He told a story about his sister who was in a sad ______ when she was ill and had no money.

She______scarlet fever when she was a baby and lost her eyesight.

Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career, including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound (为地球引力所束缚的) experience in the summer of 1980,when he participated in the NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss, then a science teacher at West Point, was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion (推进) lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal on the space shuttle was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seals could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them. "I worked a bit with NASA engineers," says Voss, "but I did it mostly by analysis. I used a handheld calculator, not a computer, to do a thermodynamic (热力学) analysis." At the end of the summer, he, like the other NASA-ASEE fellows working at Marshall, summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA, deepened his desire to fly in space, and intensified his application for astronaut status. It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly, and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year-old Army officer, who lives in Houston, is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000. Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. "It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA, and establishes a link with our colleges and universities," Voss explains. "There is an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important." For the academic side, Voss says, the ASEE program also "brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real-world problems and take it back to the classroom." Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle?

After an hour's discussion

The animal dissection requirement of biology classes has been getting under the skin of students for generations, and there have always been some who asked to be excused from the requirement. Now, a growing number of technological alternatives are making it possible for students to swap that scalpel for a computer mouse. There are laws in nearly a dozen states—including California, Florida, New York—protecting a student's choice to learn about animal anatomy sans scalpel. Some students choosing to opt out feel we should be kinder to our web-footed friends. Others are just queasy at the thought of rubbery frog bodies and the smell of formaldehyde. "Dissection is icky. There's a yuck factor." admits Brian Shmaersky, a board member with the National Association of Biology Teachers. "And a teacher has to weigh the benefits with the cost of students being offended to the point that it interferes with learning." Virtual blades. So for cases in which a real dissection would be too slimy, it's time to try some toad tech. While the first computer-based alternatives to dissection emerged in the 1980s, modem frog dissection software can be found at different websites. These software programs use creative clicking, high-powered zoom functions, and video clips to teach anatomy. Froguts software, for example, lets students trace incision lines with a computer mouse and snip through skin with a virtual blade. There are even sound effects like a "slish" for slicing frog flesh, or a "shwoosh" for pinning down skin flaps. (Schools currently pay about $ 300 for a one-year software license, though some organizations will lend programs out free of charge.) Earlier this year, a graduate student from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver designed the first-ever haptic (the Greek word for "touch") frog dissection program, which uses a penlike tool to create a sensation similar to cutting into real flesh. The hand-held device connects to a computer, and students move the device through the air while watching the results of their actions on a computer screen. With Digital Frog—a popular program that's had approximately 1,500 frog demo downloads since January and is currently in use in 2, 000 schools—students can add or subtract those amphibious organs with a mere mouse click. They can then assess their learning with sporadic frog anatomy quizzes. "Repetition is helpful. The fact that a student can review sections of a program over and over again is important," says Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States. "In dissections, the animal's organs are all shriveled and discolored. You look for things and can't find them because body parts have changed drastically since the animal was killed. But on a computer screen, layers can be digitally peeled away." Other experts think the dissection technology has its limits. Gerry Wheeler, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, says that artificial simulations don't give as enriching an experience as the real thing. Still others worry the programs are depriving kids of experiential learning. The word "swap" (Line 3, Paragraph 1) most probably means ______.

Since she was accustomed to having her own room

They often resort to listening Emo music as a release or escape but little ______ they know that it would just make matters worse.

In the United States and in many other countries around the world, there are four main ways for people to be【C1】______about developments in the news: newspapers, magazines, and radio or television news broadcasts. A person may use one, or all, of these【C2】______for information. Each source is useful in its【C3】______way. Newspapers and magazines can give much information about a particular event. They may【C4】______some history of the event, some of its【C5】______, some of its effects, or perhaps give an【C6】______or point of view on a particular development. Radio and television can help a person to be well informed about what is happening each day. It is also【C7】______to listen to radio or watch TV【C8】______do something else at the same time. Many people can listen to the news on their car radio while driving【C9】______. For the student of English as a foreign language, an English language newspaper may be the most helpful news source that will also【C10】______you practice in reading English. Most daily English language newspapers are not very hard to find. They are interesting and helpful in many【C11】______In some of them, you may be able to find news about your【C12】______country. You will find news and information about important national and international political【C13】______.【C14】______what you are interested in, you can probably find something in the newspaper about it. A(n)【C15】______in the newspaper may help you solve a problem. Other stories may be about good movies, concerts, or TV shows. Usually, an English language newspaper has several【C16】______or parts. Each part of the newspaper【C17】______stories about different kinds of news. Some sections have a lot of advertisements which may be helpful if you want to save money. By reading the advertisements, you may find something you want【C18】______sale. Or you may find that two stories are advertising the【C19】______thing, but at one store the price is lower. Other sections may have【C20】______advertisements or have only a specific type of advertisement to interest the people."

