A new report shows that most American fourth and eighth graders did not do well in math and reading tests. The latest so-called “Nation' s Report Card” was published last week.
There were some exceptions. Students in Washington, D. C. made important gains in both reading and math this year, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress. Students in the state of Mississippi also made major improvements compared to earlier reports.
Nationally, however, America' s eighth graders are falling behind in math and reading. And, math scores among fourth graders also decreased. Only a little more than one-third of eighth graders are proficient in reading and math. About a third of fourth graders are proficient readers. Over 40 percent are considered proficient in math.
U. S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the overall national results show a student achievement crisis(危机). She also said the problem cannot be fixed by giving more money to public schools. Instead, she called for expanded school choice. This includes her suggestions for greater dependence on privately run schools.
DeVos said last week that American children continue to fall behind students of the same grade in other countries. But with education freedom, American students can compete.
Scott Sargrad is with the Center for American Progress. He writes about education at the kindergarten through 12th grade levels, or K-12. He thinks DeVos is wrong and that “money matters in education.” The falling scores are because of lower spending on education following the Great Recession(经济衰退) of 2008.
1.What does the latest Nation's Report Card tell us about American students?
A.None of the American students do well in math.
B.The majority of eighth graders are poor at reading.
C.Fourth graders in Mississippi fall behind those in other states.
D.Students from Washington, D. C. made no improvements at all.
2.What does the underlined word “proficient” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Poor. B.Skilled. C.Slow. D.Puzzled.
3.Why does Betsy DeVos think the crisis arises?
A.Because of schools’ poor management. B.Because of a lack of money in education.
C.Because of limited educational freedom. D.Because of students ’dependence on schools.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.K-12 is an educational institute.
B.Scott Sargrad is in favor of DeVos’ideas.
C.Spending more money on education is the solution.
D.Many educational problems led to the Great Recession.
Time to make room on the must-read list
This Atmosphere of Love
Franklin Bass Jr.
www. authorhouse. com
Paperback | E-book
$ 12.95 | $ 3.99
This book shares Franklin Bass Jr.’s poetry collection from 2008 to 2012 that speaks about his true feelings and experiences of love.
The Medusa Enigma
Dino Panvini, M. D.
www. xlibris. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$ 29.99 | $19.99 | $3.99
This book takes you deep inside the corruption of the United States’ legal and medical systems; and how it led to the author’s near-death experience and various attempts on his life.
A Deadly Homecoming
Jane Bennett Munro
www. iuniverse. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$23.99 | $13.99 | $3.99
When her mother asks her to look into a friend’s disappearance, Toni Day heads to her hometown to solve a complex murder case that leaves her own life hanging in the balance.
Work Hard, and Don’t Give up
Ian Anttila
www. tmbi. com
Paperback | E-book
$19.99 | $3.99
Ian Anttila, who contracted (感染) blood poisoning in sixth grade, shares his story of working hard to get an education and succeed in spite of medical problems.
1.Which book is your favorite if you are a poetry lover?
A.This Atmosphere of Love. B.The Medusa Enigma.
C.A Deadly Homecoming. D.Work Hard, and Don’t Give up.
2.Who writes the book concerning an inspiring success story?
A.Franklin Bass Jr. B.Dino Panvini, M. D.
C.Jane Bennett Munro. D.Ian Anttila.
3.How much will you pay if you read all the four books online?
A.$ 15. 96. B.$ 24.92. C.$ 50.92. D.$ 66.92.
假设你是李华，前天你收到英国笔友Kathy发来的电子邮件，说她很想报名参加即将在当地举办的“汉语民歌演唱比赛 （Singing Chinese Folk Songs Contest）”活动，但信心不足。请你给她回复一封邮件，内容包括：
鼓励她报名参加；2. 帮助分析参加的意义； 3. 给她提几点建议
注意：1. 字数100字左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头已经给出，不计入总字数。
Dear Kathy,
I’m glad to know that _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（Λ），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：
（1）每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
（2）只允许修改10处，多者（从第l1处起）不计分。
I have always dreamt returning to my childhood. Just as many people say, childhood is the happier time in one’s life.
