21.   Now he keeps an eye on the prayer books and snacks that the Stern students drop off before sundown on Friday and retrieve Saturday night.

22.   Of those adults whose highest degree is a high school diploma, a third had attended a post-secondary institution but dropped out before earning a degree.

23.   Other potential bidders dropped out before the final round of bids.

24.   Research indicates that retaining students at any point in their education dramatically increases the likelihood that they will drop out before graduating from high school.

25.   Sales typically drop before the release of a model update.

26.   Similarly, a proposal to supply free heroin to hard-core addicts who fail treatment was dropped before the legislation reached the Judiciary Committee.

27.   Still, more and more people are dropping out before retirement.

28.   Stock prices dropped sharply before noon, when the Fed briefing book, known as the beige book, was released.

29.   Suddenly, basketball took precedence over football, which he dropped before entering high school.

30.   The analysis also found that girls, particularly those from poor rural families, are twice as likely as boys to drop out before finishing eighth grade.