Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax money just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers’ union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government’s delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress.If a private company wants to operate a charter school, it must .
| A．try new methods of teaching | B．prove its management ability |
| C．obey the local and state laws | D．get the government’s permission |
Charter schools are independent because .
| A．they make greater progress | B．their class size is smaller |
| C．they enjoy more freedom | D．they oppose traditional ways |
What’s the government’s attitude toward charter schools?
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Subjective. | D．Optimistic. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．More students choose to attend charter schools. |
| B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools. |
| C．Students in charter schools are well educated. |
| D．People have different opinions about charter schools. |
It can be inferred from the text that .
| A．charter schools are part of the education system |
| B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students |
| C．the number of charter schools will be limited |
| D．charter schools are all privately financed |
Below is a web page from http://www.parents.com/.
Kid of the Year Photo Competition
Enter your kid’s photo today and win! We’re giving away 52 weekly $250 prizes from Readers’ Choice votes. PLUS our editors will select one entry to win our grand prize of $7,000.
Official Competition Rules
No purchase necessary to enter or win.
The Kid of the Year Photo Competition entry period begins at 12:00 a.m.
January 23, 2011, and ends January 21, 2012 (“Entry Period”). Entries must arrive by 9:00 p.m.
on January 21, 2012 (“Entry Deadline”). Entries will not be acknowledged or returned.
SPONSOR(赞助商): Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa.
ENTRY: There will be two methods of entry.
Share My Entry:
Visit http://www.parents.com/photos/photo-contests-1/kid-of-the-year/ and click the button to enter.
Facebook Entry:
Visit http://Facebook.com/ParentsMagazine and click the Kid of 2011 tab(选项卡).
Then complete the registration form and follow the instructions to upload one album of up to six photos
of your child aged three months to eight years. You may provide one description and one album title that will
be applied to all photos. Photos, without any brand names or trademarks, must be taken by participants,
non-professional, unpublished and may not have won any prize or award. Photos must be .jpeg or .bmp image
formats (格式) and cannot be over 3 MB
This promotion is in no way sponsored, supported or run by, or associated with Facebook. You are
providing your information to Parents Magazine and not to Facebook. The information you provide will
only be used to run the promotion and register for Parents.com.
LIMIT: One entry per family, per child, per week. One weekly prize per child. For entries of more
than one child in a family, the entry process must be completed separately for each child. No group entries.We can learn from the passage that _________.
|
Linda, a mother with seven-year-old twins, wants to enter the competition. She must _________.
|
To enter the competition, photos must __________.
|
The purpose of the passage is __________.
|
Chilean rescued miner Edison Pena ran the New York City Marathon on November 7th , less than a month after he was rescued from a collapsed (坍塌的) mine that trapped him and the other 32 miners for 69 days. Pena ran 10 km daily through the mine’s tunnels (巷道) to beat the anxiety, wearing cut-down boots until rescuers sent him a pair of sports shoes through a narrow hole that served as the miners’ “lifeline” to the surface.
“When I ran in the darkness, I was running for life,” Pena told a news conference in New York. “I was running to show that I wasn’t just waiting around. I also wanted God to see that I really wanted to live.” The miners were discovered alive on August 22---17 days after the mine collapsed, but it took many more days for rescuers to dig a hole big enough to bring them out.
The New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon, had invited Edison Pena to the event after hearing his story. They thought he could ride in the lead vehicle or hold the finish line tape, but Pena said last week he did not want to watch, he wanted to run. “I was very eager to take on this big challenge,” he said. “I wanted to show the world I could run.” He hoped to run the 26.2-mile race in about six hours. “I have a knee injury, but I am eager to cross the finish line,” he said. 
An Elvis Presley fan who asked rescuers to send the singer’s music down into the mine, Pena broke into song at the news conference with the Presley hit Return to Sender.
