(Question)
Being prepared for the unknown is something most people know we should do, but the majority of us don’t take time to actually do it! We have lived in a state prone to hurricanes for eight years and didn’t really have anything ready in case of a natural disaster. Recently, we moved closer to the coast in this region which forced us to make a hurricane emergency kit. If you don’t feel like putting together your own kit, you can order one from Amazon! Here’s an affiliate link to one that’s for four people. (Four Person Perfect Survival Kit Deluxe) They have several variations to choose from. Preparing a Hurricane Emergency Kit I will walk you through a few things to consider when preparing an emergency kit. Saving Money I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was financially driven to prepare a kit. The state of Virginia has one three-day sales tax holiday weekend beginning the first Friday in August. Yes, saving on tax pushed me to buy a bunch of stuff that I just may need one day. In addition to saving taxes on emergency preparedness items, customers can save tax on clothing, footwear, school supplies, and Energy Star and WaterSense products. For complete details on qualifying items and more, please go to Virginia’s Government Tax Page. Not in Virginia? Search “your state” + “emergency preparedness” or “emergency kit.” You can replace “hurricane” with “earthquake” or “tornado” or any other applicable term for your area. Depending on how much you purchase, the saving on taxes can add up pretty quickly. Be Prepared Before Preparing Heading out on a tax-free shopping spree won’t save you much money if you’re buying items that don’t qualify for the tax-free holiday, or you buy a bunch of items you don’t actually need or won’t use. The National Hurricane Center offers supply lists and emergency plans, along with a ton of resources to help you gain focus. When did they decide to put together a hurricane emergency kit? Pick the correct answer from the following options:  A. not enough information  B. in August  C. on Friday  D. once they moved closer to the coast
(Answer)
D


(Question)
A long time ago, when humans still lived in cities, on a cold morning near the end of a long, cruel winter, in magnificent Central Park in the middle of magnificent New York City, a young squirrel named Patch was awakened very early by the growls of his empty stomach. A squirrel's home is called a drey. Patch's drey was very comfortable. He lived high up an old oak tree, in a hollowed-out stump of a big branch that had long ago been cut off by humans. The entrance was only just big enough for Patch to squeeze in and out, but the drey itself was spacious, for a squirrel. Patch had lined his drey with dry leaves, grasses and bits of newspaper. It was warm and dry, and on that cold morning he would have liked nothing better than to stay home all day and sleep. But he was so hungry. Hunger filled him like water fills a glass. The cherry and maple trees had not yet started to bud; flowers had not yet begun to grow; the juicy grubs and bugs of spring had not yet emerged; and it had been two days since Patch had found a nut. Imagine how hungry you would feel if you went two whole days without eating, and you may have some idea how Patch felt that morning. Patch poked his head out of the drey into the cold air and shivered as he looked around. Clumps of white, crumbly ice still clung to the ground. Gusts of cold wind shook and rustled the trees' bare branches. The pale and distant sun seemed drained of heat. Patch took a moment to satisfy himself that there were no dangers nearby, no hawk circling above or unleashed dog below. Then he emerged from his drey and began to look for acorns. But what marvels, what miracles, what mysteries are hidden inside those simple words! How does Patch get to his drey? Pick the correct answer from the following options:  A. he scurries up the tree  B. his owner carries him  C. not enough information  D. he swings from branch to branch
(Answer)
C


(Question)
Some fortunate people can go on a diet, lose the excess fat and then simply get on with their lives. Others get stuck in the eternal cycle of wanting to be thin, dieting, craving, bingeing, regaining the weight and then wanting to be thin again. You want to break free from this exhausting and depressing merry-go-round of losing and regaining weight but you’re not ready to give up doing what you know best. Let’s examine the diet cycle mentality. THERE IS A MAGIC CURE The reason you haven’t lost weight and kept it off is because you haven’t found the right diet that suits you particular physical and emotional needs. You need to eat more carbs, or more fat, you need to cycle your calories or have cleaner re-feeds, and you need a coach for accountability. Once you figure out precisely what the optimum formula is for you and you have an expert to help you then you will lose weight and keep it off. ONE LAST DIET Once you lose the weight, then you will learn how to get in tune with your body’s hunger signals and eat mindfully. You just need to commit totally to this last diet, get to your goal and then you will stop for good. YOU LOVE HEALTH AND FITNESS You really enjoy being in control of your food and planning your training regime. Time spent scouring the latest fitness magazines and entering your weight into a spreadsheet is fun and rewarding. You spend most of your waking hours plotting and planning how you are going to burn that fat! I WANT TO BREAK FREE!! The only way to break free from the diet cycle is to come to the place where you no longer believe the stories you tell yourself. If there was a magic cure that worked for you, you or someone else would have found it by now. Count the number of diet books on your bookshelf, the e-books on your computer and the magazines on the coffee table.  Have any of them given you permanent weight loss? After you find the right diet, how does the author probably feel for you? Pick the correct answer from the following options:  A. rewarding and thrilled  B. fun and exciting  C. not enough information  D. exhausting and depressed
(Answer)

A