This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

A Smart Donation

Students in Washington, D.C., are getting a helping hand from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The charity said last Thursday that it would invest $122 million in a program that aims to help city students succeed in high school and college.

The money will support kids in two low-income neighborhoods where the schools have high student-dropout rates. In these parts of Washington, only one in three kids finishes high school within five years.

The program will award more than 2,000 high school students with college scholarships and support, including help from mentors. Students will be chosen based on their hard work and commitment to education, as well as for their grades.

Superintendent Clifford B. Janey said the financial and academic support spelled success for "students who might otherwise not be ready or able to attend college."

Next: Concern for Pet Owners