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Text1 Untilrecentlythemainvillainsofthepiecehadseemedtobetheteachers’unionswhohaveopposedanysortofreformoraccountability.Nowtheyfacecompetitionfromanunexpectedlydestructiveforce:thecourt.FiftyyearsagoitwasthejudgeswhoforcedtheschoolstodesegregatethroughBrownv.BoardofEducation1954.Nowthecourtshavemovedfrombroadprinciplestomicromanagementtellingschoolshowmuchmoneytospendandwhere—rightdowntothecorrectcomputerortextbook Twenty-fourstatesarecurrentlystuckinvariouscourtcasestodowithfinancingschoolsystemsandanother21haveonlyrecentlysettledvarioussuits.Mostwillstartagainsoon.Onlyfivestateshaveavoidedlitigationentirely. NothingexemplifiesthepowerofthecourtsbetterthananIl-year-oldcasethatisduetobesettledsortofinNewYorkCitythehomeofAmerica’sbiggestschoolsystemwith1.lmstudentsandabudgetnearing$13billion.AttheendofthismonththreeelderlymembersoftheNewYorkbarservingasjudicialrefereesareduetoruleinacasebroughtbytheCampaignforFiscalEquityaleftishadvocacygroupagainstthestateofNewYork:theywilldecidehowmuchmoremustbespenttoprovideeveryNewYorkCitypupilwitha"soundbasic"education. Rareisthepoliticianwillingtoarguethatmoremoneyforschoolsisabadthing.ButarethecourtsdoinganygoodTwosuspicionsarise.Firstjudgesaremakingalazyassumptionthatmoremoneymeansbetterschools.Astheinternationalresultsshowthelinkbetween"inputs"and"outputs"isvague—somethingwelldocumentedbyamongothersthelateSenatorDanielPatrickMoynihanofNewYork.Secondthecourtsaremuddlinganalreadymuddledsystem.Overtimetheyhavegenerallymadeithardertogetridofdisruptivepupilsandbadteachers. Thecurrentcasecouldbeevenworse.Thecourtshavealreadysaidthatinordertodeterminethenecessaryspendingtheymayconsidereverythingfromclasssizetotheavailabilityofcomputerstextbooksandevenpencils.Thisdegreeofinterventionisallthemorescandalousbecausethecourtshaveweirdlydecidedtoignoreanothersetof"inputs"—thearchaicworkpracticesofschoolteachersandjanitors.DavidSchoenbrodandRossSandlerofNewYorkLawSchoolreckonthedemandsofthecourtwillsimplyunderminereformandtransformanexpensivefailureintoamoreexpensiveone. Andofcoursethelitigationneverends.Kentuckyforexampleisstillincourt16yearsafterthefirstdecision.AlawsuitfirstfiledagainstNewJerseyforitsfundingofschoolsin1981was"decided"fouryearslater—butithasreturnedtothecourtninetimessinceincludingearlythisyearwitheachdecisionpushingthecourtdeeperintothemanagementofthestate’sschools.Badjudgesareevenhardertobootoutofschoolthanbadpupils. InputsasusedinthetextrefertoallofthefollowingExcept
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.15
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 9
Text4 Untilrecentlythecommonfactorinallthescienceusedtofigureoutifapieceofartwasforgedwasthatitwasconcernedwiththemediumoftheartworkratherthantheartitself.MattersofstyleandformwerelefttoarthistorianswhocouldmakeeruditebutqualitativejudgmentsaboutwhetherapaintingwasreallygoodenoughtobesayaLeonardo.Butthisischanging.Apaperinthisweek’sProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesbyHanyFaridandhiscolleaguesatDartmouthCollegeinNewHampshireusesstatisticaltechniquestoexamineartitself—themessagenotthemedium. Dr.Faridemployedatechniquecalledwaveletanalysistoexamine13drawingsthathadatonetimeoranotherbeenattributedtoPieterBruegeltheEldera16th-centuryFlemishpainter.HealsolookedatPerugino’s"MadonnawithChild"a15th-centuryItalianmasterpiecelodgedinthecollege’sHoodMuseumofArt.HeconcludedinagreementwitharthistoriansthateightoftheputativeBruegelsareauthenticwhiletheotherfiveareimitations.Inthecaseof"MadonnawithChild"heanalysedthesixfacesinthepaintingMarytheinfantJesusandseveralsaintsandfoundthatthreeofthemwereprobablydonebythesamepainterwhiletheotherthreewereeachdonebyadifferenthand.TheviewthatfourdifferentpaintersworkedonthecanvasishesaysconsistentwiththeviewofsomearthistoriansthatPerugino’sapprenticesdidmuchoftheworkalthoughthereisnoclearconsensusamongarthistorians. Asscepticswilldoubtlesspointoutthisisasmallnumberofimages.FurthermoreDr.Faridknewbeforeperformingtheanalysiswhatresultsheexpected.Butheisthefirsttoacknowledgethatitisearlydaysforhismethodology.Hehopestostudymanymorepaintings.BylookingatlargenumbersofpaintingsthatareuniversallybelievedtobeauthenticDr.Faridhopestobeabletoexaminedoubtfulcaseswithconfidenceinthefuture EvenwiththeBruegels—realandimitation—thoughDr.Farid’sresultsarepersuasive. istrickytodescribeexactlywhatitisthatdistinguishestherealonesfromtheimitationsbutDr.Fetidsaysthatitcanbethoughtofasthenatureoftheartist’sbrushstroke.UnlikesomeanalysesofJacksonPollock’sworkthathavebeendoneoverthepastfewyearsbyRichardTayloroftheUniversityofOregonDr.Faridsayshistechniquecouldinprinciplebeusedforanyartist. WhatDr.Fariddidwastoconverteachworkofartintoasetofmathematicalfunctions.Theseso-calledwaveletsdescribeparticularpartsoftheimageasaseriesofpeaksandtroughsofvariableheightandwavelength.Byexpressinganimagethiswayitispossibletocompressthatimagewhilelosingverylittleinformation.Thesumsofthewaveletsfromdifferentimagescanthenbecompared.OncehedidthisDr.FaridfoundthatthetypesofwaveletsusedtoexpressauthenticBruegelswerenoticeablydifferentfromthoseusedtoexpresstheimitations.ThePeruginowasanalysedbytreatingthesixfacesasdistinctpaintings.Itseemsthatcuratorsmaysoonbeabletoaddanotherweapontotheiranti-forgeryarsenal. Theauthor'sattitudetowardsDr.Farid'sworkisthatof
