In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.

In the area of education, rural schools often face__(1)__ that urban and suburban schools do not encounter. First, because rural areas have been losing population, they have been experiencing __(2)__ school enrollment and school closings. Second, rural populations are generally older than urban populations and have a__(3)__ percentage of retired adults. Therefore, rural areas’ per-capita income and sales tax revenue are lower__(4)__ that for urban and suburban areas, and this lower revenue makes the funding of public schools more __(5)__. Third, rural families live relatively far__(6)__ the public schools, and the schools are relatively far from each other. __(7)__result, rural school districts have __(8)__ expenses for transporting children to and from school, after-school athletic events, and other activities. Finally, it is often difficult __(9)__recruit and retain quality teachers in rural areas, and this problem __(10)__ forced some rural school districts to offer hiring bonuses or housing assistance to staff their schools.