About ten percent of spending on primary and secondary education in the United States comes from the federal government{#blank#}1{#/blank#} States have been required to show progress through yearly testing.

    But states say testing tells only part of the story about efforts by schools and students to improve. So the Obama administration has eased the limits in states in measuring performance.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This new measurement tool is called the Colorado Growth Model. The ideas is to show academic growth, not just achievement on tests. It combines test scores, family income levels, school size, the ethnicity of the student and many other factors.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The graph shows a school's average score on standardized tests as well as its academic growth.

    On average, students enter sixth grade at WEST Denver Prep performing below grade level{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The new assessment(评价) method shows that, each year, the average West Denver Prep student learns more math than ninety-four percent of all the students in Colorado{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Josh Smith says perhaps the most important thing they should learn is to believe in themselves.

A. The results from schools across the state are shown online on a graph.

B. Reading and writing scores also show growth.

C. For ten years now, federal law has tied this spending to student performance.

D. Therefore, the government feels it a great pressure.

E. But three years later, most are outperforming other students across the state.

F. However, the limits don't work at all.

G. The western state of Colorado, for example, has a new assessment method.

    Communicating with elderly parents is an important part of making sure they're doing okay.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It's important to set aside time every week to call up or drop by and see how your parents are doing.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Also listen for the things they're not telling you, such as health problems or money worries.

    Your parents might be slower and less active than before.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}It's important to respect this. Don't think that your elderly parents can't take care of their needs unless there are clear signs that this is the case. Remember, your elderly parents always care about being treated as someone who matters.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Also you must keep your words simple and often ask your elderly parents whether they've really understood. If you realize your parents need to make a major change, like moving to a nursing home, talk about such future issues early in small steps. Ask them about their plans for the future and what they hope. When you get a feel for what they prefer, you can slowly mention the topic of starting to make such changes.

    Accepting the generation gap (代沟) is also important.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}For most people, making changes to their lifestyles, their opinions and their beliefs gets much harder as they age. Your views might differ a lot, but it's best to agree to disagree.

A. Bring happiness into your parents' life.

B. Be clear when you explain anything to your parents.

C. However, they're still able to make their own decisions.

D. Know their daily happenings and ask them what they're doing.

E. Though life is busy, remember to stay in touch with your parents.

F. Your parents have been doing things a certain way for a long time.

G. Be prepared to find suitable advisers that your parents might need.

    Green lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular nowadays.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}You don't have to completely change the way you live, you just need to make a few small changes. From recycling to green shopping, each small change you make can really make a difference. Here are some benefits of living a green lifestyle.

    Help the environment. By being energy-efficient and using green products you can reduce your influence on the environment. You can help preserve our natural resources and reduce pollution.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It does feel very rewarding when you start making positive changes and feeling as though you're making a difference to such an important cause.

    Live a healthier life. If more people commit to being green then we'll be able to live in a healthier environment, with less pollution and better air quality. You're also more likely to make better choices when it comes to food and you could find yourself leading a more active lifestyle. Growing your own vegetables is a very healthy way to live as well as buying green, natural foods. Cycling and walking to places instead of using your car can have a big influence.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Save money on bills. You can greatly reduce your energy bills by using energy efficient equipment.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Recycling is also another great way of saving money and helping the environment.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Once you have picked up some good tips and green living techniques you can pass them on to other people. You can also talk to friends and family and inform them of the benefits of going green. Your children will grow up understanding the importance of living a green lifestyle and will learn how to reduce their influence on the environment.

A. Educate others.

B. Meet like-minded people.

C. It will also make you much fitter.

D. There are lots of ways of saving money.

E. You can also do your part for wildlife conservation.

F. Living a green lifestyle isn't as hard as it might seem.

G. If you grow your own produce, you needn't spend as much on food.

    For over one hundred and fifty years, Americans of all social classes have worn blue jeans. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whether they are worn for work or for fashion today. Strauss' invention continues to be popular not only among Americans but also among people around the world.

    Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}He grew up in Kentucky before moving to New York in 1847. Before becoming an American citizen and moving to the West in 1853, Strauss worked in his brother's dry goods business. This gave him a chance to produce his famous invention. After the gold rush of 1849, Strauss decided to move to the West to seek his fortunes.

