale of cigarettes to children, she's helping to uphold the law. "A single teenager can make a big difference," Connie says. "For the most part, when stores get caught, they learn their lesson and don't do it again." 1. Who hates smoking?
2. Why?
3. How old is she?
4. Does she try to buy cigarettes?
5. Who does she work with?
6. Where?
7. Where?
8. Do most stores sell her cigarettes?
9. How many stores have they visited in the last year?
10. How many sales happened at those stores?
11. Has she ever been scared?
12. Why?
13. Did he call?
14. Why does she do what she does?
15. Are there any other reasons?
16. What are they?
17. What are they? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. Connie Lau
2. It smells awful
3. 16
4. yes
5. local police
6. in her town
7. Castro Valley, California
8. no
9. 150
10. 15
11. yes
12. one cashier refused to sell her cigarettes and then got angry when he found out her age. He threatened to call the authorities.
13. no
14. she can't stand smoking
15. yes
16. believes it's important for young people like her to try to make a real impact in their communities
17. believes it's important for young people like her to try to make a real impact in their communities

Question: Young women are more adventurous than young men when travelling abroad in gap years.One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries during a year out and travels alone, according to new research.

By contrast, the majority of their male counterparts visit only one country and tend to travel in groups, says a survey by the Gap Year company, which provides information and services for students considering taking a year out.

More women than men say that their prime reason for taking time off is to see the world and experience different cultures.Men are more likely to rank "having fun" higher on their list of _ .Women are more likely to value the challenge of a foreign trip, and many cited reasons such as learning a language and meeting new people.

The more adventurous gap years taken by women seem to work to their benefit; more than three quarters of those surveyed have reported increased confidence, self-reliance and independence, whereas only half of the men had that experience.

The research also shows that women are more likely to do voluntary work while travelling, with more than one in ten helping with teaching or development projects.One of the reasons given for this is a wish to see the country in an authentic light.

A greater proportion of women than men face objections or criticism from their families over their gapyear plans.Among the men surveyed, lack of money is the main barrier to travel.

Carolyn Martin, a doctor from London,is a typically confident female traveller.Starting in Cape Town, she travelled around southern Africa and Australia with a string of unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs.

"I had one job chasing elephants off the runway in Africa by banging a stick against a pan," she recalled."It was OK but one day I did get chased by one."

She said that she had travelled alone because "you meet more people". 1. Why does Carolyn Martin prefer to travel by herself?
2. Did she work with lions in Africa?
3. Was she chased by an elephant?
4. Where is she from?
5. Who does the article argue is more adventurous when traveling out of the country?
6. How many different countries do most men visit on their travels?
7. Who is most likely to travel by themselves, men or women?
8. How many countries does an average woman visit in a year of traveling?
9. Do most men say that seeing different cultures is the main reason for traveling?
10. What is their main goal?
11. Do women state that learning a new language is a reason to travel?
12. Who is more likely to gain self esteem from traveling?
13. What else do women gain on these excursions?
14. Did any men experience those things as well?
15. Who would be most likely to do unpaid work while traveling?
16. What do they achieve themselves from that?
17. Out of ten women, how many on average will teach or help with projects while traveling?
18. What is the main reason a man may not travel?
19. What about for women?
20. What is the year between college and a working career often called? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. Because you meet more people.
2. No
3. Yes
4. London
5. Young women
6. One
7. Women
8. One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries
9. No
10. Having fun
11. Yes
12. Women
13. self-reliance and independence
14. Yes
15. Women
16. to see the country in an authentic light.
17. more than one
18. lack of money
19. objections or criticism from their families
20. Gap year