A federal program in the United States called Reading First has received one billion dollars a year for the past several years. The money has gone to school systems to get them to use scientifically based ways to teach reading. The goal is to help all children read at or above grade level. The Bush administration’s education law, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, established Reading First. Now, the Department of Education has released findings from a study of the program. On average, teachers using it increased the time they taught reading skills. But the study also found, on average, little or no effect on test scores in reading comprehension. Critics call the program a failure and want Congress to end it. Congress cut the billion-dollar budget by almost two-thirds this year. But federal officials want to continue the program. The study did find improvements in some cases. The report examined the effects of Reading First grants in 17 school districts across 12 states and one statewide program. The findings are for 2004 to 2006. Another new report listed the books read most often last year by students in American schools. Students read these books and then take computer quizzes to see if they understood them. There are tests for more than 115, 000 books. The book read most often by first graders was Green Eggs and Ham by Doctor Seuss. In fourth grade the top book was, not surprisingly, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Three of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books were among the top 10 in grades nine through 12. But the book read most often was To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Others included John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, A Child Called “It“ by Dave Pelzer and Holes by Louis Sachar. Q10: What is the goal of the program called “Reading First“? Q11: Who thinks the Reading First program is a failure? Q12: Which of the books is read most often by first graders? To find effects on the teaching of reading. To raise test scores in reading comprehension. To increase the teaching time for reading. To help all children read at or above grade level.

1. W: You look very happy. Any good news? M: My paper has got the thumbs up from my adviser. Q: What does the man mean? 2. W: Tom performed poorly this morning. I want to talk to him. M: You can’t do that now. He is in a bad mood. Q: Why can’t the woman talk to Tom now? 3. W: You used to complain a lot about your boss. But today is different. M: We had a heart-to-heart talk and I saw him with new eyes. Q: What does the man mean? 4. W: I didn’t see you at the concert last night. What’s wrong with you? M: That’s not my cup of tea. Q: What does the man mean? 5. M: Oh, my gosh. The newcomer must be a nuisance. W: Don’t forget that you always take someone at face value. Q: What does the woman think about the man? His paper is a good gift to the advisor. His paper has been rejected by the advisor. His paper has been revised by the advisor. His paper has got the advisor’s approval.

A science teacher from Prineville, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, is the new National Teacher of the Year. Michael Geisen is thirty-five years old. He was a forester. But he decided he would rather work with growing minds than with growing trees. Seven years ago, he got a master’s degree in teaching and a job at Crook County Middle School. Crook County has high rates of poverty. He brought new energy to the science department. He also created school projects to get parents involved in their children’s work. One girl who was recently in his class said he could probably make it interesting to watch grass grow. During lunch, his students come to his room to talk, get help, visit his turtle and sometimes join him in playing guitar. He writes songs and develops games about science. He says one of his goals as a teacher is to create people who will continue to learn throughout their lives. Michael Geisen studied forest resource management and graduated with high honors from the University of Washington. He says he tries to be creative with each activity. He does not like to use textbooks much. When students know that the work is local and useful to their lives, he says, they start to get interested. On June 1 Michael Geisen will begin a year as a spokesman for education. The father of two young children will travel the country and the world. The National Teacher of the Year program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, began in 1952. The winner is chosen from among state teachers of the year. President George Bush honored this year’s top teachers at the White House last week. He noted that in Michael Geisen’s first two years as head of the science department, scores on a state science test rose sharply at his school. And they are still rising. Q13: What was Michael Geisen before being a science teacher? Q14: What new school projects did Michael Geisen create? Q15: Why was Michael Geisen chosen as the National Teacher of the Year? A scientist. A forester. A school master. A farmer.

But the risks to______(2 words) are also increasing.Personal Internet Web sites, or blogs, are becoming more and more popular among young people. But the risks to personal privacy are also increasing. Millions of young people are creating blogs. Millions of others are reading them. The word “blog“ is a short way of saying Web log. Many popular Web sites now offer free, easy ways to create personal Web pages and fill them with writings and pictures. Web sites called “Facebook“ and “MySpace“ are some of the most popular blog sites for young people. Many young adults use their blogs to write about daily activities and events in their lives. They also provide a place for people to write their ideas and opinions and react to the ideas of others. Blogs offer young people a place to show their writings and other forms of self-expression. Blogs can also be helpful to connect young people with larger social groups. But some researchers say the seemingly harmless blogs can become dangerous when read on the Internet by millions of people all over the world. People are concerned that students are including information in their blogs that create a threat to their own privacy and safety. Recent studies show that young people often provide their name, age and where they live. This personal information puts them at risk of being sought out by dangerous people who want to harm them. Many students do not know about privacy and are surprised to learn that adults can easily read their personal daily records.