    Strauss did not want to be a person who searched an area for minerals. Instead, he knew he could make a good living by selling supplies to the miners. At first, he planned to sell sewing supplies and cloth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}When he heard miners complaining that their clothes were easily broken or they usually tore their pockets during mining, he decided to use a special fabric to make pants for the miners. These pants proved so popular that he quickly ran out of materials to make more.

    In 1873, Strauss received a letter from a Jewish tailor named Jacob Davis who had invented a process of connecting pockets with copper rivets(铆钉). This made the pants last a long time. Because Davis did not have the money to patent his idea, he offered to share it with Strauss if Strauss would agree to pay for the patent. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    By the time Strauss died in 1902, he had made a great contribution to American fashion. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The business has been growing ever since and Levi Strauss' company is now one of the largest clothing companies in the world.

A. As a young boy, he moved with his family to the United States.

B. Nobody knew what kind of material was suitable.

C. He did and Levi jeans have been made with metal rivets ever since.

D. However, he did not get much business for those products.

E. He also made a great contribution to America's clothing industry.

F. Since they were invented by Levi Strauss, they have become a symbol of American consumer culture.

G. As the business grew, Strauss got much money from it.

Useful Memory Strategies

    Form associations between new and remembered information. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, then you can increase the chance that new memories will be formed. Try coming up with a familiar picture, song, joke, or rhyme that you can associate with the new material. Form a picture in your mind that includes the new fact.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. It may be boring, but simply repeating new information over and over in different ways will help it stick in your brain better, especially if you space out the repetition over time. For example, if you're trying to remember the definition of a new word, read it several times to yourself. Then speak the definition out loud a couple times, and try writing it down once or twice.

    Teach someone else the information you're trying to learn. Teaching others can help you remember and understand things better. Find a classmate or co-worker who needs to learn the same information, form a study group, and take turns teaching each other different concepts.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}!

    Test yourself after learning something new.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. You have to actually practice finding the information from your memory in order to strengthen the connections within your brain. Be sure to immediately check your answers to make sure you've got them right. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, you will be more likely to remember it incorrectly in the future as well, so instantly correct yourself and repeat the right answer a few more times.

A. If you answer something wrong

B. After the basic information is right

C. Repeat new facts as soon as you come across them

D. If you can link new ideas with previously established ones

E. Simply re-reading the same information isn't good enough

F. Then keep trying effective methods and cooperation with others

G. Alternately, ask your friends if they're willing to learn something new from you

How to Grow Organic Tomatoes in a Container

    Anyone who has seen tomatoes growing in a garden knows that they tend to be huge plants. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So the first thing to do when considering growing tomatoes in a pot is to find a suitable variety.

    After you find the perfect plant, it is time to plant it. In general, plastic or fiberglass pots are best for growing tomatoes. They don't dry out quickly. While tomatoes love heat, they don't like being dry. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Besides, tomatoes need to grow in a reasonably large pot. A pot must be 8 inches deep. That's the absolute minimum. A 12- or 16-inch pot is even better.

    Any good quality organic potting soil works for tomatoes. Don't use soil dug directly from the garden. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Compost-based soil, whether purchased or mixed from your special recipe, is nice. When planting the tomato, put some soil in the bottom of the pot and set the plant in. After you have the plant set at the proper level, fill in around it with soil. The soil should go up to about an inch below the rim of the pot to allow room for watering.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The best way to tell when to water is to stick your finger into the soil­if the first two inches are dry, it's time to water.

    The trickiest thing about growing tomatoes in a pot is that they are heavy feeders. Every time you water, you wash nutrients out of the soil. So fertilize (施肥) regularly. Once a month is good. But every other week, applying the fertilizer at half-strength is better. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It is too heavy for container gardens.

B. That's why clay pots are popular.

C. Instead, use whatever soil you can get.

D. And dry soil can reduce fruit production.

E. This provides constant nutrients for the tomato plants.

F. They require people's much work to stay manageable.

G. Tomatoes don't like being dry, so water them regularly.