Problem: Francois Hollande, the newly-inaugurated President of France, may be as notable for what he has not done as for what he has.

He has never held national elective office despite being at the center of French politics for more than a decade, and he has never been married despite a three-decade relationship and four children with Segolene Royale, another of the country's top Socialist politicians.

Hollande led the Socialist Party for 11 years and was leader when Royale ran unsuccessfully for president against Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

Hollande and Royale split up a month before that election, and he is now seeing journalist Valerie Trierweiler, who appeared, smiling with him, as he celebrated his victory Sunday.

He immediately spooked markets, and Germany, France's key ally in the European Union, with his victory speech.

"Austerity can no longer be something that is inevitable," he said, apparently undercutting the belt-tightening that his predecessor and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have urged on European countries beset by debt.

Hollande emerged as his party's candidate for president after the downfall of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was once considered the Socialist favorite to defeat Sarkozy.

But Strauss-Kahn was arrested in May 2011 after a New York hotel maid alleged that he tried to rape her. Charges against the former IMF chief were later dropped in the United States, but he has been warned he could be investigated in France over accusations he participated in a prostitution ring.

But Hollande was not an accidental candidate despite the way he has come to power, one commentator said.
1. Who is the Newly inaugurated President of France?
2. What is he notable for not doing?
3. how long has he lead the Socialist party?
4. What did he do the the Markets in Germany?
5. What did he say that undercut what his predicessor and the German Chancellor whated the EU countries to do?
6. Who's downfall lead to him emerging as his party's canidate?
7. Who unsuccessfully ran for president against Nicolas Sarkozy?
8. How long has Hollande been the center of French Politics?
9. Would he be considered an Accidental Canidate?
10. Who appeared with him celebrating his victor?
Answer: 1. Francois Hollande
2. He has never held national elective office
3. for 11 years
4. He immediately spooked them with his victory speech
5. "Austerity can no longer be something that is inevitable,
6. Dominique Strauss-Kahn
7. Segolene Royale
8. for more than a decade
9. no
10. Valerie Trierweiler

Problem: Washington (CNN) -- A late evening meeting between President Barack Obama and the leaders of the House and Senate failed to reach agreement Wednesday on a spending plan to avert a government shutdown, but all the participants said progress was made and talks would continue.

If there is no deal by midnight Friday, when the current spending authorization measure expires, parts of the government will close down.

Obama called the 90-minute talks with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, "constructive" and he said they narrowed and clarified the outstanding issues.

"I remain confident that if we're serious about getting something done, we should be able to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown," Obama said in brief remarks to reporters. "But it's going to require a sufficient sense of urgency from all parties involved" to prevent a shutdown that "could have real effects on everyday Americans."

Both Reid and Boehner told reporters in their own brief comments that the meeting made progress in narrowing their differences, and that their staffs would work through the night to try to reach further consensus.

"I have confidence we can get this done," said Reid, who criticized Boehner and Republicans earlier in the day for intransigence. "We're not there yet."

Boehner, standing next to Reid, said "we do have some honest differences," and he emphasized there was no agreement on either a specific figure for spending cuts for the rest of the current fiscal year or on policy issues that the Republicans want included in the measure, such as specifically prohibiting funding for abortions.
1. Who did Barack Obama have a meeting with?
2. Did senator Reid have confidence they could get things done?
3. What was the meeting about in the first place?
4. What were they trying to avert?
5. Who is the Senate majority leaded that also met with Obama?
6. How id Obama think the talks went?
7. Did the House speaker think they had some differences they needed to resolve?
8. What is the time they needed to finish by to avoid government shutdown?
9. Were there any agreements on spending cuts?
10. Were the polititions staffs going to be working though the night?
Answer: 1. with John Boehner
2. yes
3. on a spending plan
4. a government shutdown
5. Harry Reid
6. "constructive"
7. yes
8. by midnight Friday
9. no
10. yes

Problem: Music can be a great power to change people's lives. Regina del Carmen Sanchez, 14, always believes this. The girl from Kansas City, US, leads a hard life. She lives in a small house with her mom and grandparents. Her mom gets a very low pay. But it doesn't stop Sanchez's love of music. She wrote her first song Keep Your Head Up when she was 12. It described the bad situation at her home, but it also sent the message of hope: "My house is old and poor, but it beats being homeless... Love yourself and never give up. You'll see a better life if you keep your head up..." It took Sanchez several months to finish the song. Sometimes during a break in class, when lyrics came into her head, "I would have to write them down right then," she told the local newspaper The Kansas City Star. Jeremy Lillig was a spokesman for Bright Futures, a charity fund. When he saw the video of the song, he was _ He shared it through social media . The fund has provided money for poor students in Kansas City. Now Sanchez often plays the song in public. "I want to help people understand what is happening in the world in an easy way," she said.
1. Who is this article about?
2. Who is she?
3. How old is she?
4. What is unique about her?
5. What was it about?
6. What is her situation at home?
7. Are they poor?
8. How long did it take her to write?
9. Where did she write it?
10. What was the positive message?
11. Did she make a video?
12. Has the song influenced anyone?
13. Who?
14. Who is he?
15. What did he do?
16. What did that accomplish?
17. Does she ever perform in public?
18. What message is she hoping to get across?
19. Is there a theme to the article?
20. What is the message?
Answer:
1. Regina del Carmen Sanchez
2. girl from Kansas City, US
3. 14
4. She wrote her first song Keep Your Head Up when she was 12
5. the bad situation at her home, but it also sent the message of hope
6. She lives in a small house with her mom and grandparents
7. Yes
8. several months
9. Sometimes during a break in class
10. Love yourself and never give up. You'll see a better life if you keep your head up
11. Yes
12. Yes
13. Jeremy Lillig
14. a spokesman for Bright Futures, a charity fund
15. He shared it through social media
16. The fund has provided money for poor students in Kansas City.
17. Yes.
18. help people understand what is happening in the world in an easy way,"
19. Yes
20. Music can be a great power to change people's lives.