ENGLISH

1. ADULT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1
Foster Children
When children can no longer stay at home, they are
moved to another home. This home is known as a foster
home. The child becomes a foster child. Now there are
many foster children living in Sacramento. There are not
enough foster homes for these children. There needs to be
more places for foster children to live. There are children
who need more help than their parents can give them.
Sometimes a parent is not able to take care of them
properly. Sometimes the child needs to be removed from
the home to keep them safe. Way to watch over the
children who need a new home. They will remove the
children and put them in a foster home. When there are
not enough foster homes in the county, they have to be
moved far away. There is a place that takes in foster
children. They are trying to raise money to build more
homes. They are also trying to add more special places like a nursery and a resource center. Over
the past five years, the number of children in foster care in the Sacramento area has almost doubled.
Now, more facilities are needed to house more than 6,000 children, and a local children's home says
it needs your help.Ten-year-old Alyssa is a typical resident of the Sacramento Children's Home.
She's lived at the foster care facility for more than a year. "When I lived with my Mom, she usually
wasn't around the house a lot," Alyssa says. "Sometimes my Mom's boyfriend wasn't all right. He'd
do mean things." Many more children like Alyssa are being taken into protective custody in
Sacramento County. That's partially because of tragic cases like that of Adrian Conway. The three-
year-old died after being brutally abused by his mother, despite the fact that the parenting
arrangement was under the supervision of Child Protective Services. "This was an active CPS case,"
said Ron Davis of the Sacramento Children's Home. "And so it outraged the community that a child
that was being supervised by Child Protective Services could be killed in his own home."So the
county began erring on the side of caution, taking as many as 300 children into protective custody
each month. "With many of these children, we're unable to serve their needs locally in Sacramento
County so we've had to place these children in other counties away from their families," said
Davis.That's why the Sacramento Children's Home has kicked off an $8 million fundraising
campaign. The organization desperately needs more space to house additional children and other
improved services. Administrators are trying to build a crisis nursery and family resource center to
try to prevent child abuse.The Sacramento Children's Home needs more than $6 million to meet its
goal. If you'd like to make a donation, you can call (916) 452-3981. There is also a critical need for
foster parents. For more information, call Family Alliance at (916) 364-8910.

2. Foster Children
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Read each question and pick an answer by clicking on the circle next to it. Click on the "CHECK
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see your score, click on the "NEXT" button.
Pick an Answer
1. Sometimes children need to be _____ from the home to keep them safe.
a) put
b) left
c) kept

3. d) removed - Correct Answer
2. When children can no longer stay at home, they are moved to a _____ home.
a) small
b) grandparent's
c) old
d) foster - Correct Answer
3. The county needs to build _____ foster homes.
a) less
b) the same
c) 100
d) more - Correct Answer
4. The _____ has a way to watch over the children who need a new home.
a) county - Correct Answer
b) police
c) home
d) state
5. They are also trying to add more special places like a _____ and a resource center.
a) bathroom
b) kitchen
c) bedroom
d) nursery - Correct Answer
6. Sometimes _____ are not able to take care of their children properly.
a) children
b) policemen
c) teachers
d) parents - Correct Answer
7. When there are not enough foster homes in the county, the children have to be moved
_____.
a) now
b) tomorrow
c) far away - Correct Answer
d) next door
8. They are trying to raise _____ to build more homes.

4. a) children
b) flowers
c) apples
d) money - Correct Answer
9. One thing they want to build is a _____ center.
a) bathroom
b) recreation
c) conference
d) resource - Correct Answer
10. There are not enough foster homes for all of these _____.
a) grandparents
b) children - Correct Answer
c) policemen
d) parents
You're done! You got 20 out of 20 possible points.
Read the question and type an answer in the box below. Then click on the "SAVE MY
ANSWER" button. When your answer has been saved, click on the "NEXT" button.
Activities/Scores: Foster Children

