Numbers: Dec. 4, 2006

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72.6% Percentage of U.S. eighth-graders who had basic reading skills or better in 2005, down 1.2% from 2003

3.0% Percentage of U.S. eighth-graders who had advanced reading skills last year

$85 Initial per-share public offering price of Google in 2004

$509.65 Closing price for a share of Google last Tuesday, when the stock broke $500 for the first time. Analysts predict a rise to $600 within a year

$3.1 billion Settlements recovered by the Justice Department in fraud cases--mostly against hospitals and health-care providers--that whistle-blowers brought to the government this year

$190 million Collective amount the whistle-blowers were paid for tipping off the government

3.3 tons Amount of cocaine Costa Rican authorities seized last week from smugglers in a 49-ft. low-riding speedboat--originally reported to be a submarine--covered in lead laminate to avoid radar detection and camouflaged in ocean-colored fiber glass

3 Number of pipes--sticking up from the boat to release exhaust--that were spotted by authorities

Sources: National Assessment of Educational Progress (2); New York Times (2); U.S. Department of Justice (2); Reuters; AP