A."Fordecadesthecognitiveandneuralscienceshavetreatedmentalprocessesasthoughtheyinvolvedpassingdiscretepacketsofinformationinastrictlyfeed-forwardfashionfromonecognitivemoduletothenextorinastringofindividuatedbinarysymbols—likeadigitalcomputer"saidSpivey."Morerecentlyhoweveragrowingnumberofstudiessuchasourssupportdynamical-systemsapproachestothemind.Inthismodelperceptionandcognitionaremathematicallydescribedasacontinuoustrajectorythroughahigh-dimensionalmentalspace;theneuralactivationpatternsflowbackandforthtoproducenonlinearself-organizedemergentproperties—likeabiologicalorganism.’ B.Thecomputermetaphordescribescognitionasbeinginaparticulardiscretestateforexample"onoroff"orinvaluesofeitherzerooroneandinastaticstateuntilmovingon.Iftherewasambiguitythemodelassumedthatthemindjumpstheguntoonestateortheotherandifitrealizesitiswrongitthenmakesacorrection. C.Inhisstudy42studentslistenedtoinstructionstoclickonpicturesofdifferentobjectsonacomputerscreen.Whenthestudentsheardawordsuchas"candle"andwerepresentedwithtwopictureswhosenamesdidnotsoundalikesuchasacandleandajacketthetrajectoriesoftheirmousemovementswerequitestraightanddirectlytothecandle.Butwhenthestudentsheard"candle"andwerepresentedwithtwopictureswithsimilarlysoundingnamessuchascandleandcandytheywereslowertoclickonthecorrectobjectandtheirmousetrajectoriesweremuchmorecurved.Spiveysaidthatthelistenersstartedprocessingwhattheyheardevenbeforetheentirewordwasspoken. D.InanewstudypublishedonlinethisweekinProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesJune27—July1MichaelSpiveyapsycholinguistandassociateprofessorofpsychologyatCornelltrackedthemousemovementsofundergraduatestudentswhile workingatacomputer.Thefindingsprovidecompellingevidencethatlanguagecomprehensionisacontinuousprocess. E.Whereastheoldermodelsoflanguageprocessingtheorizedthatneuralsystemsprocesswordsinaseriesofdiscretestagesthealternativemodelsuggeststhatsensoryinputisprocessedcontinuouslysothatevenpartiallinguisticinputcanstart"thedynamiccompetitionbetweensimultaneouslyactiverepresentations.’ F."Whentherewasambiguitytheparticipantsbrieflydidn’tknowwhichpicturewascorrectandsoforseveraldozenmillisecondstheywereinmultiplestatesatonce.Theydidn’tmoveallthewaytoonepictureandthencorrecttheirmovementiftheyrealizedtheywerewrongbutinsteadtheytraveledthroughanintermediategrayarea"explainedSpivey."Thedegreeofcurvatureofthetrajectoryshowshowmuchtheotherobjectiscompetingfortheirinterpretation;thecurveshowscontinuouscompetition.Theysortofpartiallyheardthewordbothwaysandtheirresolutionoftheambiguitywasgradualratherthandiscrete~it’sadynamicalsystem.’ G."Inthinkingofcognitionasworkingasabiologicalorganismdoesontheotherhandyoudonothavetobeinonestateoranotherlikeacomputerbutcanhavevaluesinbetween—youcanbepartiallyinonestateandanotherandtheneventuallygravitatetoauniqueinterpretationasinfinallyrecognizingaspokenword"Spiveysaid. Order: 45
StephenM.SalandchairmanoftheStateSenateEducationCommitteeisaconservativeupstateRepublicanandStevenSanderschairmanoftheAssemblyEducationCommitteeisaliberalNewYorkCityDemocrat.Butwhenitcomestoeducationtheyhavemuchincommon.NeitherisafanofthefederalNoChildLeftBehindLawanditsextensivetestingmandates.Bothsaythatstandardizedtestsaretoodominantinpublicschoolstoday. ThathasattimesputthetwoeducationchairmeninconflictwiththestateeducationcommissionerRichardP.Mills.46Duringhis10-yeartenureDr.MillshasturnedNewYorkintooneofthemosttest-drivenpublicsystemsinthenationrequiringstudentstopassfivestateteststograduate. 47Formonthsnowthelegislativeleadersandthecommissionerhavebeenlockedinalittle-noticedfightoverthefutureof28smallalternativepublichighschoolsafightthatmaywellbethefinalstandforopponentsofstandardizedtestinginNewYork. SenatorSalandandAssemblymanSandersaredoingtheirbesttoprotecttheseschoolsinNewYorkCityUrbanAcademyManhattanInternationalIthacaLehmanAlternativeandRochesterSchoolWithoutWallsandhelpthemretaintheirdistinctiveeducationalapproach.48InsteadofthestandardsurveycoursesinglobalstudiesAmericanhistorybiologyandchemistrypeggedtostateteststheseschoolsfavorcoursesthatgointomoredepthonnarrowertopics.AtUrbanAcademytherearecoursesinMiddleEastconflictsworldreligionspost-CivilWarReconstructionandmicrobiology. Inthemid-1990’stheformereducationcommissionerThomasSobolgrantedthese28consortiumschoolsserving16000studentsabout1percentofNewYork’shighschoolpopulationanexemptionfrommoststatetests.ThatpermittedamoreinnovativecurriculumandstudentswereevaluatedviaaportfoliosystemthatreliesonresearchpapersandscienceprojectsreviewedbyoutsideexpertslikeDavidS.ThaleraRockefellerUniversitymicrobiologyprofessorandEricFoneraColumbiahistoryprofessor. TheGatesFoundationwhichhasgivenhundredsofmillionsofdollarstostartsmallhighschoolsnationwideissoimpressedwiththeseschoolsanditregularlysendseducatorstoNewYorktoseehowthey’rerun. ButthetestingexemptionfortheseschoolsisabouttoexpireandCommissionerMillsdoesnotwantitrenewed.Hebelievesthatallstudentswithoutexceptionshouldtakeeverytest. RecentlySenatorSalanddefiedthecommissioner.HeshepherdedabillthroughtheRepublican-controlledSenatethatpassed50to10andwouldcontinuetheseschools’waiversforfouryears.49SenatorSaland’sbilldoesrequirethatstudentspassthestateEnglishandmathteststograduatelettingthestategaugethealternativeschools’performanceversusmainstreamschools. OntheSenatefloorSenatorSalandnotedthatwhile61percentofconsortiumstudentsqualifiedforfreelunchesandthree-quarterswereblackorHispanic88percentwentontocollegecomparedwith70percentatmainstreamschoolsthatgivestatetests.50HesaidthatthedropoutratewashalftherateatmainstreamschoolsandthatontheonestatewidetestthesestudentstookregularlyEnglishtheyscoredanaverageof77outdoingmainstreamstudentsby5points. Formonthsnowthelegislativeleadersandthecommissionerhavebeenlockedinalittle-noticedfightoverthefutureof28smallalternativepublichighschoolsafightthatmaywellbethefinalstandforopponentsofstandardizedtestinginNewYork.
