A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school. The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities. Researchers studied high school graduation rates from the 2003, 2004 school year. They also identified the nation’s fifty largest cities. The largest, New York City, had a population of more than eight million. The smallest city was Wichita, Kansas. It had about three hundred and sixty thousand people.

Researchers used a system of measurement called the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates. School officials in many of the cities studied said the resulting numbers were too low. That is because different areas use different methods to find graduation rates. Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.

Other studies have put the national graduation rate at about 70%. But experts agree that too many students are not completing high school. They estimate the number at more than one million each year. The report was prepared for America’s Promise Alliance. The private group aims to help children receive services they need to succeed.

General Colin Powell was chairman of America’s Promise Alliance when it was formed in 1997. He attended the press conference Tuesday where the report was released. He said studies have shown that the US must do more to educate the leaders and work force of the future.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates. Alliance officials also announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates. It is to include a series of meetings to be held in every state over the next two years. The meetings will bring together elected leaders, business owners, students, parents and education officials. They will develop plans to increase the number of Americans who finish high school.

1.The author wants to tell us ___________.

  A. too many Americans do not finish high school

B. different methods to find graduation rates

C. services American children need to receive

D. the increase of the number of Americans who finish their high school

2.From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.

  A. there are 8,360,000 people in the US’ fifty largest cities

B. Wichita in Kansas is the smallest city in the US

C. 50% of the people in the US don’t finish their high school education

D. high school graduation rates in or near the biggest cities are higher

3. The underlined word “picture” probably can be replaced by “_______”.

  A. situation        B. scene         C. image         D. mood

4.From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that _______-.

  A. secretary of Education Margaret Spellings didn’t believe that number from the report

B. the government will stop using the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates

C. secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates

D. the low graduation rates should be paid attention to by the government and the society

 

 

Froli Cat Dart

While cats require less attention compared to dogs, that doesn’t mean you can just leave them at home all day long. No sir, they too, need some level of attention and will have to keep themselves occupied mentally and physically too. Well, FroliCat Dart makes it possible. Just what is the FroliCat Dart all about? Well, for starters, this device delivers 360° rotation (旋转) that will project laser patterns on the floor, letting your feline (猫科动物) friend chase after it.

Portable USB Power Supply

With modern gadgets, running out of juice happens to some of us more often, simply because today’s devices seem to suck up more juice than before. That’s why the Portable USB Power Supply comes in handy, being a best emergency charger for cell phones and other devices. Capable of holding a charge for up to three months when in standby, it will ship with adapter tips that cater for a certain variety of cell phone brands.

Battery Powered Gloves

For those living in the northern hemisphere(半球)，we are pretty sure that you have already stocked up on your winter supplies to make sure you remain nice and warm throughout the upcoming freezing months. Well, wearing a pair of the Battery Powered Hand Warming Gloves is necessary so as to keep your palms and fingers warm. These gloves come with battery-powered integral (不可缺的) heating elements which is capable of keeping your hands nice and warm for up to eight hours. It requires a quartet of AA batteries in each glove, and since both gloves are fully lined with a waterproof, breathable material, they might just come in handy during your next snowball fight. Too bad it comes only in one color—black.

1.How does FroliCat Dart work?

A．It can make cats run around your house.

B．It can project laser patterns to make cats chase.

C．It can make cats much sleepier than before.

D．It can provide food and drink for cats.

2.From the second paragraph, we know that________

A．Lack of power happens to some of us less often than before.

B．The adapter tips cater for all kinds of cell phone brands.

C．The Portable USB Power Supply can charge for some phones.

D．The Portable USB Power Supply can only last for three months.

3.Where do the Battery Powered Gloves sell well?

A. Iceland        B. India       C. Australia      D Singapore

 

Searching for airfares (飞机票价) often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.

Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through multiple websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there’s no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.

“You just don’t know when to pull the trigger. It’s not like buying anything else I can think of,” said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.

Harriet Levy paid $179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $169 to $360.

There’s no reason for it, Harrison said.

Fares can fluctuate significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $755 to $1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, then fell to $718 on Sunday.

The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It’s the most expensive time to buy.

There’s no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:

? Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when airlines most often offer sales.

? Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are highest eight to 10 weeks and two to three weeks in advance.

? Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive (独家) sales to travelers who interact (互动) with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.

? The so-called discount (折扣) airlines – JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier – adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren’t always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines’ fares is the only way to get a good deal.

1.What can we infer from the first sentence of the text?

A．Passengers are unable to search for airfares.

B．Airlines often play games with passengers.