5. ACTIVITY 2
Teen Suicide
In 1985, two boys spent an afternoon drinking beer. They
were also smoking. They listened to music by a band
called Judas Priest. Later that evening they tried to kill
themselves. One boy died right away. The other died
three years later. The two families blame the record
company that made the record and the band. They
believe the music helped the boys to kill themselves.
They are going to go to court to get money from the
record company and the band. The parents think people
should know what type of music their kids are listening
to. They want warning labels put on all records so people
will know if the music is good or bad. A judge said that
the band and the record company did not get the two
boys to kill themselves. The court said that what was on
the record was an accident of the sounds mixing together.
The song does not call for teenagers to commit suicide. One lawyer said all music can be heard
wrong. Any song played backwards could make strange words. The lawyer thinks the judge was
very fair because the band did not put any secret words into their music. One of the boy's father says
he does not think this will be the last time parents will go to court for this. He believes other bands
will be held responsible for the music they make. An Oregon family who lost their son to suicide is
thinking about going to court, too.
Activities/Scores: Teen Suicide

6. ACTIVITY 3
Smoking Kills
Smoking kills more Americans than AIDS, drug
abuse, car accidents and crime. Did you know that
390,000 Americans die each year from cigarette
smoking? Smoking tobacco causes 1 out of 6 deaths.
Smoking can also cause some very serious diseases.
Some people become addicted to smoking. Lung
cancer has caused more deaths in women than breast
cancer. If a pregnant woman smokes, she has a
greater chance of medical problems with her baby.
Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of cancer
death in men. Male smokers over the age of 35 are
more likely to die from smoking-related diseases
like lung cancer. Many children start smoking
before they reach high school. They run the risk of smoking most of their lives. They could
die of smoking-related diseases.
Activities/Scores: Smoking Kills

7. ACTIVITY 4
Memorial Bells
A memorial was put up in California. The memorial was to
honor a small boy. The boy was killed. His family was on
vacation in Italy when it happened. When the boy died his
parents donated his body parts. The body parts helped save
7 people living in Italy. The people in Italy were very
happy. They wanted to thank the boy’s family in some
way. They sent 130 bells to them. The bells reminded the
family of all the love the people in Italy had for them and
their dead son. An artist made a memorial from the bells. It
is 18 feet high. It was placed by the ocean. When the wind
blows it makes the bells ring. The parents want the
memorial to be a comfort for anyone who visits. The father
still remembers how special his son was. He hopes people will keep giving body parts to
those that need them. He wants to keep sharing the love that his son had.
Activities/Scores: Memorial Bells

8. ACTIVITY 5
Domestic Violence
Laura was married for 6 months. Her husband was
using drugs. She didn't want her son or her unborn
baby to live that way, but she was afraid to ask her
husband to leave. She left him a note instead. After
reading the note, Laura's husband waited for her to
come home and then beat her and her son. He
smashed dishes, pictures and toys and left the house
in a terrible mess. He said it was all her fault. After
Laura cleaned up the mess she went to the hospital.
She was badly bruised all over her body, but the
baby was fine. Laura had little education and she
never had a good paying job. She was ashamed to
ask for help from the police, courts or women's
shelters. Laura wanted her marriage and family to
work. Sometimes her husband was very nice to her. She decided to try harder so her
children could have a home and a father. Laura joined a church and told a priest about her
problem. But her husband kept using drugs and hurting the family. Finally, she told her
husband she loved him, but they should live apart for a while. He beat her again. The priest
had called and could tell Laura was in trouble. He came over to talk to her. He asked the
husband to go out for a while. Laura packed up her kids and left. The next day she lost the
baby. Her husband went to jail. Laura got a lot of help from groups that help women who
have been beaten. Now she is in college, has her own apartment and works on special
projects at a women's shelter. "We got out, and it changed life for me and my children. You
can do it. You can break the cycle," Laura said.
Activities/Scores: Domestic Violence

9. ACTIVITY 6
Video Games
There are many kinds of computer games. Some
games let you shoot a gun at people on the screen.
If a body is hit, blood and body parts come off the
body. Another game shows a monster eating a
person. In another game, many of the pictures show
violence. Some pictures show women with very
little clothes on. The people who make the games
are worried that these kinds of games are not good
for people to play. One game company wants less
violence in the computer games. They want their
games to not have women shown without much
clothing. Some people think that the violence in the
games is like growing up. Some boys like to fight
and they will use the computer to pretend to fight.
These games were made by young men. The violence and sex are put in the game for boys.
But what about girls? Girls need to be comfortable with computers so they can use them
when they grow up. Most computer games are not violent. Playing computer games help
kids to get involved with computers. The problem now is to get girls to learn computers
while they are still young.
Activities/Scores: Video Games

