Studying at a university in his home country of Syria made Amer Horani very proud. But that was before the war in Syria forced him to leave his country. Horani was the first in his family to attend a university. He began studying psychology at Damascus University in 2012. He dreamed of using his education to help others. Then his friend, also a student, disappeared. “The army came for him. I never saw him again,” Horani told VOA. The disappearance of his friend was one reason the 22-year-old chose to leave Syria. He left after completing only eight months of his studies. Horani and many other Syrians were forced to abandon higher education to become refugees. “Everything is bad here,” Horani said. He now works in a small convenience store in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. More than one million refugees live in Lebanon. Some Lebanese do not want them there.

What does abandon mean?
feeling or showing great surprise
difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable
to stop doing or having something
a small store that is open for many hours of the day
What is the capital of Lebanon?
Brussels
Beirut
Paris
Rome
The war in Syria forced Amer Horani to leave his country.
schools
festivals
celebration
war