C．Airfares are set in different situations.

D．It’s difficult for passengers to get the best price.

2.The underlined phrase “pull the trigger” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.

A．start searching	B．get the highest price
C．make a purchase	D．get on board the plane

3.By using a lot of figures, the author intends to _______.

A．show there is standard price for every single airline

B．discover the rules behind airfares

C．guarantee passengers a low price

D．prove airfares can vary widely

4.Passengers are advised to book flights _______.

A．in the middle of the week

B．on special websites

C．several months before traveling

D．with airlines which are famous for offering discount prices

 

A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school. The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities. Researchers studied high school graduation rates from the 2003, 2004 school year. They also identified the nation’s fifty largest cities. The largest, New York City, had a population of more than eight million. The smallest city was Wichita, Kansas. It had about three hundred and sixty thousand people.

Researchers used a system of measurement called the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates. School officials in many of the cities studied said the resulting numbers were too low. That is because different areas use different methods to find graduation rates. Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.

Other studies have put the national graduation rate at about 70%. But experts agree that too many students are not completing high school. They estimate the number at more than one million each year. The report was prepared for America’s Promise Alliance. The private group aims to help children receive services they need to succeed.

General Colin Powell was chairman of America’s Promise Alliance when it was formed in 1997. He attended the press conference Tuesday where the report was released. He said studies have shown that the US must do more to educate the leaders and work force of the future.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates. Alliance officials also announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates. It is to include a series of meetings to be held in every state over the next two years. The meetings will bring together elected leaders, business owners, students, parents and education officials. They will develop plans to increase the number of Americans who finish high school.

1.The author wants to tell us ___________.

  A. too many Americans do not finish high school

B. different methods to find graduation rates

C. services American children need to receive

D. the increase of the number of Americans who finish their high school

2. From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.

  A. there are 8,360,000 people in the US’ fifty largest cities

B. Wichita in Kansas is the smallest city in the US

C. 50% of the people in the US don’t finish their high school education

D. high school graduation rates in or near the biggest cities are higher

3.The underlined word “picture” probably can be replaced by “_______”.

  A. situation        B. scene         C. image         D. mood

4.From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that _______-.

  A. secretary of Education Margaret Spellings didn’t believe that number from the report

B. the government will stop using the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates

C. secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates

D. the low graduation rates should be paid attention to by the government and the society

 

‘Student Voice’ is a student-run education conference discussing education in the 21st century. This event aims to gather the views and opinions of students not only in Victoria and Australia, but around the globe. On Sunday 29 July 2012 students will discuss a series of questions regarding the role of education in the 21st century. By the end of the day they will hopefully have comprehensive answers to be shared with schools around the state and maybe even the world.
Students from Preshill would like to invite a group of 5-10 students from your school to participate in this free forum（讨论）. The event is being held on Sunday 29 July 2012 from 10am-2.30pm at the Hawthorn Town Hall, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn. They are inviting students who are enthusiastic on any of our topics of discussion to present a keynote speech on the day.
If you can’t make the day, they welcome your written or recorded thoughts on our questions, which will be on display at the event.
The topics for discussion:
Key Question: What is the ideal 21st century education?
1. Is it a school’s place to teach ethics, values, morals, confidence, self-esteem?
2. What are the effects of a uniform national curriculum(课程)?
3. How can we make education more engaging?
4. Should students be compared and ranked against each other?
5. What is the place of social networking and new media technology in education?
6. What is the best way to determine student knowledge?
Visit their Facebook page (see below) for updates, to communicate with organizers and other participants, and to indicate your interest in making a keynote speech.
The Student Voice Organizing Committee Facebook Page URL:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Student-Voice-The-Student-Education-Conference/101834233239391?sk=info
【小题1】What is the aim of the Student Voice Conference?

A．To gather students' ideas about education and share these ideas with schools.

B．To discuss the ideal 21st century education with students.

C．To invite some students to participate in a free forum about education.

D．To create a chance for students to communicate with each other.

【小题2】Who can participate in the Student Voice conference?

A．Anyone working on education.

B．Students only from Australia and Victoria.

C．Students who are free on Sunday 29 July 2012.

D．Any student interested in education in the 21st century.

【小题3】Which of the following topics will be discussed in Student Voice conference?

A．How to carry out the ban on drunk driving.

B．The development of international economics

C．The effects of a uniform national curriculum.

D．Advantages of shopping on line.

【小题4】How can you communicate with the organizers ?

A．By telephone	B．By writing letters
C．By visiting their Facebook Page	D．By email