10. ACTIVITY 7
Fruit Flies
Two tiny fruit flies were found. These flies can be
harmful. People are worried. One fly was caught in a
trap. The trap was in a tree. The other fly was found
not far from there. These flies can hurt fruit trees.
They damage many different kinds of fruit trees.
The flies need to be killed. Some people make their
money by selling fruit. These fruit flies are
damaging their fruit trees. The fruit sellers will lose
money if the flies are not stopped. Workers will
spray telephone poles and trees. The spray will have
poison in it. They hope this poison will kill the flies.
Activities/Scores: Fruit Flies

11. ACTIVITY 8
Biosphere
People who fly in space have to eat food that they
bring from earth. In the future, these people will
grow their own food. Scientists are getting ready for
the future by living in a biosphere in Arizona. In
1989, eight people began living inside the biosphere.
They were sealed off from the outside world. They
grew their own food. A scientist said that we will
need some kind of life system on another planet. A
new project is called Biosphere Two. Many different
areas will be put in the biosphere. It will copy the
oceans, the tropics, and a rain forest. A small desert
and a tiny swamp will also be put in. A greenhouse
will help them grow food. They will try to grow all
of the food they need with no help from outside. If they can do this, then it could be done
on another planet that does not have any plants growing on it. The idea has been tried
already on a small scale. On a desk in an office, two tiny shrimps have lived two years in a
sealed globe.
Activities/Scores: Biosphere

12. ACTIVITY 9
Nature Sounds
Burney Crouss went to school to study the sounds of
nature. For 20 years he has recorded the sounds
animals make. He has recordings of animal sounds
from all over the world. Burney has made a record
of animal songs. It all began when he took some of
the sounds and put them together. Last year, he put
together a song he called "Jungle Shoes." It turned
out great. Burney makes the music by taking part of
his animal noises and saving them on a computer.
He makes each sound play when a key is pressed.
Then he asks other musicians to play the keys into
songs. Burney believes in working to save nature.
He thinks that more people need to take care of our
world. The sounds of nature are quickly
disappearing. When he recorded whales in Alaska, he could hear the sound of oil well
drilling from fifteen to twenty miles away. It was very loud. He says his goal is to save
nature sounds so his children will be able to hear them.
Activities/Scores: Nature Sounds

13. ACTIVITY 10
Timber or Trees
There are many trees in America. The trees have
many uses. They provide many things to the area
where they grow. Trees are also cut down to make
many things for people to use. People who cut
down trees are mad. Many of them lost their jobs
because they could not cut down any more trees.
Some people want all the trees to grow and not be
cut down. Some people get together to make the
National Forest Service stop the logging companies
from cutting down trees. The logging companies
get together to make the National Forest Service let
them cut the trees down. The National Forest
Service is trying to let all the American people use
the national forests. The people with the most
money can tell the forest service to allow the cutting to be done. Even when scientists say
that cutting the trees down would hurt the forest and the animals, they still cut the trees
down. Anybody who does not like that idea is not listened to. Some parts of the forests
have been overcut. Too many trees have been taken away. Other parts have been stopped
from being cut. When this happens, many people lose their jobs. The biggest problem is
deciding what should be done with all of the trees.
Activities/Scores: Timber or Trees

14. ACTIVITY 11
Pollution Fight
A city wants to get money from some companies
in the city. These companies are putting bad
things into the water under the ground. It might
cost $100 million to clean up the water.
Companies use many chemicals in their work.
Some of these chemicals can leak into the ground.
The chemicals pollute the water under the
ground. The city does not want to put the
companies out of business. It is talking to their
insurance companies. One insurance company
has already given the city $1 million. Some
companies are not happy about the city's plan.
They do not want their insurance companies to pay the city. It would be like saying the
water pollution is their fault. A man in charge of the local newspaper does not like the plan.
He does not want his business blamed for pollution. He is afraid lawsuits will put him out
of business. The city of Lodi says it needs to raise money from companies that are
contributing to groundwater pollution without putting those firms out of business. That's
why city attorneys say they are researching insurance coverage for several local merchants
searching for a source of money. The plan is drawing complaints from several businesses
including the local newspaper, The Lodi News-Sentinel. A paper executive tells News 10
he's worried an inadvertent admission of liability could devastate the small business. Total
costs for the groundwater clean-up project could reach $100,000,000. The city of Lodi says
it has already reached a settlement with one insurance company for about $1,000,000.
Activities/Scores: Pollution Fight

