Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lanier has entered what he calls the "vast unknown.

" A combat veteran

and father to four daughters, he can't remain in the military because of a serious back injury
earned in Iraq. 

But he can't yet accept a civilian job because he doesn't know when the military will discharge
him. He has no clue how much the government will pay him in disability compensation related
to his injury, so he can't make a future budget. He just waits. 

Thousands of troops are like Lanier: not fully fit to serve but in limbo for about two years
waiting to get discharged under a new system that was supposed to be more efficient than its
predecessor. And the delays are not only affecting service members, but the military's
readiness as well. New troops can't enlist until others are discharged. 

The government determines the pay and benefits given to wounded, sick or injured troops for
their military service. Under the old system, a medical board would determine their level of
military compensation and the service member would be discharged. Then the veteran
essentially would have to go through the process again with the Veterans Affairs Department
to determine benefits. 

Under the new system, which started in 2007 and will be completely rolled out at military
bases nationwide by the end of September, the service member essentially goes through both
disability evaluation systems at the same time before leaving the military. But the new,
supposedly streamlined, system is still such a cumbersome process that it's leaving many
service members in limbo, they say. 

(c) AFP 08/14/2011 

Close this Window

STEP 2 - Answer these questions (choose the best answer): 

1. Why can't Sgt. Lanier serve in the military anymore?

   Because of his injured back

   Because of his hand

   Because his vision has deteriorated

2. Under the old system, an injured soldier would have to go through the claims process
______________. 

   twice

   once

   three or more times

3. How long does it take to get discharged under the current system?

   Under a year

   A couple of months

   Up to two years

4. Is the new system better than the old system?

   Yes, it's much better.

   It doesn't seem that way.

   It is a lot more effective.

5. How much will the government pay Sgt. Lanier in disability compensation?

   They won't pay him anything.

   He doesn't know.

   They will pay him about $2,500 per month.

1a
2a
3c
4b
5b

"Using bulldozers to slice bunkers and a helicopter landing pad out of a

mountainside, U.S. special operations forces dug in Tuesday on a peak
overlooking Pakistan, fortifying the area for the intensifying battle
against al-Qaida and Taliban forces. Special operations forces -- who
include Green Berets, Navy SEALs, and CIA operatives -- are playing a
secretive but leading role in the battle against al-Qaida and Taliban
suspects believed to be hiding out in the mountains of Pakistan's tribal
areas."

1. Which of the following is NOT being done by U.S. special operations

forces?
1. Building a helicopter landing pad
2. Fortifying the area for battle
3. Fighting against al-Qaida and Taliban rebels
4. Hiding in Pakistan's tribal areas
The answer would be "D."

2. The best title for this selection is:

1. Rebels Have Not Been Caught
2. Special Forces Prepare to Battle Rebels
3. Building a Helicopter Pad
4. Who's in Special Operations?
The answer would be "B."
In embarking on the fight for independence, America faced formidable obstacles. The
Continental Congress did not have the authority to pass binding legislation or to impose
taxes. The new nation had no army and no navy, and its population numbered only 2.5
million people, 20 percent of whom were slaves. Britain, by contrast, was a mighty power
of 11 million people with the world’s best navy and a well-disciplined army. Fifty
thousand troops were in North America in 1776, and Britain hired thirty thousand
German soldiers to supplement its forces during the war. However, the American
Revolutionaries were not deterred.

Ques 1: The main idea of the passage is:

[A]. America’s military forces were less experienced that Britain’s military
[B]. America’s Continental Congress had limited authority
[C]. As America was about to engage in its struggle for autonomy, it was faced with
arduous barriers.
[D]. Britain was a great power whose population outnumbered that of America’s

ROBAT, Afghanistan — In this remote Afghan village, the distance

between the school and the compound of its most powerful resident is
100 yards, and thousands of years.

At the school, about 15 girls attend classes alongside dozens of boys

thanks to the relative security of the area, which means the Taliban
cannot act on its opposition to the education of females, a conviction
that has led to the burning or bombing of hundreds of schools in recent
years.

Down the road, at the home of the affable Sahib Jan—the local Afghan

Highway Police commander and most respected village elder—the local
women are kept out of sight of visiting U.S. soldiers, preparing a meal
for men with whom they are not allowed to eat. Female soldiers are not
even welcome to sit in on a meeting of the military contingent, Jan and
his subordinates.
“To me, the girls and the boys are the same,” Jan said through an
interpreter during the meeting. “We would like to provide an education
for both of them,” although Jan would prefer that happen in separate
schools, or separate classrooms. “They can become whatever they
want to when they grow up.”

That said, when boys are born, “there is celebration,” he said. “When a
daughter is born, we are not that happy.”

What is the main idea

1hat is the main ide. Which of the following is the main idea of this news story?

A Today in Afghani villages girls have gained complete equality with boys.

B Afghani Women

C Gender in Afghanistan

D Afghanistan is moving toward gender equality, but has a long way to go.

Which is the best title for the paragraph

A “Afghanistan Working Toward Some Semblance of Gender Equality”

B “Gender Equality Reaches Remote Village in Robat, Afghanistan”

C “Female Soldiers Left Out of Negotiations in Afghanistan”

C “Afghani Men Refuse to Celebrate the Births of Girls”