Please help. My best friend in the class, Rebecca, told me today that she is going to drop out of school!! She says that she has put off doing work for every class and no longer has enough time or energy to finish. She thinks her only choice is to quit. I know that she puts off a lot, and that this was a big problem, but I didn’t know it was so serious. Rebecca was going to talk to our teacher today about this problem, but she also postponed that meeting! I know she is feeling very anxious, but I’m worried she’s making a huge mistake. How can I help her with this serious problem? I don’t want her to leave school. 

Worried Friend 

Susan Brown, Seattle

    Among most peoples in the world, children are given names. In the United States children have a family name, 

or a “last name,” and a first name. Most also have a middle name. However, not all people name children in the 

same way.   Some peoples believe that the spirits of those who have died are reborn in babies. To name a baby, the parents 

begin by saying the names of the child’s ancestors. The baby may sneeze, smile, or cry when a certain name is said. 

The parents think that means the ancestor is reborn in the baby. The baby is given that name.

Some peoples change their names. Navaho Indians change their names when they want new ones. The Navaho 

can decide to use the mother’s last name rather than the father’s. They may want an English name in place of a 

Native American one. Or they may change their English name into a Navaho name. The Navaho do not think it 

important to keep the same name. 

In some parts of Africa, a baby’s name is kept secret. No strangers are allowed to learn it. People there believe that the name is part of the child. They think that anyone who learns the name will have power over the child.

        Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and child care experts generally think this is a good idea. However, many adoptees have very little information about their biological mother and father. As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is confidential, so no one can see it. Sealed documents protect both adoptees and their natural parents.

Problem solver. Creative. Works well under pressure. 

These are key personality traits employers will be seeking no matter what position they’re hiring for—and chances are, you resume probably already showcases them in some way. But these days, hiring managers from some firms aren’t content to take job seekers at their word—they want to see it to believe it. 

And that’s why some companies have turned the interview process on its head. Instead of the traditional questions you might expect in an interview, they’re giving candidates problems to solve—problems which, at first glance, might seem totally random. Google, for example, has been known to ask, “How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30 PM on a Friday?” Hewlett-Packard asks, “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” 

No doubt, these are tough questions but there is no need to panic. Your interviewer isn’t necessarily looking for a right answer. He wants simply to determine how quickly you can think on your feet, how you’ll approach a difficult situation, and, most importantly, whether you can remain positive and proactive and make progress in the face of a challenge.

       Pete is 36 years old and works for the post office. He has worked there for 12 years. His salary is good, and benefits are excellent. All postal workers have health insurance and a good   36   plan. Pete works hard,   37   misses work, and is never late. He’s reliable, and his supervisors know that they can   38   on him. He also gets along well with the other workers. Pete loves sports. He played football and baseball in high school, and he still jogs three or four times a week. Pete doesn’t drink or smoke, but he has one big   39   . He loves to   40   . He buys a lottery ticket every day. He goes to the racetrack every week. He also bets on football, basketball, and baseball games. Sometimes, he wins a lot of money, but sometimes he loses a lot. This makes his wife, Gloria, angry. “You should stop betting,” she tells Pete. “I’ll stop betting if you lose 40 pounds,” he replies.