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．
【小题1】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

【小题2】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

【小题3】What's the government's attitude toward charter schools?

A．Doubtful

B．Supportive.

C．Subjective．

D．Optimistic．

【小题4】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．

【小题5】It can be interred from the text that ___.

A．charter schools are part of the public 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

Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places.
·Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids’interest. Many offer workshops（作坊）for making land-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writer, and even musical performances and other arts.
·Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龙) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up.
·Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet(木偶)making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find.
·Try hands-on science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They’ll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums.
【小题1】If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit            .

A．a Youtheater	B．an art museum
C．a natural history museum	D．a hands-on science museum

【小题2】What can kids do at a Youtheater?

A．Look at rock collections.	B．See dinosaur models.
C．Watch puppet making.	D．Give performances.

【小题3】What does “hands-on science” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Science games designed by kids.	B．Learning science by doing things.
C．A show of kids’ science work.	D．Reading science books.

【小题4】Where does this text probably come from?

A．A science textbook.	B．A tourist map.
C．A museum guide.	D．A news report.

Cholera is a water-borne disease that is spread through polluted water and food. Cholera is an illness caused by the bacterium. It produces a poison that causes a painless , watery diarrhea( 痢疾)  that can quickly lead to severe dehydration（脱水） and death if treatment is not given. Most persons infected with cholera do not become ill, although the bacterium is present in their waste for 7-14 days. When this illness does strike, more than 90% of the time is not severe and is difficult to tell from other types of diarrhea. Less than 10% of sick persons develop cholera with signs of moderate or severe dehydration.
A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food polluted with the cholera bacterium. The disease can spread rapidly in areas without the proper treatment of drinking water. The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in dirty rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish eaten raw have been a source of cholera. Therefore, the disease is not likely to spread directly from one person to another.
Cholera can be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Patients can be treated by being given a mixture of sugar and salt to be mixed with water and drunk in large amount. Antibiotics(抗生素) shorten the course and decrease the severity of the illness. To avoid cholera, we should eat well-cooked food instead of raw food.
【小题1】If a person infected with cholera less than 7 days，he would probably   .
A. die  B.  become sick  C remain healthy  D suffer from watery diarrhea
【小题2】Which statement is true according to the passage?
A Cholera can spread directly from one person to another.
B. Eating raw food can help stop cholera.
C. Cholera is caused by watery diarrhea.
D. Polluted water and food can help spread cholera.
【小题3】 Cholera can be treated by         .

A．replacing the blood in the body.

B．eating a lot of water mixed with sugar and salt and using antibiotics.

C．eating a large amount of sugar and salt

D．drinking a lot of water and eating a large amount of food.

【小题4】In order to avoid cholera, people should         .
A inject antibiotics     B eat the food thoroughly cooked
C eat raw food      D. avoid meeting other people

Word Power
Author（s）: Kaplan $13,95
You'll never be at a loss for words again．Energize your vocabulary with must-know everyday words that are the essentials of a good vocabulary, engaging lessons to help you use words in text, hot words often found on tests, tips to help you figure out new words, roots, and more．
Grades: 8 & up Ages: 13 & up
Word Smart Junior
Author（s）: Russell Stauffer $ 17．95
Now this is the way to add new words to your vocabulary! Word Smart Junior will make you laugh so much．You'll be amazed that you've just learned more than 120 fascinating and very useful words! Parents, teachers, and friends will marvel at your eloquence （口才）!
Grades: 3-5 Ages: 8-10
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Author（s）: Marcia Reynolds $ 16．85
Do you quake when your teacher says, "Now it's time for grammar"? Do your verbs agree with your subjects?
Fear no more! A big Hollywood producer and a famous movie star will help you learn all those nasty （讨厌的） elements of grammar．You'll be amazed at how quickly you learn, and how much fun it can be．You'll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards and you'll never have to worry about it again．
Grades: 7-9 Ages: 12-14
Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage
Author（s）: Julian Fleisher $ 12．68
The words you use say a lot about you ．．．but the way you put them together says even more．Your grammar makes an immediate and lasting impression on your teachers, and even your friends．So don't make the mistake of thinking that grammar is too complicated．We've created Grammar Smart to help you write and speak with clarity and confidence．
Grades: 6-8 Ages: 11-13
【小题1】If a ten-year-old boy wants himself to be admired because of his speech ability, he may buy ____．

A．Word Power

B．Word Smart Junior

C．Grammar Smart Junior

D．Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage

【小题2】By saying "You'll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards", the writer means "_____"．

A．You will be clearly familiar with grammar

B．You will know the history of grammar

C．You will know the make-up of grammar

D．You will learn about the future of grammar

【小题3】The four books are all about ____．

A．fiction and mysteries	B．parenting and teaching
C．literature and arts	D．language study

Cheating is when a person misleads, deceives or acts dishonestly on purpose. 【小题1】If a basketball team is for kids under 8,it's cheating for a 9-year-old play on the team. At school, in addition to cheating on a test, a kid might cheat by stealing someone else's idea for a science project. 【小题2】This kind of cheating is called plagiarizing (抄袭).
【小题3】Jeff is doing it by sneaking answers to a test. And it's also cheating to break the rules of a game or contest or to pretend something is yours when it isn't. When people cheat, it's not fair to other people.
It's tempting(诱惑人的) to cheat because it makes difficult things seem easy, like getting all the right answer on the rest. 【小题4】And it won't help on the next test-unless the person cheats again.
【小题5】They want to get good grades but hate hard work. Other kids might feel like they can't pass the test without cheating. Even though there seems to be a "good reason" for cheating, cheating isn't a good idea.

A．Some kids cheat because they're lazy.

B．Cheating can happen in a lot of different ways.

C．But it doesn't solve the problem of not knowing the material.

D．Some kids cheat once and feel so bad that they never do it again.

E. For kids, cheating may happen at school, at home, or while playing a sport.
F. There are plenty of reasons why a kid shouldn't cheat, but some kids have already cheated.
G. Kids may also cheat by copying a book report off the Internet and handing it in as it's his or her original work.