On the morni
ng of November 7th, Pena, known as “the runner” by fellow miners trapped with him
, set out to cover the course along with thousands of other runners and completed the race in five hours and 40 minutes.When trapped underground, Pena ran a long way every day to _______.
| A．find a way to get out | B．dig a lifeline to the ground |
| C．keep himself from coldness | D．get rid of his uneasy feelings |
According to the passage, Pena _______.
| A．was not expected to run the marathon at first |
| B．failed to achieve the goal he had set for the marathon |
| C．wore sports shoes while working underground |
| D．was asked to sing a Presley’s song at a news conference |
During the rescue of the Chilean trapped miners, the digging of the escape hole lasted about
_________.
| A．17 days | B．22 days | C．52 days | D．69 days |
Pena can be best described as _________.
| A．smart-minded | B．strong-willed | C．hard-working | D．warm-hearted |
I have never heard about a “Fashion Week” outside of New York, London or Milan. But then one just happens to turn up in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. Actually, I’m ignorant of all those countries in Central Asia, whose names are always ending in “stan.” For decades, even centuries, Central Asia has been out of focus, a blank on the map of empires. Just as the introduction from Turusbek Mamashov, from the Tourism agency of the president of the Kyrgyz Republic, says, “Throughout this Fashion Week project, we need to create a revolution in the minds of our people, preparing the country for the international tourism market. It is an opportunity as well as an investment.” What he says is right. If you just give it a glimpse (一瞥), you’ll find out that the flavor (风情) of the Silk Road is still there.
As part of the route for Silk Road traders and migrating tribes through its epic(史诗的) history, Kyrgyzstan, like other Central Asian countries, is a vast place of desert, grassland and mountain ranges. It is not widely known that Kyrgyzstan is the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai’s birthplace.
Bishkek, the place holding Fashion Week, is the capital and industrial center of independent Kyrgyzstan. It is a relaxed, handsome place with wide streets and large amounts of greenery. Especially in the autumn of November, the yellow leaves falling everywhere make the whole city a legend in fall. The mountains are just at its rear, in that case a unique scene of picturesque beauty is composed by snow-white peaks, lakes and the urban Landscape.
Today, Ala-Too Square is the center of the poetic places worth seeing in Bishkek. The “White House,” the seat of the Kyrgyzstan Government, is just at the west of the square. Behind this is Panfilov Park, a great place to head for a national holiday. The State Museum of Fine Arts is opposite, which is also called the Gapar Aitiev Museum of Applied Arts, featuring Kyrgyz jewelry, rugs and works by local artists.
One of the joys besides the scenery is the openness of the people. Bishkek is a city without a big population but mainly good-natured people from many races, 47 percent are Russian and about a third are Kyrgyz. Most travelers vote Kyrgyzstan as the most appealing, accessible and welcoming of the former Soviet Central Asian republics. It is written by a tourist that Kyrgyzstan is the country Russians most desperately want to keep: hills always covered with grass and wild flowers. Kyrgyz men always ride a horse wearing a photogenic hat. According to the passage, Kyrgyzstan used to be ___________.
| A．an international fashion centre | B．an important part of Silk Road |
| C．the focus of the world | D．a vast desert land in Central Asia |
The Fashion Week in Bishkek is supposed to __________.
| A．start a revolution in Kyrgyzstan | B．attract foreign investment to Kyrgyzstan |
| C．promote tourism in Kyrgyzstan | D．celebrate the independence of Kyrgyzstan |
Which of the statements is NOT ture according to the passage?
| A．Bishkek is a crowded modern city surrounded by mountain ranges. |
| B．Panfilov Park is a popular destination for local people during holidays. |
| C．The majority of the population in Bishkek are Russian and Kyrgyz. |
| D．The famous poet Li Bai is thought to have been born in Kyrgyzstan. |
What is the most important message the author wants to convey in the passage?
| A．Reflections and thoughts on the glorious history of the Silk Road. |
B．Feelings about the ongoin g Fashion Week project in Bishkek. |
| C．The geographic features and imposing history of Kyrgyzstan. |
| D．The natural and cultural characteristics and attractions in Kyrgyzstan. |
With Captain Cash’s help, we’ve put together the BIGGEST and BEST money-saving guide EVER - so what are you waiting for? Start saving NOW! The first step is to sign up to Captain Cash’s fantastic new website.
