May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

      These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists．Also, common colleges work more to getthe students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

      For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economymakes parents nervous. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The recent problems that spread from thehousing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans．Solately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aidfor students.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}The Education Department expects the number of highschool graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of thechildren of the baby boom generation finish high school. Thenumber is not expected to start rising again until 2016.

A．Besides, top colleges are facing changesin the population.

B．What contributes to it?

C．But a mistake can be costly if ithappens.

D．But top colleges ignore them．.

E．They have international students whoknow English.

F．It can mean several acceptances tochoose from.

G．They cannot afford college as planned.

    Washington—Wild applause broke out at the Parent Teacher Association national offices when several government spokespeople announced a decision to return the subject of civics(公民学) to high school curricula nationwide.

The decision is symbolic of the new agenda to restore(恢复) the United States Constitution to its pre-Bush-era status. In a joint statement, Senators Harry Reid, Republican of Kentucky, said that the decision proves the two parties can work together on an issue of national importance.

    The announcement came following a series of school strikes organized by parents angered by a recent study by the National Opinion Research Center. The findings showed a total ignorance of government structure and citizens rights by graduating high school seniors.

    Some of the fallacious opinion and beliefs mentioned in this cross-country study included: the president has the power to interpret treaties(条约); the president is not bound（约束） by law; the vice president is independent of all three branches of government; torture（刑讯） is not a punishment and therefore cannot be considered “cruel and unusual”.

    The study noted that many students' political consciousness dated back only three years — in other words, their awareness of constitution rights had been entirely formed during the Bush administration.

    The study also found that students were growing incapable of telling the difference between living figures, historical figures, and corporate-licensed figures such as cartoon characters.

    The revived civics courses will teach students about the structure and function of each branch of government, the theory of checks and balances, theories of the role of government, and constitutional(宪法的) law.

    "We have so much work in front of us." said Los Angeles area high school teacher Roberta Morales. "Trying to develop students' sense of citizenry and the public good and undo so many self-centered individualistic messages will take great effort."

    The number of giraffes is becoming smaller across Africa, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The total population has dropped by 40 percent in the last 15 years. Surprisingly, even scientists haven't given much attention to giraffes. We are learning more about their ecology, but what we know is still way behind what we know about other species. "It's a silent extinction," said Dr. Julian Hennessy, a wildlife scientist.

    "The main reason for the smaller number of giraffes is their loss of living places," said Hennessy, "as an increasing part of land is used for farming. But hunting also has a big influence." You might wonder why hunters would focus on giraffes. First of all, once a giraffe is brought down, there is lots of meat with a small amount of effort. Besides, there is another thing encouraging the hunting. In Tanzania, Hennessy says, the latest word on the street is that eating giraffe meat could cure AIDS. Fresh giraffe heads and bones can be sold at prices of up to $140 per piece.

    Another widespread misconception about giraffes is that they are everywhere. Look at kids' books which are full of giraffes. They are always in zoo collections. They can be seen easily, so you don't think we have to worry about them. But the truth is that they are in danger of extinction. There is a lack of right and true data.

    Hennessy and other researchers are now pulling together the data needed to improve the situation of the entire giraffe species and all nine subspecies (亚种). The information will be used to change the giraffe's listing on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, which now lists the species as of "least concern" but two subspecies as "endangered". "It's a lot of work to gather the necessary information," Hennessy says. "And several other giraffe subspecies will be recommended for endangered listings next year or the year after." He hopes that the world will finally start to take notice of how endangered these beloved animals have become.

    There are about 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs(瓢虫)in the world. They are also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles. They come in many different colors and patterns, but the best-known in North America is the seven-spotted ladybug, with its shiny, red-and-black body.

    In many cultures, ladybugs are thought to be good luck. Most people like them because they are pretty, lovely and do no harm to human beings. But farmers love them because they eat aphids and other plant-eating pests. One ladybug can eat up 5,000 insects in its lifetime!

