阅读理解Americanschoolsarelookingforwaystosavemoneyonbustransportationbecauseofhighfuelprices．Morechildrenmayhavetowalkridetheirbikesorfindotherwaystogettoschool

　　阅读理解

　　Americanschoolsarelookingforwaystosavemoneyonbustransportationbecauseofhighfuelprices．Morechildrenmayhavetowalkridetheirbikesorfindotherwaystogettoschool．

　　Butasanothereffectofthehighpricestheymaynothavetogotoschoolasoften．Someschoolsespeciallyinruralareasarechangingtoafour-dayweek．ThatmeanslongerdaysinsteadofthetraditionalMondaythroughFridayschedule．

　　BeginninginthefallstudentsintheMaccrayschooldistrictinMinnesotawillbeinschoolTuesdaythroughFriday．Eachschooldaywillbesixty-fiveminuteslonger．

　　Superintendent．(教育厅长)GregSchmidtsaysthedistrictexpectstosaveaboutsixty-fivethousanddollarsayearintransportationcosts．Thedistricthasaboutsevenhundredstudentslivinginanareaofninehundredsquarekilometers．

　　Stateofficialshaveagreedtotheplanforthreeyears．Theymaychangetheirmindsbeforetheniflearningsuffers．InCusterSouthDakotastudentshavebeengoingtoschoolMondaythroughThursdaysince1995．SuperintendentTimCrealsaysthechangehassavedanestimated(估计)onemilliondollarsoverjustthepasteightyears．

　　Butheseesotherbenefitstoo．Studentsgetmoreinstructionaltime．Andactivitiesthatusedtopreventclassesarenowheldonnon-schooldays．

　　Hesaysthatinthefuturethegrowthofonlineclassescouldmakeitpossibletorequireevenfewerdaysinschool．Highfuelpricesaredrivingcollegestudentstotakemoreonlineclasses．Andinsomestateshighschoolstudentscantakethemtoo．

　　Afour-dayschoolweeksoundslikeagreatideaforstudentsandteachers．Butworkingparentsmayhavetopayforchildcareforthatfifthday．Inagriculturalareasthoughitcanmeananextradayofhelpingonthefamilyranch．

　　InNewMexicothefirstschooldistrictchangestoafour-dayweekin1974becauseoftheAraboilboycott．Nowseventeenoutofeighty-ninedistrictsuseit．

　　TheLakeArthurSchoolDistricthasjustonehundredandsixtystudents．LakeArthurusedafour-dayschedulefortwelveyears．