It is high time that this wrong spending ______.

The judgment that cigarette smoking is hazardous to health is the result of more than 30 years of re

His ______ in gambling has eventually brought about his ruin.

News reports say peace talks between the two countries ______ with no agreement reached.

The______of a cultural phenomenon is usually a logical consequence of some physical aspect in the life style of the people.

In the wake of 11 September, Visionics

Directions: em>China is now faced with a dilemma

Most parents prize the diversity within their children's public schools. They know that learning to cooperate and excel in a diverse, real-world setting is a key to success in the 21st-century workplace and marketplace. But how "diverse" and "real-world" is a school that does not have any minority teachers? The bad news today is that some 40 percent of America's public schools have no teachers of color. The good news is that we have an opportunity to recruit and encourage more Americans of color to enter the teaching profession. And our success in doing so can have a powerfully positive impact on student achievement. Obviously, a teacher's effectiveness depends, first and foremost, on his or her skills and high expectations, not on the teacher's color. Yet we also know that children of color—40 percent of the student population and rising—benefit in important ways by having some teachers who look like them, who share similar cultural experiences, and who serve as role models demonstrating that education and achievement are things to be respected. Bear in mind that teachers do not teach only facts and "content". They also model appropriate behaviors and teach by personal example. And for many children, the teachers and other adults in their school are the most important authority figures outside of their home. So it is important to expose children to a diverse teaching staff—and to diverse role models—within each of our schools. Where we have an urban school with an all-minority staff or a suburban school with an all-white staff, we are giving students a stunted educational experience. Issues of diversity are especially relevant today, as public schools are redoubling their commitment to raising standards and closing achievement gaps. We need to seize every opportunity to boost the achievement of poor and minority students. I believe—and an impressive body of research confirms—that recruiting and retaining more minority teachers can be crucial to our success. NEA has made it a core strategic priority to increase the recruitment and retention of teachers of diverse backgrounds. Beyond NEA's own programs, we are joining with other organizations to create the National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teacher Workforce. But we can't do it alone. States and school districts need to develop programs to assist teacher's aides—large numbers of whom are minorities—to advance their education and become fully licensed teachers. Other programs can reach out to minorities still in school, offering encouragement and incentives to enter the teaching profession. At the same time, states must ensure that relevant tests do not bar promising minority candidates from entering the profession. In a school ______, students will learn how to survive successfully in a competitive society.

The small mountain village was ______ by the snow for more than one month.

Science and technology actually help to ______ the useful and pleasant parts of traditional culture.

By the end of the Middle Ages the technological systems called cities had long since become a central feature of Western life. In 1600 London and Amsterdam each had populations of more than 100,000, and twice that number【C1】______in Paris. Also, the Dutch, English, Spanish, and French were beginning to【C2】______global empires.【C3】______and trade produced a【C4】______merchant class that helped to【C5】______an increasing desire for such【C6】______as wine, coffee, tea, cocoa, and tobacco. These merchants set a【C7】______of life aspired to by the wider populace.【C8】______the beginning of the 18th century, capital resources and banking systems were well enough established in Great Britain to【C9】______investment in mass-production【C10】______that would satisfy some of these middle-class aspirations. The Industrial Revolution【C11】______in England, because that nation had the technological means, government encouragement, and a large and varied trade【C12】______. The first factories【C13】______in 1740, concentrating on【C14】______production. In 1740 the majority of English people wore woolen garments, but【C15】______the next 100 years the rough, often waterlogged and unhealthy woolens were【C16】______by cotton—especially after the【C17】______of the cotton gin(轧棉机)by Eli Whitney, an American, in 1793. One of the most important innovations in the weaving process was【C18】______in France in 1801 by Joseph Jacquard; his loom used cards with holes punched in them to determine the placement of threads in the warp(弯曲). This use of punched cards inspired the British mathematician Charles Babbage to attempt to【C19】______a calculating machine based on the same principle. Although this machine never became fully practical, it【C20】______the great computer revolution of the 20th century."