I grow up in the countryside. There are many high mountains, colorful flowers and different kind of trees. Often my parents took me to go hiking and caught insects. My grandma, whose seemed to be full of vivid memories, always shared his stories with me. She told me that I was such gentle and quiet that she never felt worrying about me. Now it is 5 years since that she passed away. I still miss her very much!
I used to abandon(放弃）myself to despair（绝望）. Last year, my mother _______from a stroke(中风）and had an operation on her brain. I felt my whole life turn upside down and I had no _______what I could do to help her to relieve her _______. Tears welled up in my eyes whenever I was alone.
Last month I _______a precious watch, which was an 18-year-old birthday gift from my father. I could not fall asleep for a couple of nights because I felt _______about the loss.
There have been many _______like these in my life. I could never figure out how to deal with such tough things _______I read “ If You Have a Lemon, Make a Lemonade” by American writer Dale Carnegie.
“When the wise man is handed a lemon, he says, ‘What _______can I get from this? How can I_________my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?’” He wrote.
I suddenly ________that life is full of ups and downs, so I need to stay________all the time. Now when I think of my past, I wish I could have handled things ________. When my mother was fighting for ________, I should have held her hands in mine, telling her things would get better instead of________and crying.
Several weeks ago, I took part in a campus singing competition. I didn’t ________a prize. If I had not ________the article, I would definitely have felt ________again. But instead, I smiled after the competition. I was happy that at least I had got some stage ________.
Life is not just a bed of roses. There are thorns(刺) as well, but these thorns help us become ________ and strong. When life ________us a lemon, let’s try to make a lemonade.
1.A.suffered B.defeated C.survived D.escaped
2.A.hope B.wonder C.idea D.doubt
3.A.anxiety B.pain C.fear D.pressure
4.A.received B.sold C.fixed D.lost
5.A.unbelievable B.shameful C.angry D.terrible
6.A.diseases B.memories C.incidents D.difficulties
7.A.when B.until C.though D.since
8.A.lesson B.lemonade C.decision D.possibility
9.A.control B.arrange C.improve D.reject
10.A.predicted B.thought C.discovered D.realized
11.A.healthy B.independent C.severe D.positive
12.A.exactly B.differently C.easily D.practically
13.A.recovery B.life C.freedom D.delight
14.A.shouting B.hiding C.quarreling D.regretting
15.A.expect B.miss C.win D.refuse
16.A.left out B.made sense C.come across D.broken down
17.A.embarrassed B.discouraged C.excited D.concerned
18.A.performance B.experience C.progress D.challenge
19.A.brave B.calm C.great D.clever
20.A.shows B.makes C.sends D.gives
Did you take part in a camp this summer ? 1. To choose which camp is best for you, first you must do a bit of research.
Maybe you've never thought about it before, but every great summer camp has the same main goals — opportunity, challenge and growth.
Opportunity means you are given a chance to do something special. 2. For example, if you are interested in writing, then you can choose to join a journalism camp. You may even have the opportunity to meet famous journalists there.
3. You must finish the task and succeed in overcoming the challenge. Then you will have a sense of accomplishment. For example, you could take a lifeguard course at some summer camps. If you pass the exam, then you will receive a certificate (证书）to become a real lifeguard.
This also leads to the third and most important goal of every great summer camp personal growth. It doesn’t mean growing taller and stronger or more beautiful. It means seeing yourself improve, learning something new and doing something you didn’t know you could do before. 4..
So in the future, when choosing your next summer camp, remember to ask yourself: Is it a special opportunity? Is it a challenge? Will I grow?
5. These will all happen naturally when you have the right goals at summer camp.
A.Challenge means you are given a task.
B.It also means becoming more confident in yourself.
C.Some camps focus on developing a certain skill or ability.
D.But what about friendship, fun and joy?
E.There are so many summer camps and not all of them are the same.
F.Of course, summer camps aren't all about adventure or study.
G.It also makes you special because other kids don't have the same opportunity.