▲ Captain’s saving tip on car insurance
MAKE sure you give an accurate figure for your annual mileage when you get a quote - if you overestimate, your premium（保费）will rise.
▲ Captain’s saving tip on home insurance
Don’t overinsure your home - by sticking to the rebuild cost (the amount that really matters), you're covered if there’s a disaster. When in doubt see
k independent advice.
Plus, pay your insurance policy in one hit, if you can. Many insurance companies charge higher interest rates when you pay in monthly installments.
▲ Captain’s saving tip on entertainment
BUY the latest CDs online from HMV via Captain Cash for great price deals. For instance, The Friends 15th Anniversary Complete Collection: 40 DVD box set is just £69.99 with free UK delivery - saving £30 on the RRP (Recommended Retail Price).
▲ Captain’s saving tip on utility bills
DON’T be loyal to expensive suppliers - always check out the best deals. Getting gas and electricity from the same company and paying by direct debit instead of cash or cheque also lowers the annual cost of your bills. You can also shave money from bills by turning appliances off, rather than leaving them on standby, and by turning the heating down by a degree or two. What is Captain Cash?
| A．A bookstore | B．An online shop | C．An expert | D．A website |
What’s the RRP of 40 DVD box set of The Friend?
| A．£39.99 | B．£99.99 | C．£59.99 | D．£109.99 |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE concerning Captain’s saving tips?
| A．Paying utility bills in cash is a more economical way. |
| B．Paying the full price when buying a home insurance is a wise choice. |
| C．Accurate estimate of your yearly mileage is key to a car insurance. |
| D．Power off the electrical appliances while they are not being used. |
Japan will hand out its first “Nobel Prize of Manga (国际漫画奖)” for artists in the comic book field abroad. This i
s another step in Japan’s efforts to show the power of pop culture diplomacy.
The International Manga Award, which was compared by manga lover Foreign Minister Taro Aso to a “Nobel Prize” when he first proposed it, will be given to an artist working abroad whose work best contributes to the spread of the manga form worldwide.
Manga, a name used for Japanese style comic books, often combines stories with drawing styles that differ from the overseas superhero comics and cartoon, particularly in their frequent emphasis on cuteness.
The winner will receive a certificate and a cup at an award ceremony, and will spend 10 days in Japan meeting with local comic book artists and publishers.
“Manga has been spreading overseas and are selling quite well,” Aso said when announcing the award to the public. “I want to further improve the communicative power of these so-called ‘pieces of pop culture’.”
Aso has argued that warm feelings for Japanese comics and cartoon can translate into warm feelings for Japanese foreign policy.
He has proposed sending cartoon artists overseas as cultural ambassadors and the government has named some officials to advise ways to promote Japanese cartoon and culture to foreign audiences.
The award committee, consisting of manga artists and publishers, is expected to make its selections quite soon.
According to a ministry official Nobuyuki Watanabe, the prize carries no money reward. The cup’s design has yet to be finished, but it will be something “appropriate”. The International Manga Award will be presented to ____________.
| A．a Japanese who has achieved a lot in creating new methods of drawing |
| B．an artist who makes contributions to introducing manga to the other foreign countries |
| C．the person who is expert at comics and cartoon |
| D．a foreign artist who has contributed to the development of manga |
Which statement is NOT true about manga?
| A．Manga is different from the overseas comic books. |
| B．Manga is popular not only in Japan but also overseas. |
| C．Manga refers to international comics and cartoon. |
| D．There are stories and pictures in manga. |
What has the Japanese government done to show its support?
| A．To propose “Nobel Prize of Manga”. |
| B．To name officials to advise ways of spreading manga overseas. |
| C．To hand out its first “Nobel Prize of Manga”. |
| D．To send cartoon artists overseas as cultural ambassadors. |
The passage is mainly about ____________.
A．Nobel Prize of Mang a |
B．the characteristics of manga |
| C．a brief introduction of manga | D．the development of manga |
nd an album title for the kid’s photos