Text2 InrecentyearsMicrosofthasfocusedonthreebigtasksbuildingrobustsecurityintoitssoftwareresolvingnumerousantitrustcomplaintsagainstitandupgradingitsWindowsoperatingsystem.Thesethreetasksarenowstartingtocollide. OnAugust27ththefirmsaidthatthesuccessortoitsWindowsXPoperatingsystemcode-namedLonghornwillgoonsalein2007withoutoneofitsmostimpressivefeatures:atechniquetointegrateelaboratesearchcapabilitiesintonearlyalldesktopapplications.OnthebrightsideLonghornwillcontainadvancesinrenderingimagesandenablingdifferentcomputingplatformstoexchangedatadirectlybetweenapplications.ItisabigsetbackforMicrosoftwhichconsiderssearchtechnologyapillarofitsfuturegrowth—notleastasitcompetesagainstGoogle. Thefirm’sfocusonsecurity—championedby]BillGateshimself—tookresourcesawayfromLonghornadmitsGregSullivanaleadproductmanagerintheWindowsclientdivision.ProgrammershavebeenfixingWindowsXPratherthanworkingonLonghorn.Inmid-AugustMicrosoftreleasedServicePack2ahugesetoffreesoftwarepatchesandenhancementstomakeWindowsXPmoresecure.Thoughsomeofthefixesturnedouttohavevulnerabilitiesoftheirownthepatcheshavemostlybeenwelcomed.Microsoft’sdecisiontoforgonewfeaturesinreturnforbettersecurityisonethatmostcomputeruserswillprobablyapplaud. YetironicallyasMicrosoftslowlyimprovesthesecurityofitsproducts—byforinstanceincorporatingfirewalltechnologyanti-virussystemsandspamfilters—itsactionsincreasinglystarttoresemblethosethatinthepasthavegotthefirmintotroublewithregulators.Issecuritysoftwarean"adjacentsoftwaremarket"inwhichcaseMicrosoftmaybeleveragingitsdominanceoftheoperatingsystemintoitIntegratingsecurityproductsintoWindowsmightbeconsidered"bundling"whichwithregardtowebbrowsingsoexcitedAmerica’strustbustersinthe1990s.Andbuildingsecuritydirectlyintotheoperatingsystemseemsalotlike"commingling"softwarecodeonwhichbasistheEuropeanCommissionruledearlierthisyearthatMicrosoftabuseditsmarketpowerthroughtheWindowsMediaPlayer.MicrosoftisappealingagainstthatdecisionandonSeptember30thitwillargueforasuspensionofthecommission’sremediessuchastherequirementthatitlicenseitscodetorivals. JustlastmonththeEuropeanUnion’scompetitiondirectoratebegananinvestigationintoMicrosoftandTimeWarneralargemediafirmonthegroundsthattheirproposedjointacquisitionofContentGuardasoftwarefirmwhoseproductsprotectdigitalmediafilesmightprovideMicrosoftwithunduemarketpoweroverdigitalmediastandards.ThecommissionwillrulebyJanuary2005.Microsoftitseemsinsecurityaselsewhereisgoingtohavetogetusedtobeingpunishedforitssuccess.ItsWindowsmonopolyletsitenjoyexcessiveprofits—buttheresultingmonoculturemakesitanobvioustargetforvirusesandregulatorsalike. TheironicalpointisthatMicrosoft'simprovementofsecurity
Text4 Untilrecentlythecommonfactorinallthescienceusedtofigureoutifapieceofartwasforgedwasthatitwasconcernedwiththemediumoftheartworkratherthantheartitself.MattersofstyleandformwerelefttoarthistorianswhocouldmakeeruditebutqualitativejudgmentsaboutwhetherapaintingwasreallygoodenoughtobesayaLeonardo.Butthisischanging.Apaperinthisweek’sProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesbyHanyFaridandhiscolleaguesatDartmouthCollegeinNewHampshireusesstatisticaltechniquestoexamineartitself—themessagenotthemedium. Dr.Faridemployedatechniquecalledwaveletanalysistoexamine13drawingsthathadatonetimeoranotherbeenattributedtoPieterBruegeltheEldera16th-centuryFlemishpainter.HealsolookedatPerugino’s"MadonnawithChild"a15th-centuryItalianmasterpiecelodgedinthecollege’sHoodMuseumofArt.HeconcludedinagreementwitharthistoriansthateightoftheputativeBruegelsareauthenticwhiletheotherfiveareimitations.Inthecaseof"MadonnawithChild"heanalysedthesixfacesinthepaintingMarytheinfantJesusandseveralsaintsandfoundthatthreeofthemwereprobablydonebythesamepainterwhiletheotherthreewereeachdonebyadifferenthand.TheviewthatfourdifferentpaintersworkedonthecanvasishesaysconsistentwiththeviewofsomearthistoriansthatPerugino’sapprenticesdidmuchoftheworkalthoughthereisnoclearconsensusamongarthistorians. Asscepticswilldoubtlesspointoutthisisasmallnumberofimages.FurthermoreDr.Faridknewbeforeperformingtheanalysiswhatresultsheexpected.Butheisthefirsttoacknowledgethatitisearlydaysforhismethodology.Hehopestostudymanymorepaintings.BylookingatlargenumbersofpaintingsthatareuniversallybelievedtobeauthenticDr.Faridhopestobeabletoexaminedoubtfulcaseswithconfidenceinthefuture EvenwiththeBruegels—realandimitation—thoughDr.Farid’sresultsarepersuasive. istrickytodescribeexactlywhatitisthatdistinguishestherealonesfromtheimitationsbutDr.Fetidsaysthatitcanbethoughtofasthenatureoftheartist’sbrushstroke.UnlikesomeanalysesofJacksonPollock’sworkthathavebeendoneoverthepastfewyearsbyRichardTayloroftheUniversityofOregonDr.Faridsayshistechniquecouldinprinciplebeusedforanyartist. WhatDr.Fariddidwastoconverteachworkofartintoasetofmathematicalfunctions.Theseso-calledwaveletsdescribeparticularpartsoftheimageasaseriesofpeaksandtroughsofvariableheightandwavelength.Byexpressinganimagethiswayitispossibletocompressthatimagewhilelosingverylittleinformation.Thesumsofthewaveletsfromdifferentimagescanthenbecompared.OncehedidthisDr.FaridfoundthatthetypesofwaveletsusedtoexpressauthenticBruegelswerenoticeablydifferentfromthoseusedtoexpresstheimitations.ThePeruginowasanalysedbytreatingthesixfacesasdistinctpaintings.Itseemsthatcuratorsmaysoonbeabletoaddanotherweapontotheiranti-forgeryarsenal. Farid'sreactiontothesceptics'accusationsis
