Children at a school in Italy have today begun an experiment to replace all their books with personal computers. The pupils involved will each be given a special laptop that contains their entire courses.
Until today, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school in central Turin was like any other. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, in what's being described as a unique experiment, 60 fifth-grade pupils and a number of third-graders, will start using computers only.
The mini-laptops, which run Windows software, all have a full curriculum programmed into them. The pupils will use the computers to do all their reading and writing. Security systems within the laptops mean the children's access to the Internet is strictly controlled. The machines weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and are waterproof.
Instead of spending 700 dollars a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than 400 dollars. One of the teachers involved in the scheme says that, for the first time, schools will be able to verify in a scientific way how a computer alone can improve the learning process. The experiment, which has the backing of parents, is due to last a year.
In other countries, such a programme is also being carried out. Venezuela is ordering one million low cost laptops for its school children. The machines will be based on the Intel Classmate laptop that has been designed for school children. Many see the deal as a blow for the One Laptop Per Child organization that has also been introducing its child- friendly machine to developing nations.
【小题1】 Which of the following is TRUE about the mini-laptop?

 Recently, online high schools in America have sparked (激发) a debate about whether or not taxpayers’ money should be used to support online education. Online schools receive the same amount of funding as all other public schools, even though they don’t have to pay for rent or school equipment. States should use their educational funds to improve education at real schools, not to support online programs.

Some students only use online classes to supplement their school work. They benefit from the social experience of a traditional high school, while still taking online courses.

However, about 90 thousand students in America receive their education only from online schools. 50 thousand of these students take courses at Florida Virtual School, the largest online school in the country. While this method of schooling helps students who live in remote regions, most school systems are upset that they are losing more students each year to these online programs. 

Although online learning allows children to work at their own pace, these online schools have only one teacher per several hundred students. Often, teachers can’t give struggling students the help they need as they are unable to talk face-to-face with them, to find exactly what they’re having difficulty with.  

Additionally, even though online schooling accommodates (顾及) students who live in more remote states, students in online programs may suffer in social situations because they will not learn valuable communication skills from their schooling. Similar to students who are home schooled, those who take only online classes won’t learn social etiquette (礼节), and will be treated differently by their peers.

Online schooling might be useful for places where there are not enough students for a real school, such as agricultural regions, but states should only spend taxpayers’ money on online schools in extreme cases.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

2.According to the passage, online schooling _____.

3.According to Paragraph 5, the author worries that students at online schools _____.

4. What is the author’s attitude?

The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. 
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. " A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million    kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Hold away, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.
1. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to      during the 2012 Olympics.
A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites
2. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?
A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.
B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.
C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.
D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.
3. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.
A. take images of the solar system         B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities            D. improve the communications on Earth
4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer
B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger
C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race
D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

Skiping classes violates school rules and a poor attendance record will damage your final mark. But some college students still try every means to escape classes.   The number of these rebels may be much bigger than you think.  Three students from Anhui Normal University established Itaoke. Com in June. The website quickly attracted 2 000 registered members in three months. On the website, students share their experiences of skipping classes and even post ads to look for someone to stand in for them to attend courses.  Its embarrassing for universities to see this shameful behavior discussed:

However，it's good for schools and teachers to know via the website the reasons why students skip classes，according to Professor Xiao Haitao from Shenzhen University: Xao pointed out that some`students skip classes because of laziness.Others play truant because the teaching is truly dissatisfactory,“Universities can seek improvements to give a cure to the class-skipping problem，”said Xiao.

Chen Yang，21，thinks that he is  “forced" to skip some courses because of the poor teaching.  the  senior，majoring in English at Yangtze University, thinks that he's wasting time in the classroom when the teacher reads the textbook word for word or hands him outdated reading materials. He would rather skip classes to study in the library, watch online videos of Harvard or Yale lectures，or sit in on(旁听）other courses he is interested in. Chen draws a clear line between himself and those who skip classes in order to get more sleep or fool around on campus. He emphasized：“I skip classes with a clear goal，which is to probe into areas I'm interested in and broaden my horizons.”

