【推荐1】Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
“I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,’ but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education,” says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators(管理者) expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition（学费）continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,
“If we go on this way for another 25years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education,” says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. “The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt.”
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.
1. How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem?

A．They asked their kids to come home.

B．They borrowed $20,000 from the school.

C．They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs.

D．They got help from the school and the federal government.

2. Financial aid administrators believe that ______________.

A．more families will face the same problem as the Jacobs

B．the government will receive more letters of complaint

C．college tuition fees will double soon

D．America’s unemployment will fall

3. What can we learn about the middle class families from the text?

A．They blamed the government for the tuition increase.

B．Their income remained steady in the last decade.

C．They will try their best to send kids to college.

D．Their debts will be paid off within 25 years.

4. According to the last paragraph, the government will       ____.

A．provide most students will scholarships

B．dismiss some financial aid administrators

C．stop the companies from making student loans

D．go on providing financial support for college students

【推荐2】You Skate, They Donate, We Can Fill a Plate

This holiday season, Contra Costa Oncology has once again partnered with Walnut Creek on Ice to help raise funds for the Food Bank. For every ice skating ticket that is collected, Contra Costa Oncology will donate to the Food Bank. For more information, visit www.icesktewalnutcreek.com

Souper Bowl of Caring

Help fight against hunger! The Souper Bowl of Caring is a national movement of youth working to fight against hunger. Churches, schools and other organizations simply take up a collection(many use a soup pot) asking for one dollar or for a food item for people in need.

For more information, call Kimberly at (925)676-7543 x 252.

Family Food Sort---Fairfield

Look to do something fun and meaningful with your children? Do you want to introduce your young family members to the charity? Families will bag fresh vegetables for the Food Bank’s Produce Program. This is a first come, first served opportunity, and the number is limited to 30 people at a time. All volunteers must be scheduled.

For more information, visit foodbankccs. org/familyfoodsort.

Dutch Luv Day!

Dutch Bros. Coffee in Oakley and Fairfield will be joining in Dutch Luv Day. On Valentine’s Day, Dutch Bros. will be spreading the love by donating $ 1 to the Food Bank for every drink sold. Not only will you get a delicious drink, you will also get the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping your neighbors in need of food.

Fairfield Location:

1420 W Texas St, Fairfield, CA 94533

Oakley Location:

1092 Main St, Oakley, CA 94561

1. What’s the common aim of the four activities?

A．To educate the poor	B．To collect more food
C．To fight against disease.	D．To help people in need

2. If you want to give away fresh vegetables, you should______.

A．visit www. iceskatewalnutcreek. com

B．visit foodbankccs. org/family foodsort

C．call Kimberly at (925) 676-7543 x 252

D．go to 1092 Main St, Oakley, CA 94561

3. Which activity probably requires people to sign up in advance?

A．Dutch Luv Day!

B．Souper Bowl of Caring

C．Family Food Sort—Fairfield

D．You Skate. They Donate. We Can Fill a Plate.

4. What can you do for the charity work on Valentine’s Day in Oakley?

A．Go to skate	B．Go to churches
C．Drink at Dutch Bros. Coffee	D．Buy fresh vegetables in Fairfield

【推荐3】Orly Wahba is an educator, speaker, entrepreneur (企业家), author and community activist passionate about inspiring and motivating people to be the best that they can be.

As a young child, listening repeatedly to the song, “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson, Orly knew that she wanted to leave her mark and she wanted more than anything to bring people together under the name of peace, respect, and love. Since her teenage years, Orly has worked extensively with tweens and teens as well as local charities in her community providing a helping hand for those who need it most.

Orly began her career in kindness as a middle school educator at the Yeshivah of Flatbush in Brooklyn, NY, teaching the children to use the power they have to influence the world for good. With 8,000 cards, she started a wave of pay-it-forward kindness. Each card contained an act of kindness that once completed, would be passed onto another person. Her project succeeded, enhancing the lives of her students and raising their sense of self-worth as they saw their direct hand in causing a ripple (涟漪) effect. Even now, people may encounter Orly giving out her famed Acts of Kindness Cards on the subway.

       

Desiring to make a larger impact with her beneficent work and after having been inspired by a small sign on a plane labeled “Life Vest Inside”, Orly founded (2011) Life Vest Inside, a non-profit organization with a mission to encourage people to embrace (拥抱) the incredible power of giving and recognize that in times of hardship, kindness, like a life vest, keeps the world afloat (漂浮).

LVI shot to national attention when Orly's short film Kindness Boomerang went viral, receiving more than 100 million views and coverage in media such as The TODAY Show, NBC, CBS, ADWEEK, International Business Times and more. In 2013 Orly was invited to speak at TED.

The magic that Orly spreads is undeniable! Through LVI, kind happenings are becoming more frequent. And more people are experiencing the addictiveness in the giving of kindness.

1. How did the song “Heal the World” influence Orly?

A．She wanted to become an entrepreneur.

B．She decided to make a difference to the world.

C．She managed to raise money for local charities.

D．She started to work for a peace organization.

2. Which of the following statements about The Act of Kindness Cards project is TRUE?

A．It teaches people to play cards.	B．It remains a campus campaign.
C．It uses the power of an educator.	D．It encourages people to pass kindness.

3. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．More people become addictive to magic.

B．Orly achieves amazing success in film career.

C．More people are inspired to show kindness to others.

D．Orly receives international awards for her contribution.