High school dropouts(辍学者)earn an average of $ 9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study dispels a common belief why they quit. It’s much more basic than flunking out(不及格).

Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can’t cut it. They are lazy,and perhaps not two bright.So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left.

“The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school.” John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About 1 million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic(美籍西班牙的)students will receive a diploma(证书),and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So, if failing grades don’t explain why these kids quit, what does? Again,John Bridgeland:"The most dependable finding was that they were bored.” “They found classes uninteresting; they weren’t inspired or motivated. They didn’t see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations.”

The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the US,only one state,New Mexico,has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions, another researcher,says raising the compulsory attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school.

“As these dropouts look back,they realize they’ve made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and it through to the end, is probably helpful measure.”

New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point-the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something.  

68. Most high school students drop out of school because          .

A. they have failing grades     

B. they take no interest in classes

C. they are discriminated against    

D. they are lazy and not intelligent

69. The underlined words “stick it out” probably means“         ”.

A. complete schooling                 B. solve the problem

C. love having classes                         D. believe in themselves

70. In the last paragraph, the writer is trying to          .

A. analyze the reason why students quit school

B. suggest raising the compulsory attendance age

C. raise awareness of reforming high school education

D. wish to make laws to guarantee no education

71. From the passage,we can infer the following EXCEPT that          .

A. the grades of most dropouts at school were acceptable

B. about 500, 000 high school dropouts are black and Spanish

C. classes don't appeal to dropouts

D. on average dropouts cannot get good jobs

The Basics of Math—Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing—and completely understandable—field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery(神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.
【小题1】What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?

A.Algebra.B.College Mathematics.
C.Arithmetic.D.Mathematics Education.
【小题2】What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?
A.Stronger imaginative ability.
B.Additional presentation skills.
C.More mathematical confidence.
D.Greater chances of becoming teachers.
【小题3】What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?
A.He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television.
B.He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math.
C.He works in Georgia State University.
D.He specializes in training teachers.
【小题4】Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
A.A news report.B.A book review
C.A lesson plan.D.An advertisement

You are careful with your money: you collect all kinds of coupons; look for group-buy deals if you eat out; you don't buy clothes unless in a sale. Does all this make you a wise consumer?

Let's do the math first: you walk into a coffee shop and see two deals for a cup of coffee. The first deal offers 33 percent extra coffee. The second takes 33 percent off the  regular price. What's the better deal? Well, they are about the same, you'd think. And you'd be wrong. The deals appear to be equal, but in fact, they are different. Here's the math: Let's say the standard coffee is 10 yuan and let's divide the amount of coffee into three portions(部分). That makes about 3.3 yuan per portion, The first deal gets you 4 portions for 10 yuan (2.5 yuan per portion) and the second gets you 3 portions of coffee for 6.6 yuan (2.2 yuan per portion) and is therefore a better deal.

In a new study published by the Journal of Marketing, participants were asked the same question, and most of them chose the first deal, the Atlantic website reported. Why? Because getting something extra for free feels better than getting the same for less. The applications of this view into consumer psychology(心理) are huge. Instead of offering direct discounts, shops offer larger sizes or free samples.

According to the study, the reason why these marketing tricks work is that consumers don't really know how much anything should cost, so we rely on parts of our brains that  aren't strictly quantitative.

There are some traps we should be aware of when shopping. First of all, we are heavily influenced by the first number. Suppose you are shopping in Hong Kong. You walk into Hermes, and you see a 100,000 yuan bag. "That's crazy." You shake your head and leave. The next shop is Gucci, a handbag here costs 25,000 yuan. The price is still high, but compared to the 100,000 yuan price tag you just committed to your memory, this is a steal. Stores often use the price difference to set consumers' expectation. zxxk

Another trap we often fall to Is that we are not really sure what things are worth. And so we use clues(暗示) to tell us what we ought to pay for them. US economist Dan Ariely has done an experiment to prove this. According to the Atlantic, Ariely pretended he was giving a lecture on poetry. He told one group of students that the tickets cost money and another group that they would be paid to attend. Then he informed both groups that thelecture was free. The first group was anxious to attend, believing they were getting something of value for free. The second group mostly declined, believing they were being forced to volunteer for the same event without reward.