Text1 MoreAmericansarecohabiting-livingtogetheroutofwedlock--thanever.Someexportsapplaudthepracticebutotherswarnplayinghousedoesnotalwaysleadtomaritalbliss.AtonetimeinAmericalivingtogetheroutofwedlockwasscandalous.Unmarriedspouseswho"shackedup"weresaidtobe"livinginsin".Indeedcohabitationwasillegalthroughoutthecountryuntilabout1970.Todaystatisticstelladifferenttale.Thenumberofunwedcoupleslivingtogetherhasrisentoanewhigh--morethan4.1millionasofMarch1997accordingtotheCensusBureau.Thatfigurewasupfrom3.96millioncouplesthepreviousyearandrepresentsaquantumleapfromthe430000cohabitingcouplescountedin1960. Thebureaufound’thatcohabitingismostprevailinginthe24-35agegroupaccountingfor1.6millionsuchcouples.Cohabitantsclaimtheylivetogetherprimarilytosolidifytheirloveandcommitmenttoeachother.Mostintendtomarry;only13%ofcohabitantsdonotanticipatetolegalizetheirrelationship.Buttherealityfrommanycouplesisdifferent:Movingindoesnotleadto"happilyeverafter."Fortypercentofcohabitantsnevermakeittothealtar.Ofthe60%whodomarrymorethanhalfdivorcewithin10yearscomparedwith30%ofmarriedcoupleswhodidnotlivetogetherfirst.CohabitingpartnersaremoreunfaithfulandfightmoreoftenthanmarriedcouplesaccordingtoresearchbytheHowardCenterforFamilyReligionandSociety.Otherstudieshavecometoequallysimilarconclusions. Stillexpertspredictthenumberofcohabitingcouplesislikelytoincrease.Astheoffspringofthebabyboomercomeofagetheyareinclinedtodefermarriagesasdidtheirparents.Thiswillleadtomorecohabitationandnontraditionalfamilies.Untilpeopleunearththatlivingtogetherhaspitfallsitwon’twaneinpopularity.Cohabitinghasbeenportrayedwith"carefulneutrality"inthemediaandHollywoodcelebritieswhomoveinandoutofeachother’shomessetthestandard. ButWarrenFarrelltheSanDiego-basedauthorofWhyMenAretheWayTheyArearguesthatlivingtogetherisagoodideaforashortperiod."Tomakethejumpfromdatingwhenweputourbestfootforwardtobeingmarried"--withoutshowingeachotherthe"shadowsideofourselves"--istotreatmarriagefrivolouslyhesays. Itcanbeseenfromthepassagethat
A."Fordecadesthecognitiveandneuralscienceshavetreatedmentalprocessesasthoughtheyinvolvedpassingdiscretepacketsofinformationinastrictlyfeed-forwardfashionfromonecognitivemoduletothenextorinastringofindividuatedbinarysymbols—likeadigitalcomputer"saidSpivey."Morerecentlyhoweveragrowingnumberofstudiessuchasourssupportdynamical-systemsapproachestothemind.Inthismodelperceptionandcognitionaremathematicallydescribedasacontinuoustrajectorythroughahigh-dimensionalmentalspace;theneuralactivationpatternsflowbackandforthtoproducenonlinearself-organizedemergentproperties—likeabiologicalorganism.’ B.Thecomputermetaphordescribescognitionasbeinginaparticulardiscretestateforexample"onoroff"orinvaluesofeitherzerooroneandinastaticstateuntilmovingon.Iftherewasambiguitythemodelassumedthatthemindjumpstheguntoonestateortheotherandifitrealizesitiswrongitthenmakesacorrection. C.Inhisstudy42studentslistenedtoinstructionstoclickonpicturesofdifferentobjectsonacomputerscreen.Whenthestudentsheardawordsuchas"candle"andwerepresentedwithtwopictureswhosenamesdidnotsoundalikesuchasacandleandajacketthetrajectoriesoftheirmousemovementswerequitestraightanddirectlytothecandle.Butwhenthestudentsheard"candle"andwerepresentedwithtwopictureswithsimilarlysoundingnamessuchascandleandcandytheywereslowertoclickonthecorrectobjectandtheirmousetrajectoriesweremuchmorecurved.Spiveysaidthatthelistenersstartedprocessingwhattheyheardevenbeforetheentirewordwasspoken. D.InanewstudypublishedonlinethisweekinProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesJune27—July1MichaelSpiveyapsycholinguistandassociateprofessorofpsychologyatCornelltrackedthemousemovementsofundergraduatestudentswhile workingatacomputer.Thefindingsprovidecompellingevidencethatlanguagecomprehensionisacontinuousprocess. E.Whereastheoldermodelsoflanguageprocessingtheorizedthatneuralsystemsprocesswordsinaseriesofdiscretestagesthealternativemodelsuggeststhatsensoryinputisprocessedcontinuouslysothatevenpartiallinguisticinputcanstart"thedynamiccompetitionbetweensimultaneouslyactiverepresentations.’ F."Whentherewasambiguitytheparticipantsbrieflydidn’tknowwhichpicturewascorrectandsoforseveraldozenmillisecondstheywereinmultiplestatesatonce.Theydidn’tmoveallthewaytoonepictureandthencorrecttheirmovementiftheyrealizedtheywerewrongbutinsteadtheytraveledthroughanintermediategrayarea"explainedSpivey."Thedegreeofcurvatureofthetrajectoryshowshowmuchtheotherobjectiscompetingfortheirinterpretation;thecurveshowscontinuouscompetition.Theysortofpartiallyheardthewordbothwaysandtheirresolutionoftheambiguitywasgradualratherthandiscrete~it’sadynamicalsystem.’ G."Inthinkingofcognitionasworkingasabiologicalorganismdoesontheotherhandyoudonothavetobeinonestateoranotherlikeacomputerbutcanhavevaluesinbetween—youcanbepartiallyinonestateandanotherandtheneventuallygravitatetoauniqueinterpretationasinfinallyrecognizingaspokenword"Spiveysaid. Order: 43
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 1