Li Sicen，President of the National Taiwan University，seems to be on Chen's side.  Li claimed that he supported those students who skip classes for good reasons.

However，Professor Xiao warns students that Li is not giving permission for students to skip  classes. Xiao suggests that Li was just showing his understanding of truancy in a limited number of cases.

In Professor Pan Cuiqiong's opinion，students tend to jump to the conclusion that a certain course is boring and useless. "To clear students' misunderstanding，teachers should use materials closely related to students’lives and adapt interactive teaching methods，”said Pan.

Besides offering teachers more training，schools also need to give students different optional courses and ensure that they can attend the courses they are interested in，according to  Professor  Xiao.  Many Chinese students have the experience of being kicked out of an optional course because its size is limited. They are then forced to choose courses they dislike and are likely to skip them. We may learn from Sydney University in Australia.  There aren't any problems with numbers---if a course is popular then there will be more than one class per week.

1.The underlined word“rebels" in Paragraph 1 refers to           

A．students who embarrass their universities

B．students who establish websites

C．students who skip classes

D．students who quarrel with their parents

2.Chen Yang Skips some courses because_       ___.

A．his school is more student-centered

B．he wants to get more sleep

C．he wants to fool around on campus

D．the teaching style needs much improvement

3.According to the passage，we learn that Professor Xiao__     __.

A．is giving permission for students to skip classes

B．thinks it's embarrassing for the three students to establish ltaoke. com

C．thinks the website will help to know why students skip classes

D．claimed that he supported those students who skip classes for good reasons

4.Which of the following measures is NOT mentioned to stop students skipping classes?

A．Teachers should adopt practical materials and flexible teaching methods.

B．Schools should offer teachers more training:

C．Schools need to ensure that students can attend various courses they are interested in.

D．Students should be punished if they skip classes.

   

We invite you to join us this summer for the First ePals Conferencel
Dear ePals Community Member, ePals will hold its first conference
for tech directors and teachers on Tuesday, July 15, in Boston. Our one-day
event is a pre-conference of Alan.
November’s Building Learning Commurities 2008 Conference.
Come see how ePals, the Internet’s largest social learning network, can
transform your classroom,
school and district with our award-winning, safe and protected School
M@ilTM and SchoolBlogTM
offered at no cost.
ePals team members, expert teachers and instructional technology directors will share their
experiences using the ePals Global Community to build 21st Century skills in the classroom.
Among the speakers are:
?       Tim DiScipio, co-founder of ePals, sharing the vision for global collaboration and corporate partnerships with National Geographic, the classmate PC powered by Intel, and the XO from One Laptop Per Child
?       Dr. Kari Stubbs on "ePals 101: Where and How to Start Using Global Collaborative Tools in Project-based Learning." Dr. Stubbs led the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) initiative in Kansas before joining ePals as director of professional development.
?       Dr. Rita Oates on "Accomplishing the New NETS Standards for Students with ePals Tools and Activities." Dr. Oates formerly was in charge of ed tech in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
?       Dr. Laurie Henry, University of Kentucky, talking about literacy(读写能力) issues in the online world
?       Dr. Shelia Gersh, City Colleges of New York, sharing her ePals project as an example of a successful 21st century online educational experience
?       Carol Bar, teacher at Blue Valley High School(KS), "Blogging for Language Acquisition"
?       Adina Popa, teacher at Potowmack Elementary (VA), will speak about schoolwide use of ePals and video conferencing to other classrooms
?       Several district tech directors talking about best practices in implementation(安装) and use in their districts for safe and protected student email and blogs
?       Other classroom teachers sharing their experiences for instructional success in the online community and using free, safe and protected online tools from ePals
Register and get more information at www.epals.com/conference
【小题1】The letter is written to _______.