What's a lecture on poetry by an economist worth? The students had no idea. That's  the point. Do we really know what a shirt is worth ? What about a cup of coffee? What's the worth of a life insurance.policy? Who knows? Most of us don't. As a result, our shopping  brain uses only what is knowable:  visual(祝觉的) clues, invited emotions, comparisons, and  a sense of bargain. We are not stupid. We are just easily influenced.

1.The first paragraph of the passage is intended to      

A.ask a question                          B.introduce a topic

C.give some examples                     D.describe a phenomenon

2.The writer takes the math for example in Paragraph 2 to show      .          _.

A.consumers usually fall into marketing traps

B.consumers' expectation is difficult to predict

C.consumers' purchasing power is always changing

D.consumers rely on their own judgment when shopping

3.What consumer psychology is mentioned in the passage?

A.The first number has little influence on which item should be bought.

B.Consumers never use visual clues to decide how much should be paid.

C.Getting something extra for free is better than getting the same for less.

D.Consumers never rely on parts of the brains that aren't strictly quantitative.

4.According to the passage, shops use the following tricks to make more profits EXCEPT         .  

A.showing price differences                 B.offering larger sizes

C.providing free samples                   D.giving direct discounts

5.What can we know from US economist Dan Ariely's experiment?

A.Ariely's free lecture enjoyed popularity among students.

B.The students actually didn't know what the lecture was worth.

C.The second group was willing to be volunteers without reward.

D.The first group was eager to find out the value of Ariely's lecture.

 

Exhibition: Little Angels

Date: January 10 -- September 13, 2010

Time: 10:00 am -- 5:00 pm

This exhibition shows more than 25 paintings by the Mount brothers, exploring the ways in which the artists use images of children in their work and why these images are still popular today.

Museum admission: $9 Adults / $7.00 Seniors / $4.00 Students / Free for children under age six

Where: The Long Island Museum 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook, NY 631-751-0066

 

Summer Docs Series

Date: June 25, 2010

Time: 8:00 pm

For the first time since its founding in 1993, The Hamptons International Film Festival, working with Guild Hall, will expand its programme to host a summer documentary (纪录片) show with three films that focus on various cultural and social themes.

Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin will serve as host for all three films, beginning with The Cove, an environmental documentary about the dolphin capture (捕猎海豚) trade on Friday, June 25th at 8:00 pm.

The other films will be screened on July 31st and August 25th.

Where: Guild Hall 158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 631-324-0806

Admission: $20 / $18 Guild Hall members

 

Not Your Typical Solar Energy Class

Date: June 18, 2010

Time: 7:30 pm -- 9:30 pm

Sunshine is free and so is this “Not your typical solar energy class”. Learn how solar electric and solar hot water can cut your bills. Free admission, plus free food and drink, and free “green” gifts.

Where: The Velux Building 2905 Veteran’s Memorial Hwy, Ronkonkoma, NY 516-809-7182

 

Stony Brook vs. Brown

Date: September 19, 2010

Time: 6:00 pm

* High School Night

* Tickets are free for all Stony Brook students with a Stony Brook ID. Wear red and support your Stony Brookers! Tickets can be bought at our website.

* Game time may change. 

Where: LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University Nichols Rd, Stony Brook, NY 631-632-9556

1.The title of the exhibition Little Angels probably refers to ______.

A. visitors           B. children            C. the Mount brothers     D. talented artists

2.What can we know about the film The Cove from the passage?

A. Alec Baldwin is the leading actor in this film.

B. It is the first film shown at Guild Hall since 1993.

C. People can watch it two months earlier than the last one of the three films

D. The Hamptons International Film Festival starts with it.

3. The “Not your typical solar energy class” will _______.

A. give visitors free presents

B. be held in NY 631-324-0806

C. provide food and drink at a low price

D. tell you how to cut bills when shopping

4.The last part is probably an advertisement for ______.

A. a web game        B. a sports meeting    C. a music concert     D. a sports game

 

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