Passage Two
Question 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
In communities north of Denver, residents are pitching in to help teachers and administrators as the Vrain School District tries to solve a $13.8 million budget shortage blamed on mismanagement. “We’re worried about our teachers and principals, and we really don’t want to lose them because of this,” one parent said. “If we can help ease their financial burden, we will. ”
Teachers are grateful, but know it may be years before the district is solvent(有偿还能力的). They feel really good about the parent support, but they realize it’s impossible for them to solve this problem.
The 22,000-student district discovered the shortage last month. “It’s extraordinary. Nobody would have imagined something happening like this at this level,” said State Treasurer Mike Coffman.
Coffman and district officials last week agreed on a state emergency plan freeing up a $9.8 million loan that enabled the payroll(工资单) to be met for 2,700 teachers and staff in time for the holidays.
District officials also took $1.7 million from student-activity accounts in its 38 schools.
At Coffman’s request, the District Attorney has begun investigating the district’s finances. Coffman says he wants to know whether district officials hid the budget shortage until after the November election, when voters approved a $212 million bond issue for schools.
In Frederick, students’ parents are buying classroom supplies and offering to pay for groceries and utilities to keep first-year teachers and principals in their jobs.
Some $36,000 have been raised in donations from Safeway. A Chevrolet dealership donated $10,000 and forgave the district’s $10,750 bill for renting the driver education cars. IBM contributed 4,500 packs of paper.
“We employ thousands of people in this community,” said Mitch Carson, a hospital chief executive, who helped raise funds. “We have children in the schools, and we see how they could be affected.”
At Creek High School, three students started a website that displays newspaper articles, district information and an email forum(论坛). “Rumors about what’s happening to the district are moving at lighting speed,” said a student. “We wanted to know the truth, and spread that around instead.”
原文出处
Community bailing out broke school district
Parents are offering to help pay grocery and utility bills. Businesses are donating cash and a group of students run an informational Web site.
In communities just north of Denver, residents are pitching in to help teachers and administrators as the St. Vrain Valley School District grapples with a $13.8 million budget shortfall blamed on mismanagement.
"We're worried about our teachers and our principals, and we really don't want to lose them because of this," parent Merrill Bohanning, 44, said. "If we can help ease their financial burden, we will."
Teachers are grateful, but know it may be years before the district is solvent.
"Teachers feel really good about the parent support," said Jeannie Beyer, spokeswoman for the St. Vrain Valley Education Association. "But they realize it's not going to be possible for them to solve this problem."
The 22,000-student district in parts of Weld, Boulder and Larimer counties discovered the shortfall last month. The finance director resigned and an assistant superintendent has been suspended. District officials said an independent audit showed the two mismanaged the budget but did not commit fraud.
"It's extraordinary. Nobody would have ever imagined something happening like this at this level," said State Treasurer Mike Coffman. "I think the state needs to learn from this."
It takes a village
Coffman and district officials last week agreed on a state bailout plan freeing up a $9.8 million loan that enabled the payroll to be met for 2,700 teachers and staff in time for the holidays.
The plan calls for all district employees to take a 7.1 percent pay cut beginning January 1 and a hiring freeze through June 2004. Administrators who used to pay $1 a month for family health insurance now will pay $1 for themselves and the regular premium for the rest of their families.
District officials also took $1.7 million from student-activity accounts in its 38 schools.
At Coffman's request, the Boulder District Attorney has begun investigating the district's finances. Coffman has said he wants to know whether district officials hid the budget shortfall until after the November election, when voters approved a $212 million bond issue for schools.
In Frederick about 30 miles northeast of Denver, Bohanning and other parents of students at Prairie Ridge Elementary School are buying classroom supplies and offering to pay for groceries and utility bills to keep first-year teachers and principals in their jobs.
Some $36,000 have been raised in donations from Safeway. A Chevrolet dealership chipped in $10,000 and forgave the district's $10,750 bill for renting the driver education cars. IBM chipped in 4,500 reams of paper.
"We employ thousands of people in this community," said Mitch Carson, a hospital chief executive officer, who helped raise funds. "We have children in the schools, and we see how they could be affected."
At Silver Creek Middle-Senior High School, three juniors started a Web site called www.poorschool.com that displays newspaper articles, district information and an e-mail forum.
"Rumors about what is happening to the district are moving at lightning speed," site co-creator Mitch Lubbers, 17, said. "We wanted to know the truth, and spread that around instead."
26. What has happened to the Vrain School District?
{A) A huge financial problem has arisen.}
B) Many schools there are mismanaged.
C) Lots of teachers in the district are planning to quit.
D) Many administrative personnel have been laid off.
27. How did the residents in the Vrain School District respond to the budget shortage?
A) They felt somewhat helpless about it.
B) They accused those responsible for it.
{C) They pooled their efforts to help solve it.}
D) They demanded a thorough investigation.
28. In the view of State Treasurer Mike Coffman, the educational budget shortage is _________.
A) unavoidable
{B) unthinkable }
C) insolvable
D) irreversible
29. Why did Coffman request an investigation?
{A) To see if there was a deliberate cover-up of the problem.}
B) To find out the extent of the consequences of the case.
C) To make sure that the school principals were innocent.
D) To stop the voters approving the $212 million bond issue.
30. Three high school students started a website in order to __________.
A) attract greater public attention to their needs
B) appeal to the public for contributions and donations
C) expose officials who neglected their duties
{D) keep people properly informed of the crisis}