The city was virtually paralyzed by the transit strike for better wages. subjectively imaginably positively practically

The dramatic changes brought about by digital technologies have impacted the whole world. novel adverse profound prospective

My supervisor permits me to take a few days off provided that I can finish this experiment. as far as as much as as soon as as long as

All businesses can______positive workplace relationships by creating an upbeat team-based environment. foster erase devastate skip

Leaders of China can exercise sound judgment, for they are all______acquainted with the difficulties facing the country. insensibly inwardly intimately incompetently

Justine Greening, the UK education secretary, looks set to be defined by the debate on grammar schools: four months into her job and it’s difficult to point to any other significant announcement or new idea. The debate reveals all the inequalities and divisions that have plagued our education system. It has released a torrent of protest. The opposition to a return to the selective education of the 50s and 60s comes from all sections of society and the political spectrum. While opponents of grammar schools argue this case, the government is refraining the debate so it is no longer about traditional grammar schools but instead about their place in the new education landscape — grammar schools taking over struggling schools or opening free schools. This could appear a far more attractive proposition to the public. But it is a deeply flawed idea and not supported by evidence. The government’s case is outlined in its consultation paper. Its premise is that strong schools should support struggling schools and teachers learn from each other, arguing that selective schools are the great strength in the system and are uniquely equipped to improve some of the country’s most challenging schools. Selective schools’ new role will be to recruit more children from poor backgrounds, take over struggling schools and open non-selective schools from scratch. Many selective schools do well by the children they choose, and contribute to education beyond their own doors. But does their success with bright, motivated young people from supportive home backgrounds give them the skills and experience to turn round schools with large numbers of struggling and disaffected children? That is where the challenge lies. Our schools need to do better for the children who underachieve and who wouldn’t get anywhere near the grammar school pass mark but who have huge promise if it could only be unlocked. What are grammar schools going to offer them? The whole debate reveals an outdated view of the world: traditional groups are thought to have all the answers. We are far from realizing the dream of a school system where background is no barrier to achievement and all children flourish — but the comprehensive system has taken us further along this road than any system before. Ministers should regard comprehensives as the 21st-century engines of social mobility and our best hope of further progress, but we now seem to have a government with little confidence in the system that educates more than 90% of the nation’s children.

Failure is the direct result of poor self-esteem and the anticipation of failure. intervention confrontation elevation expectation

In the disciplines underlying our high-tech economy, America is steadily losing its global edge. border superiority appeal territory

Although missile agency officials say the new kill vehicle is reliable, some outside experts are skeptical. doubtful inevitable ignorant provocative

Unpleasant symptoms can cause the smoker to resume smoking to raise the levels of nicotine in the blood. hold back give up get over return to

The young man smashed the window of the restaurant deliberately to show his fury. in earnest under way on purpose by accident

Art allows us to express things that we would not be able to express______. somewhat otherwise however instead

Tourism, particularly ecotourism, helps promote______of wildlife and natural resources. aspiration extinction conservation distinction

Despite the______changes in this country, many tough issues remain unsolved. romantic rigorous reversible radical

Thousands of South Koreans______the streets in the center of Seoul to demand President Park Geun-Hye to step down. took up took to took in took apart

The price of property in this city has been rising for ten years______, forcing many college graduates to get employed elsewhere. in a row in the beginning in the way in no time

Many people are disturbed by the genetic diversity of cancers — an inevitable consequence of random evolution. Cancer therapies【C1】______be applied fairly randomly or carelessly, but nowadays many believe that effective therapies need to be【C2】______and tailored to genetic faults in each individual’s cancer. However, a personalized treatment disregards the most fundamental reason why it is difficult to cure cancers【C3】______: cancer cells adapt and evolve【C4】______treatment. Even drugs that are initially effective often have a【C5】______diminishing effect, as the biological systems blocked by the treatment spontaneously compensate【C6】______re-routing the cancer cells’ internal wiring,【C7】______the cancer’s ability to spread. To use an【C8】______, traffic hot spots in towns can cause major traffic jams, but smart drivers will quickly find other short cuts. Then, in the absence of “short cuts“, evolution【C9】______: naturally arising mutant cancer cells that are【C10】______the targeted drug rapidly outgrow their disabled siblings and cancer comes back.