Text3 TheInlandRevenueonThursdayaccusedtheBritishfilmindustryofabusinggovernmentaidwitheveryproductionofrecentyearsdeliberatelyover-claimingtaxrelief. Revenueofficialscalledinabout20membersofthefilmindustryandwarnedthemofsevereconsequencesifthe"exploitation"oftax-reliefschemesdidnotimmediatelystop. Themovewhichaffectstheincludinglow-tohigh-budgetfilm-makersandfinanciersisithelatestinaseriesofattemptsbytheRevenuetoclampdownontaxloopholesinanattempt toraisemoremoneyfortheExchequer. ButthefilmindustryrespondedonThursdaynightsayingtheRevenuecoulddriveproductionsoverseasandwouldconfuseinvestors. Aseriesoftaxreliefschemesintroducedin1997enablesthoseinvolvedinthefinancingofqualifyingBritish-madefilmstoclaimthecostsofproductionagainstfutureincome.Theschemeshavebecomepopularwithinvestorsseekingataxshelterwithanestimated￡400minvestedintheschemesin1997risingtoabout￡2bnlastyear. ButtheRevenuesaidtheindustrywasexploitingrulesontaxreliefby"double-dipping"thatisbyclaimingreliefmorethanonceagainstasinglepieceofexpenditure.WhilenotillegaltheRevenuesaidtheindustrywas"notplayingfair".Itsaiddouble-dippingwas"againstthespirit"oflegislationdesignedtoencourageinvestmentintheBritishfilmindustry. TheRevenuesaidthepracticeofdouble-dippingwas"virtuallyuniversal"with"everyqualifyingfilmithadseenfinancedonthebasisofdouble-dipping".Itwarneditwould"takeallstepstocountersuchabuseincludingwherenecessaryadvisingministersonintroducinglegislationtoputmattersbeyonddoubt". "BoththeRevenueandthegovernmentarebecomingincreasinglyexasperatedattheextenttowhichsomepartsoftheindustryareexploitingthefilmreliefs"theRevenuesaid."ThegovernmentremainscommittedtoencouragingfilmproductionintheUKthroughuseofthereliefsinthewayinwhichthelegislationallows—butthisdoesnotextendtodeliberateexploitationofthosereliefs." LargefilmfinancierssaidonThursdaynightthattheRevenue’sactioncouldunderminegrowthprospectsfortheBritishfilmindustry. PeterJamesmanagingdirectorofMovisionEntertainmentwhichhasproduced16British-madefilmsinrecentyearsincludingthesoon-to-bereleased"MerchantofVenice"saidwhiletheeffectoftheRevenue’sclampdownwouldnotbe"devastating"itcoulddrivemanyindependentfilm-makersoverseas. IndustryobserverssaidonThursdaytheRevenue’smovewaslikelytoconfuseinvestorswhohavebeenaccustomedtothebenefitsofdouble-dipping. Accordingtothetexttaxreliefschemeswereintendedto
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 7
A."Fordecadesthecognitiveandneuralscienceshavetreatedmentalprocessesasthoughtheyinvolvedpassingdiscretepacketsofinformationinastrictlyfeed-forwardfashionfromonecognitivemoduletothenextorinastringofindividuatedbinarysymbols—likeadigitalcomputer"saidSpivey."Morerecentlyhoweveragrowingnumberofstudiessuchasourssupportdynamical-systemsapproachestothemind.Inthismodelperceptionandcognitionaremathematicallydescribedasacontinuoustrajectorythroughahigh-dimensionalmentalspace;theneuralactivationpatternsflowbackandforthtoproducenonlinearself-organizedemergentproperties—likeabiologicalorganism.’ B.Thecomputermetaphordescribescognitionasbeinginaparticulardiscretestateforexample"onoroff"orinvaluesofeitherzerooroneandinastaticstateuntilmovingon.Iftherewasambiguitythemodelassumedthatthemindjumpstheguntoonestateortheotherandifitrealizesitiswrongitthenmakesacorrection. C.Inhisstudy42studentslistenedtoinstructionstoclickonpicturesofdifferentobjectsonacomputerscreen.Whenthestudentsheardawordsuchas"candle"andwerepresentedwithtwopictureswhosenamesdidnotsoundalikesuchasacandleandajacketthetrajectoriesoftheirmousemovementswerequitestraightanddirectlytothecandle.Butwhenthestudentsheard"candle"andwerepresentedwithtwopictureswithsimilarlysoundingnamessuchascandleandcandytheywereslowertoclickonthecorrectobjectandtheirmousetrajectoriesweremuchmorecurved.Spiveysaidthatthelistenersstartedprocessingwhattheyheardevenbeforetheentirewordwasspoken. D.InanewstudypublishedonlinethisweekinProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesJune27—July1MichaelSpiveyapsycholinguistandassociateprofessorofpsychologyatCornelltrackedthemousemovementsofundergraduatestudentswhile workingatacomputer.Thefindingsprovidecompellingevidencethatlanguagecomprehensionisacontinuousprocess. E.Whereastheoldermodelsoflanguageprocessingtheorizedthatneuralsystemsprocesswordsinaseriesofdiscretestagesthealternativemodelsuggeststhatsensoryinputisprocessedcontinuouslysothatevenpartiallinguisticinputcanstart"thedynamiccompetitionbetweensimultaneouslyactiverepresentations.’ F."Whentherewasambiguitytheparticipantsbrieflydidn’tknowwhichpicturewascorrectandsoforseveraldozenmillisecondstheywereinmultiplestatesatonce.Theydidn’tmoveallthewaytoonepictureandthencorrecttheirmovementiftheyrealizedtheywerewrongbutinsteadtheytraveledthroughanintermediategrayarea"explainedSpivey."Thedegreeofcurvatureofthetrajectoryshowshowmuchtheotherobjectiscompetingfortheirinterpretation;thecurveshowscontinuouscompetition.Theysortofpartiallyheardthewordbothwaysandtheirresolutionoftheambiguitywasgradualratherthandiscrete~it’sadynamicalsystem.’ G."Inthinkingofcognitionasworkingasabiologicalorganismdoesontheotherhandyoudonothavetobeinonestateoranotherlikeacomputerbutcanhavevaluesinbetween—youcanbepartiallyinonestateandanotherandtheneventuallygravitatetoauniqueinterpretationasinfinallyrecognizingaspokenword"Spiveysaid. Order: 41
Directions:Yoursonkickedhisballthroughyourneighbor’swindow.Writealettertotellyourneighbor1yourregretathearingthenews2yourintentiontocompensateforthedamage3yourapology.Youshouldwriteabout100wordsonAnswerSheet2.Donotsignyourownnameattheendoftheletter.UseLiMinginstead.Youdonotneedtowritetheaddress.
