Shanghai Test Scores and the Mystery of the Missing Children. Ariana Lindquist for The New York TimesPupils line up at a Shanghai school for children of migrant workers.
Some have questioned whether migrants are fairly represented in Shanghai test results. Is the education system in Shanghai, China’s largest and most internationalized city, really a paradigm of academic excellence and educational equity, or does its stellar performance mask a grimmer reality, in which one of the world’s largest barriers to education opportunities plagues tens of thousands of its residents? The question has been the subject of intense debate among scholars and educators since December, when the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, released the results of its 2012 tests. These showed students from Shanghai scoring highest in all three categories: reading, math and science. Conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, PISA is given every three years to more than half a million 15- and 16-year-old students from 65 countries.
China shoots for the moon. Updated: 2013-12-02 00:20 By Zhao Huanxin in Beijing and Zhao Lei in Xichang, Sichuan (China Daily) Mission would be first landing of lunar probe in nation's space program The scheduled launch of lunar probe Chang'e-3 would bring China closer to putting an astronaut on the moon and using Earth's closest neighbor for deep space exploration, scientists said.
If everything goes as planned during the launch, set for 1:30 am on Monday, the lunar probe will land in mid-December, Xichang Satellite Launch Center sources said over the weekend. Two hours before the planned liftoff, officials at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center announced that everything was "going well" for the mission.
The Chang'e-3 spacecraft's carrier, a Long March-3B rocket, began to be loaded with cryogenic fuel on Sunday afternoon, said Li Benqi, head of launch tests at the Xichang center. A life-size model of the rover displayed at the center shows the rover has three months in designed lifespan. Contact the writers at. China Shoots 'Jade Rabbit' Rover to the Moon. Copyright © 2013 NPR.
For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required. This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow. RONALD EVANS: Apollo 11, Houston, over. BUZZ ALDRIN: Houston, Apollo 11, go ahead. EVANS: Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning is one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit.
You might also look for her companion, a large Chinese rabbit, who is easy to spot since he is always standing on his hind feet in the shade of a cinnamon tree. ALDRIN: OK. EVANS: Roger. FLATOW: No word on whether Buzz ever found that bunny. My next guest just returned from China where he got a rare look behind the scenes at the Chang'e mission and the Chinese space program. DAVID SHUKMAN: It's a pleasure to be here. FLATOW: You just got back from two weeks in China, but tell us what they're going there, what you saw 'cause it's very secretive, isn't it? SHUKMAN: Yeah, you don't get much access. SHUKMAN: Okay. SHUKMAN: OK. Shoppers in a strange land. Updated: 2013-12-02 16:34 By Wang Xin (China Daily USA) Startup helps expats navigate perils of buying online, Wang Xin reports.
When Sheila Zhang, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, returned to Beijing in 2011 she found shopping online to be problematic. The Chinese American has yet to learn how to make an order via local popular payment software, so now she still relies on friends to help her with payment. "But as you know, you cannot always depend on others," Zhang said. Also, for an expatriate, it is not that easy to apply for a credit card, she added.
This is why Zhang came up with the idea of starting an English shopping portal herself, hoping to "offer convenience to expats in China". "Since most of the small commodities in the world are made in China, I'm certain I can find quality suppliers and offer considerate services," she said. "Our Web page design may not be pretty, yet it is simple and straightforward, enabling more convenient search," Zhang said. Forum for gays just a click away[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn. Marks of ethnic identity that are more than skin deep. Tattoos' taboo past.