15. ACTIVITY 12
Milk Prices
The price of milk may be going up. There was not enough
rain in some parts of the country last year. The bad weather
may mean that a gallon of milk will cost 41-cents more after
October 1. A California court wants to keep the cost down.
California already has high milk prices. The court does not
want the cost to go any higher. High milk prices will be very
hard for some people. Families with many children buy a lot
of milk. The poor and older people without much money
will also be hurt by higher prices. The court said that more
milk from other states can be sold in California. The price of
milk from other states might not be as high. Some states got
enough rain so their cost did not go up. People will buy the cheaper milk. This will make
all the milk sellers lower their prices. If they do not, their milk will not sell. A drought
around the country means market forces are likely to push milk prices as much as 41-cents
a gallon by October 1st. Experts say a decision from a California court could lessen the
impact of the price hikes here. The 41-cent increase would add to California’s already high
milk prices. However, a judge has ruled that the state must allow more milk producers from
outside the state to sell their product here. Experts say that could lead to increased supplies
and resist the impulse to raise prices.
Activities/Scores: Milk Prices

16. ACTIVITY 13
No Strike
More than 2000 San Joaquin County workers planned a
strike. Workers strike because they want change. Often, they
want more money or changes in their work place. The strike
did not happen because the union and the county reached an
agreement in time. Both sides say there are details to settle
before the contract is final. Because there was no strike,
people can get services at the hospital, the courthouse, and
other county offices. Services are available as usual today at
the San Joaquin County Hospital, the courthouse, and other
key facilities. That's because a last minute deal averted a
planned strike by more than 2,000 county clerical and service
workers. Union leaders announced the decision to call off the strike before the midnight
deadline. Both sides say there are final details to be worked out before a vote is held on the
contract but the framework is in place for a final settlement.
Activities/Scores: No Strike

17. ACTIVITY 14
Fast Car
Years ago, Craig Breedlove set speed records. He
raced across flat land made of salt. He went as fast as
600 miles per hour in his special car. Now he wants
to go the speed of sound. He has built a car with a jet
engine. He will try to go 765 miles per hour on land.
He will ride in a five wheeled hot rod. It has a Navy
jet engine. The last time he raced, two parachutes
failed. He burned the brakes out in the car. Then he
went through a telephone pole. He finally ended up in
a salt water canal. He had to swim out of it.
Breedlove builds his car in a garage in the small town
of Rio Vista, California. His wife Marilyn and the crew live with the project 24 hours a day.
It has taken 23 years to get his idea made into a car. In early October, he will learn if his
idea works.
Activities/Scores: Fast Car

18. ACTIVITY 15
Tire Fire
Lightning struck early in the morning. It started a fire in
a huge pile of tires. The fire is near a big city in
California. Firefighters say it could take more than a
year to put the fire all the way out. Another tire fire
started a year ago. It is still burning. An agency of the
government is in charge of waste. It makes rules about
keeping old tires. It tries to make sure people obey the
rules. The agency is angry at the man who owns the
tires. It has told him many times to get rid of them. He
has not done it. Right now the smoke from the fire does
not hurt people's health. Firefighters are using
bulldozers to clear the ground around the fire. They do
not want it to get bigger. An early morning lightning
strike is likely to blame for a huge fire burning at a tire
farm in Westley. That's about twenty miles west of Modesto along Interstate 5. Firefighters
say it could take more than a year before the fire is completely extinguished. They note a
similar fire in the summer of 1998 in Tracy is still smoldering. California's Waste
Management Board is blasting Ed Philbin, the owner of the tire farm, for allegedly failing
to comply with an order to try to prevent such tire fires. Board members tell News 10
Philbin has repeatedly failed to get rid of the tires as ordered. Authorities say the smoke is
not posing a health threat at this time. Air 10's Power Zoom shows close-up images of
firefighters using a bulldozer to clear a break around the fire to keep it from spreading.
Activities/Scores: Tire Fire

19. ANNEXES