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 11
Text1 Untilrecentlythemainvillainsofthepiecehadseemedtobetheteachers’unionswhohaveopposedanysortofreformoraccountability.Nowtheyfacecompetitionfromanunexpectedlydestructiveforce:thecourt.FiftyyearsagoitwasthejudgeswhoforcedtheschoolstodesegregatethroughBrownv.BoardofEducation1954.Nowthecourtshavemovedfrombroadprinciplestomicromanagementtellingschoolshowmuchmoneytospendandwhere—rightdowntothecorrectcomputerortextbook Twenty-fourstatesarecurrentlystuckinvariouscourtcasestodowithfinancingschoolsystemsandanother21haveonlyrecentlysettledvarioussuits.Mostwillstartagainsoon.Onlyfivestateshaveavoidedlitigationentirely. NothingexemplifiesthepowerofthecourtsbetterthananIl-year-oldcasethatisduetobesettledsortofinNewYorkCitythehomeofAmerica’sbiggestschoolsystemwith1.lmstudentsandabudgetnearing$13billion.AttheendofthismonththreeelderlymembersoftheNewYorkbarservingasjudicialrefereesareduetoruleinacasebroughtbytheCampaignforFiscalEquityaleftishadvocacygroupagainstthestateofNewYork:theywilldecidehowmuchmoremustbespenttoprovideeveryNewYorkCitypupilwitha"soundbasic"education. Rareisthepoliticianwillingtoarguethatmoremoneyforschoolsisabadthing.ButarethecourtsdoinganygoodTwosuspicionsarise.Firstjudgesaremakingalazyassumptionthatmoremoneymeansbetterschools.Astheinternationalresultsshowthelinkbetween"inputs"and"outputs"isvague—somethingwelldocumentedbyamongothersthelateSenatorDanielPatrickMoynihanofNewYork.Secondthecourtsaremuddlinganalreadymuddledsystem.Overtimetheyhavegenerallymadeithardertogetridofdisruptivepupilsandbadteachers. Thecurrentcasecouldbeevenworse.Thecourtshavealreadysaidthatinordertodeterminethenecessaryspendingtheymayconsidereverythingfromclasssizetotheavailabilityofcomputerstextbooksandevenpencils.Thisdegreeofinterventionisallthemorescandalousbecausethecourtshaveweirdlydecidedtoignoreanothersetof"inputs"—thearchaicworkpracticesofschoolteachersandjanitors.DavidSchoenbrodandRossSandlerofNewYorkLawSchoolreckonthedemandsofthecourtwillsimplyunderminereformandtransformanexpensivefailureintoamoreexpensiveone. Andofcoursethelitigationneverends.Kentuckyforexampleisstillincourt16yearsafterthefirstdecision.AlawsuitfirstfiledagainstNewJerseyforitsfundingofschoolsin1981was"decided"fouryearslater—butithasreturnedtothecourtninetimessinceincludingearlythisyearwitheachdecisionpushingthecourtdeeperintothemanagementofthestate’sschools.Badjudgesareevenhardertobootoutofschoolthanbadpupils. Theauthorseemstobelievethat
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 3
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 13
Text3 TheInlandRevenueonThursdayaccusedtheBritishfilmindustryofabusinggovernmentaidwitheveryproductionofrecentyearsdeliberatelyover-claimingtaxrelief. Revenueofficialscalledinabout20membersofthefilmindustryandwarnedthemofsevereconsequencesifthe"exploitation"oftax-reliefschemesdidnotimmediatelystop. Themovewhichaffectstheincludinglow-tohigh-budgetfilm-makersandfinanciersisithelatestinaseriesofattemptsbytheRevenuetoclampdownontaxloopholesinanattempt toraisemoremoneyfortheExchequer. ButthefilmindustryrespondedonThursdaynightsayingtheRevenuecoulddriveproductionsoverseasandwouldconfuseinvestors. Aseriesoftaxreliefschemesintroducedin1997enablesthoseinvolvedinthefinancingofqualifyingBritish-madefilmstoclaimthecostsofproductionagainstfutureincome.Theschemeshavebecomepopularwithinvestorsseekingataxshelterwithanestimated￡400minvestedintheschemesin1997risingtoabout￡2bnlastyear. ButtheRevenuesaidtheindustrywasexploitingrulesontaxreliefby"double-dipping"thatisbyclaimingreliefmorethanonceagainstasinglepieceofexpenditure.WhilenotillegaltheRevenuesaidtheindustrywas"notplayingfair".Itsaiddouble-dippingwas"againstthespirit"oflegislationdesignedtoencourageinvestmentintheBritishfilmindustry. TheRevenuesaidthepracticeofdouble-dippingwas"virtuallyuniversal"with"everyqualifyingfilmithadseenfinancedonthebasisofdouble-dipping".Itwarneditwould"takeallstepstocountersuchabuseincludingwherenecessaryadvisingministersonintroducinglegislationtoputmattersbeyonddoubt". "BoththeRevenueandthegovernmentarebecomingincreasinglyexasperatedattheextenttowhichsomepartsoftheindustryareexploitingthefilmreliefs"theRevenuesaid."ThegovernmentremainscommittedtoencouragingfilmproductionintheUKthroughuseofthereliefsinthewayinwhichthelegislationallows—butthisdoesnotextendtodeliberateexploitationofthosereliefs." LargefilmfinancierssaidonThursdaynightthattheRevenue’sactioncouldunderminegrowthprospectsfortheBritishfilmindustry. PeterJamesmanagingdirectorofMovisionEntertainmentwhichhasproduced16British-madefilmsinrecentyearsincludingthesoon-to-bereleased"MerchantofVenice"saidwhiletheeffectoftheRevenue’sclampdownwouldnotbe"devastating"itcoulddrivemanyindependentfilm-makersoverseas. IndustryobserverssaidonThursdaytheRevenue’smovewaslikelytoconfuseinvestorswhohavebeenaccustomedtothebenefitsofdouble-dipping. TheRevenue'slastresortinsolvingtheproblemseemstobe
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 19
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.17
Text2 InrecentyearsMicrosofthasfocusedonthreebigtasksbuildingrobustsecurityintoitssoftwareresolvingnumerousantitrustcomplaintsagainstitandupgradingitsWindowsoperatingsystem.Thesethreetasksarenowstartingtocollide. OnAugust27ththefirmsaidthatthesuccessortoitsWindowsXPoperatingsystemcode-namedLonghornwillgoonsalein2007withoutoneofitsmostimpressivefeatures:atechniquetointegrateelaboratesearchcapabilitiesintonearlyalldesktopapplications.OnthebrightsideLonghornwillcontainadvancesinrenderingimagesandenablingdifferentcomputingplatformstoexchangedatadirectlybetweenapplications.ItisabigsetbackforMicrosoftwhichconsiderssearchtechnologyapillarofitsfuturegrowth—notleastasitcompetesagainstGoogle. Thefirm’sfocusonsecurity—championedby]BillGateshimself—tookresourcesawayfromLonghornadmitsGregSullivanaleadproductmanagerintheWindowsclientdivision.ProgrammershavebeenfixingWindowsXPratherthanworkingonLonghorn.Inmid-AugustMicrosoftreleasedServicePack2ahugesetoffreesoftwarepatchesandenhancementstomakeWindowsXPmoresecure.Thoughsomeofthefixesturnedouttohavevulnerabilitiesoftheirownthepatcheshavemostlybeenwelcomed.Microsoft’sdecisiontoforgonewfeaturesinreturnforbettersecurityisonethatmostcomputeruserswillprobablyapplaud. YetironicallyasMicrosoftslowlyimprovesthesecurityofitsproducts—byforinstanceincorporatingfirewalltechnologyanti-virussystemsandspamfilters—itsactionsincreasinglystarttoresemblethosethatinthepasthavegotthefirmintotroublewithregulators.Issecuritysoftwarean"adjacentsoftwaremarket"inwhichcaseMicrosoftmaybeleveragingitsdominanceoftheoperatingsystemintoitIntegratingsecurityproductsintoWindowsmightbeconsidered"bundling"whichwithregardtowebbrowsingsoexcitedAmerica’strustbustersinthe1990s.Andbuildingsecuritydirectlyintotheoperatingsystemseemsalotlike"commingling"softwarecodeonwhichbasistheEuropeanCommissionruledearlierthisyearthatMicrosoftabuseditsmarketpowerthroughtheWindowsMediaPlayer.MicrosoftisappealingagainstthatdecisionandonSeptember30thitwillargueforasuspensionofthecommission’sremediessuchastherequirementthatitlicenseitscodetorivals. JustlastmonththeEuropeanUnion’scompetitiondirectoratebegananinvestigationintoMicrosoftandTimeWarneralargemediafirmonthegroundsthattheirproposedjointacquisitionofContentGuardasoftwarefirmwhoseproductsprotectdigitalmediafilesmightprovideMicrosoftwithunduemarketpoweroverdigitalmediastandards.ThecommissionwillrulebyJanuary2005.Microsoftitseemsinsecurityaselsewhereisgoingtohavetogetusedtobeingpunishedforitssuccess.ItsWindowsmonopolyletsitenjoyexcessiveprofits—buttheresultingmonoculturemakesitanobvioustargetforvirusesandregulatorsalike. Itisimpliedinthethirdparagraphthat
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 5
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 15
AmonthagotheBritishgovernmentannouncedaplantokeepterroristsuspectsindefinitelyunderhousearrest1thehomesecretary’ssay-soIthasbeenattackedfromallsideseversince.Thisweekthegovernmentbacktracked.UnderthePreventionofTerrorismbill2toParliamentthisweekhousearrestwould3apotential4inthegovernment’sever-expandinganti-terroristarsenalbutthegovernmentwouldfirsthaveto5ofArticle5oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsguaranteeingarighttoliberty.Parliamentwouldhavetovoteonthat. Thegovernmentcoulddothis6theterroristthreattoBritainalreadydescribedbythegovernmentas"7"gotevenworse.Eventhenthepowerswouldremain8bypoliticalandjudicialsafeguards.Beforethehomesecretarycouldmakeahouse-arrestorderhewouldhavetobesatisfiedonthe9ofprobabilities--nolongeronthebasisof"reasonablesuspicion--thatthesuspecthasbeen"involvedinaterrorism-relatedactivity".Hewouldalsohavetobe10thatsuchanorderwas"strictlyrequired".Theperiodofhouse-arrestwillbelimitedtoamaximumofsixmonthsextendablethroughanewhouse-arrestorder.WithinsevendaysofitsbeingimposedtheHighCourtwouldhavetoconfirmthatthehomesecretaryhad"11grounds"formakingsuchanorder.Evenifitweresosatisfiedthecasewouldgoontoafullcourt12 Thebillalsoprovidesforawholerangeoflesserrestrictionsincludingtaggingcurfewsabanonassociationwithspecifiedpeopleprohibitionsonusingphonesrestrictionsontravelandsoon.13tomeetthethreat14byeachsuspectandlimitedtoarenewableperiodof12monthsthesewouldnotbesubjecttothesamejudicialscrutinyashousearrest.Norwouldtheyrequire15fromtheEuropeanconvention. Butthenewordersincludinghousearrestwouldbeusedonlywhereasuspectedterroristcouldnotbeprosecuted16becausetheevidenceagainsthimwasnotadmissibleincourtorbecauseitmight17intelligencesourcesor18techniques.CharlesClarkeinsiststhathewouldprefertoprosecute.19thehomesecretaryisconsideringfurtheranti-terroristlegislationincludingmakingit20tobeinvolvedinthepreparationorcommissionofterroristacts. 17
StephenM.SalandchairmanoftheStateSenateEducationCommitteeisaconservativeupstateRepublicanandStevenSanderschairmanoftheAssemblyEducationCommitteeisaliberalNewYorkCityDemocrat.Butwhenitcomestoeducationtheyhavemuchincommon.NeitherisafanofthefederalNoChildLeftBehindLawanditsextensivetestingmandates.Bothsaythatstandardizedtestsaretoodominantinpublicschoolstoday. ThathasattimesputthetwoeducationchairmeninconflictwiththestateeducationcommissionerRichardP.Mills.46Duringhis10-yeartenureDr.MillshasturnedNewYorkintooneofthemosttest-drivenpublicsystemsinthenationrequiringstudentstopassfivestateteststograduate. 47Formonthsnowthelegislativeleadersandthecommissionerhavebeenlockedinalittle-noticedfightoverthefutureof28smallalternativepublichighschoolsafightthatmaywellbethefinalstandforopponentsofstandardizedtestinginNewYork. SenatorSalandandAssemblymanSandersaredoingtheirbesttoprotecttheseschoolsinNewYorkCityUrbanAcademyManhattanInternationalIthacaLehmanAlternativeandRochesterSchoolWithoutWallsandhelpthemretaintheirdistinctiveeducationalapproach.48InsteadofthestandardsurveycoursesinglobalstudiesAmericanhistorybiologyandchemistrypeggedtostateteststheseschoolsfavorcoursesthatgointomoredepthonnarrowertopics.AtUrbanAcademytherearecoursesinMiddleEastconflictsworldreligionspost-CivilWarReconstructionandmicrobiology. Inthemid-1990’stheformereducationcommissionerThomasSobolgrantedthese28consortiumschoolsserving16000studentsabout1percentofNewYork’shighschoolpopulationanexemptionfrommoststatetests.ThatpermittedamoreinnovativecurriculumandstudentswereevaluatedviaaportfoliosystemthatreliesonresearchpapersandscienceprojectsreviewedbyoutsideexpertslikeDavidS.ThaleraRockefellerUniversitymicrobiologyprofessorandEricFoneraColumbiahistoryprofessor. TheGatesFoundationwhichhasgivenhundredsofmillionsofdollarstostartsmallhighschoolsnationwideissoimpressedwiththeseschoolsanditregularlysendseducatorstoNewYorktoseehowthey’rerun. ButthetestingexemptionfortheseschoolsisabouttoexpireandCommissionerMillsdoesnotwantitrenewed.Hebelievesthatallstudentswithoutexceptionshouldtakeeverytest. RecentlySenatorSalanddefiedthecommissioner.HeshepherdedabillthroughtheRepublican-controlledSenatethatpassed50to10andwouldcontinuetheseschools’waiversforfouryears.49SenatorSaland’sbilldoesrequirethatstudentspassthestateEnglishandmathteststograduatelettingthestategaugethealternativeschools’performanceversusmainstreamschools. OntheSenatefloorSenatorSalandnotedthatwhile61percentofconsortiumstudentsqualifiedforfreelunchesandthree-quarterswereblackorHispanic88percentwentontocollegecomparedwith70percentatmainstreamschoolsthatgivestatetests.50HesaidthatthedropoutratewashalftherateatmainstreamschoolsandthatontheonestatewidetestthesestudentstookregularlyEnglishtheyscoredanaverageof77outdoingmainstreamstudentsby5points. SenatorSaland’sbilldoesrequirethatstudentspassthestateEnglishandmathteststograduatelettingthestategaugethealternativeschools’performanceversusmainstreamschools.