    Most ladybugs have dome-shaped bodies with six short legs. Depending on the kind, they can have spots, stripes, or nothing at all. Seven-spotted ladybugs are red or orange with three spots on each side and one in the middle. They have a black head. Ladybugs are colorful for a reason. They tell the enemy: "Eat something else! I taste terrible." When threatened, they may play dead. Birds are ladybugs' main predators(天敌), but they are also eaten by frogs, spiders, and dragonflies.

    Ladybugs are happy in many different places, including grasslands, forests, cities, suburbs, and along rivers. Seven-spotted ladybugs are native to Europe but were brought to North America in the mid-1900s.

    Ladybugs are most active from spring until fall. When the weather turns cold, they look for a warm place to hibernate, such as in rotting logs, under rocks, or even inside houses. These hibernating places can have thousands of ladybugs.

    The name "ladybug" was given by European farmers who prayed to the Virgin Mary when pests began eating their crops. After ladybugs came and wiped out the invading insects, the farmers named them "beetle of Our Lady". This later was shortened to "lady beetle" and "ladybug".

    Vinegar is great. It makes salad, fries and dumplings taste better, and you can even clean your windows with it. And now, according to scientists, it may even help the planet's population survive climate change.

    Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan have found that growing plants in vinegar makes them more resistant to droughts. This could mean that in the future, worries about climate change affecting the world's supply of food will be much lower.

    The discovery was made after the researchers studied the Arabidopsis, a plant known for its ability to survive in dry weather. It was found that when the plant was placed in drought-like conditions, it produced a chemical called acetate(醋酸盐)—the main component of vinegar.

    After discovering this, the scientists experimented further by adding acetate to the soil of other plants, and they stopped giving them water completely. After leaving the plants for 14 days, they found that the ones treated with acetate had survived, while the untreated plants had dried up and died. It's hoped that this simple method of survival could soon be used to help farmers in dry countries keep their crops alive.

    Jong Myong Kim, co-author of the study, tells Popular Science magazine that he's already been in touch with people all over the world who are interested in trying this simple and cost-effective method out for themselves from flower growing companies to amateur gardeners. Although at this point keeping thirsty plants alive isn't as easy as just pouring vinegar over them, Kim says he and his team are working on making the process as simple as possible. "Now we are trying to cooperate with some farmers, and also some companies, to make a method to apply this system," he says.

    And for those of us who always forget to ask our neighbors to water our plants when we go away, hopefully this means the end of returning home from a trip to find our favorite flowers have died.

    Benjamin Franklin clearly knew how to get things done. After scanning the long list of Benjamin Franklin's achievements, one can only come to one conclusion that the American man probably never had a wasted day in his life. When he was 84 years old, he became a successful author, printer, politician, postmaster, inventor, musician, and diplomat.

    There's much we can learn from Benjarin Frankin's work habits and opinions on life that can increase our own productivity. Here are some ways Franklin overcame lazy, wasted days.

    Start a group and share knowledge. When Franklin was 21, he was a struggling printer in Philadelphia. To increase his connections and to learn more about his industry, he created a group. The group was in great need of books, but books were expensive. Franklin helped start a library where books were bought and lent to members. This sharing of knowledge, experience, and connections helped Franklin become a famous and respected printer in Philadelphia.

    Attack opportunities. "To succeed," Franklin wrote," jump as quickly at opportunities as you can." We can all agree, but when an opportunity comes we often look the other way. It's because the opportunity isn't dressed the way we expect. We often think that the opportunity was only in the form of a golden egg or a million-dollar lottery ticket or a new job offer. But more often than not, the opportunity comes in smaller, less beautiful packages.

    Time is something in short supply. Franklin wrote "Lost time is never found again." This may sound like it came from the pen of a poet, but it's really an inspirational call to action. Franklin worked, created, and lived knowing that time is scarce. He never put off his work.

    While Franklin was an able inventor we can be sure that his notebook contained a few unsuccessful ideas. Franklin wrote, "Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out."