S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

educators
and 
economists
. In 
this age of advanced technology, education is more important than ever. To get a 
good job, workers need to know how to read. They must be able to quickly 
calculate
complex math problems. High school dropouts hurt not only themselves 
but also the American economy. They 
hinder
America’s ability to compete 
against the rest of the world. A worker without a high school diploma earns an 
estimated $300,000 less in his or her lifetime than a high school 
graduate
. A 
dropout has less spending money to help the economy and less to pay the 
government in the form of taxes. Because the government collects less tax 
money, it cannot pay as much to retired 
people who have worked hard their entire lives. 
One report estimated that high school dropouts 
in one recent school year will cost the US almost 
$330 billion. In addition, dropouts are more 
likely to get into trouble. They often rely on 
4
freshman --- a student in his or her first year of high school or college
10
industrialized --- well-developed; stable
12
educator --- a person who works in the education field
12
economist --- a specialist in economic matters
15
calculate --- to figure out; to solve
16
hinder --- to cause delay
18 
graduate --- someone who has finished high school or college
Track 13
 

---

30
35
40
45
government welfare programs, which are funded by American taxpayers. Studies 
have shown that as much as 75 percent of all 
prisoners
in the United States, for 
example, did not finish high school.
Several cities have formed programs to help high school dropouts. In 
Houston, Texas, volunteers
---
including the 
mayor
---
go to dropouts’ homes and 
try to convince these students to give school another try. More than 5,000 city 
dropouts have returned to the classroom since the program started in 2004. In 
Virginia, a private business has donated money to open two non-traditional 
schools for high school students who are struggling in conventional schools and 
are likely to drop out. And in Washington, D.C., a private welfare agency has 
started a program to help dropouts learn job skills.
Now there is a new national 
campaign
to reduce American dropout rates. 
A group called the Promise Alliance is giving money to several states. It wants 
each state to develop a plan for increasing its graduation rates. Alliance leaders 
hope that all fifty states will have a plan in place by the year 2010. The campaign 
is funded by both businesses and philanthropic organizations. It aims to unite 
government and business leaders with parents and educators. “The key is to 
start working together,” said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO of 
Promise Alliance. “We need to recognize that by working together, we can 
make enormous strides to ensure that our children succeed.”
Reading Time
_______ minutes _______ seconds
547 words
28
prisoner --- a person in prison
31
mayor --- the head of city government
38
campaign --- coordinated actions to achieve a result
43

---

R 
eading Comprehension
44