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.19
Text1 Untilrecentlythemainvillainsofthepiecehadseemedtobetheteachers’unionswhohaveopposedanysortofreformoraccountability.Nowtheyfacecompetitionfromanunexpectedlydestructiveforce:thecourt.FiftyyearsagoitwasthejudgeswhoforcedtheschoolstodesegregatethroughBrownv.BoardofEducation1954.Nowthecourtshavemovedfrombroadprinciplestomicromanagementtellingschoolshowmuchmoneytospendandwhere—rightdowntothecorrectcomputerortextbook Twenty-fourstatesarecurrentlystuckinvariouscourtcasestodowithfinancingschoolsystemsandanother21haveonlyrecentlysettledvarioussuits.Mostwillstartagainsoon.Onlyfivestateshaveavoidedlitigationentirely. NothingexemplifiesthepowerofthecourtsbetterthananIl-year-oldcasethatisduetobesettledsortofinNewYorkCitythehomeofAmerica’sbiggestschoolsystemwith1.lmstudentsandabudgetnearing$13billion.AttheendofthismonththreeelderlymembersoftheNewYorkbarservingasjudicialrefereesareduetoruleinacasebroughtbytheCampaignforFiscalEquityaleftishadvocacygroupagainstthestateofNewYork:theywilldecidehowmuchmoremustbespenttoprovideeveryNewYorkCitypupilwitha"soundbasic"education. Rareisthepoliticianwillingtoarguethatmoremoneyforschoolsisabadthing.ButarethecourtsdoinganygoodTwosuspicionsarise.Firstjudgesaremakingalazyassumptionthatmoremoneymeansbetterschools.Astheinternationalresultsshowthelinkbetween"inputs"and"outputs"isvague—somethingwelldocumentedbyamongothersthelateSenatorDanielPatrickMoynihanofNewYork.Secondthecourtsaremuddlinganalreadymuddledsystem.Overtimetheyhavegenerallymadeithardertogetridofdisruptivepupilsandbadteachers. Thecurrentcasecouldbeevenworse.Thecourtshavealreadysaidthatinordertodeterminethenecessaryspendingtheymayconsidereverythingfromclasssizetotheavailabilityofcomputerstextbooksandevenpencils.Thisdegreeofinterventionisallthemorescandalousbecausethecourtshaveweirdlydecidedtoignoreanothersetof"inputs"—thearchaicworkpracticesofschoolteachersandjanitors.DavidSchoenbrodandRossSandlerofNewYorkLawSchoolreckonthedemandsofthecourtwillsimplyunderminereformandtransformanexpensivefailureintoamoreexpensiveone. Andofcoursethelitigationneverends.Kentuckyforexampleisstillincourt16yearsafterthefirstdecision.AlawsuitfirstfiledagainstNewJerseyforitsfundingofschoolsin1981was"decided"fouryearslater—butithasreturnedtothecourtninetimessinceincludingearlythisyearwitheachdecisionpushingthecourtdeeperintothemanagementofthestate’sschools.Badjudgesareevenhardertobootoutofschoolthanbadpupils. Thethirdparagraphisintendedmainlyto
Text3 TheInlandRevenueonThursdayaccusedtheBritishfilmindustryofabusinggovernmentaidwitheveryproductionofrecentyearsdeliberatelyover-claimingtaxrelief. Revenueofficialscalledinabout20membersofthefilmindustryandwarnedthemofsevereconsequencesifthe"exploitation"oftax-reliefschemesdidnotimmediatelystop. Themovewhichaffectstheincludinglow-tohigh-budgetfilm-makersandfinanciersisithelatestinaseriesofattemptsbytheRevenuetoclampdownontaxloopholesinanattempt toraisemoremoneyfortheExchequer. ButthefilmindustryrespondedonThursdaynightsayingtheRevenuecoulddriveproductionsoverseasandwouldconfuseinvestors. Aseriesoftaxreliefschemesintroducedin1997enablesthoseinvolvedinthefinancingofqualifyingBritish-madefilmstoclaimthecostsofproductionagainstfutureincome.Theschemeshavebecomepopularwithinvestorsseekingataxshelterwithanestimated￡400minvestedintheschemesin1997risingtoabout￡2bnlastyear. ButtheRevenuesaidtheindustrywasexploitingrulesontaxreliefby"double-dipping"thatisbyclaimingreliefmorethanonceagainstasinglepieceofexpenditure.WhilenotillegaltheRevenuesaidtheindustrywas"notplayingfair".Itsaiddouble-dippingwas"againstthespirit"oflegislationdesignedtoencourageinvestmentintheBritishfilmindustry. TheRevenuesaidthepracticeofdouble-dippingwas"virtuallyuniversal"with"everyqualifyingfilmithadseenfinancedonthebasisofdouble-dipping".Itwarneditwould"takeallstepstocountersuchabuseincludingwherenecessaryadvisingministersonintroducinglegislationtoputmattersbeyonddoubt". "BoththeRevenueandthegovernmentarebecomingincreasinglyexasperatedattheextenttowhichsomepartsoftheindustryareexploitingthefilmreliefs"theRevenuesaid."ThegovernmentremainscommittedtoencouragingfilmproductionintheUKthroughuseofthereliefsinthewayinwhichthelegislationallows—butthisdoesnotextendtodeliberateexploitationofthosereliefs." LargefilmfinancierssaidonThursdaynightthattheRevenue’sactioncouldunderminegrowthprospectsfortheBritishfilmindustry. PeterJamesmanagingdirectorofMovisionEntertainmentwhichhasproduced16British-madefilmsinrecentyearsincludingthesoon-to-bereleased"MerchantofVenice"saidwhiletheeffectoftheRevenue’sclampdownwouldnotbe"devastating"itcoulddrivemanyindependentfilm-makersoverseas. IndustryobserverssaidonThursdaytheRevenue’smovewaslikelytoconfuseinvestorswhohavebeenaccustomedtothebenefitsofdouble-dipping. Whichof*thefollowingisthebesttitleofthetext
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