The A-level question Have 22 continuous years of rises in A-level pass rate made the exam worthless? David Miliband, the minister for School Standards, insists the answer is a firm " no". And he said it was wrong that " more will mean worse and more education for more people will mean lower standards". Figures show that — despite the rise in A-grades to 21. 6 per cent — only 22,000 out of 600,000 18-year-olds gain three A-grade passes. Put another way, that means — in a primary class of 30 pupils — only one will get three A-grades. The center right Bow Group, in a pamphlet published today, however, says nine out of ten scholars believe A-grades have been devalued over the past ten years.
Two inquiries (调查) — both set up by the Government’s exams watchdogs — one of which included independent teaching experts, refused to accept that there had been any " dumping down" of A-level standards. But while they conclude that the exam questions have not become easier, changes in examining methods have almost certainly made it easier to gain top-grade passes.
As a result of the exams shake-up introduced in 2000, students sit six different types of exams to make up an A-level during the course of their two years of study. Only 20 per cent of the marks are set for the end-of-term exam. This makes it easier for teachers to help their pupils with the right answers.
Mr Miliband said yesterday, " My argument is not that today ‘s generation of pupils are cleverer than their parents; it is that schools and teachers are getting better at getting the best out of them. "
5. From the writer’s point of view, the rise in A-grades to 21. 6 per cent shows ______.
A. it is generally thought more education means lower standards
B. the rise in the A-level pass rate has made the exam worthless
C. the quality of the 18-year-olds has become lower
D. it is still hard for the general pupils to get three A-grade passes
6. The underlined word " they" in the second paragraph refers to ______.
A. the exams watchdogs B. the independent teaching experts
C. the A-level standards D. the two inquiries
7. As a result of the exams shake-up introduced in 2000 ______.
A. the pass rate for A-levels was set to rise continuously
B. the exam became easier than it had been before 2000
C. pupils could have many more choices of test after 2000
D. it soon became popular with teachers and pupils
8. What does this passage mainly discuss?
A. How reliable and effective the A-level grading system is.
B. How the A-level system helps universities select pupils.
C. How the pass rate has been increased in recent years.
D. How the A-level grading system has changed over the years.
Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can't love one another enough.
A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.
The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or... did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?
She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, and then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read, "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read, "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and cure her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.
Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure. By saying "Only in opera do people die of love.", the writer wants to tell us that ______.
| A．giving love is better than receiving love |
| B．love in opera is better than that in real life |
| C．people are too greedy to have enough love |
| D．to die from love is no better than to die from no love |
From the passage we can infer that ________.
| A．the woman must have thought about asking for a salary raise for a long time |
| B．the boss of the woman must be a kind person |
| C．the woman was a courageous person |
| D．the husband must have got the news before his wife got home |
The husband prepared a festive meal in order to _______.
| A．show how good he was at cooking |
| B．celebrate her wife’s success in raising the salary |
| C．thank her wife’s boss for raising her salary |
| D．show how deeply he loved his wife |
What Mother Teresa said means that _________.
| A．loving your family is more important than promoting world peace |
| B．loving your friends is to promote the world peace |
| C．everybody can promote the world peace by loving his own family without measure |
| D．no matter what life throws in our direction, our family is always our first concern |
One day my teacher said, “ Life is a game of chess, and the other player is time.” From that moment, I knew I had to enjoy my life. Do not waste time, because, you know, time will not come back. You cannot buy it. It is one of those things in life that you must really, really value.
When you see an opportunity, take it. You might not get it back. Never let an opportunity pass. And if it is too hard, remember that in the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity.
Remember, you cannot choose how you' re going to die, or when. You can only decide how you' re going to live. Study as if you were going to live forever; live as if you were going to die tomorrow. Don' t just think of the present, but also think of your future. Your future is yet another chapter in your life and another way to live it.
Every single living thing has a purpose in life. "The purpose of life is a life of purpose," said Robert Byme.
Learn to use time wisely, take opportunities, and enjoy life. We can discover the meaning of life in three different ways: (1) by doing a deed; (2) by experiencing a value; (3) by suffering life. So, what are you buying with yours?The underlined part suggests that___________.
| A．if life is a game of chess, time is also a game of chess |
| B．if life is a game of chess, both you and time are the players |
| C．if life is one player in a game of chess, time is the other player |
| D．if time is a game of chess, both life and you are the players |
According to the author, what can you decide?
| A．How you die. | B．How you live. | C．When you die. | D．When you succeed. |
This article is most probably from__________.
| A．an explanation of time in the universe |
| B．an essay about time and life |
| C．an argument that time is the most important thing in life |
| D．a description of an important class |
Two teachers are needed in jiangsu Province ASAP!
7000-8000 RMB / month (20 lessons / week) plus benefits!
The school is located in Sihong Town, which is only two hours away from Nanjing City by bus.
Requirements:
Native English speakers from Australia, Canada, UK, etc. Bachelor' s degree and teaching experience
We offer:
Airfare reimbursement & Travel bonus
A spacious, private and on-campus apartment with the following items included:
Computer with free Internet access; Telephone; Color TV; Heater; Washing machine; Refrigerator; Microwave; Cooking facilities (plates, glasses, cups, pots and pans, etc.)
Water dispenser; Western-style toilet; Bath-tub; Non-stop hot water
To apply for the job, please send your resume to zlO120@163.com.
Application:
To apply for the job, please don’t forget to include the following information:
Personal data (age, place of birth, etc.)
Description of your academic history and teaching experience
A recent picture
Scanned documents, such as diploma(s), passport and current visa (if already in China)
A phone number where we can reach you
For inquiries, call +86 (871)3803085; 13700641813 This advertisement is about____________.
| A．introducing a school | B．taking on English teachers |
| C．attracting foreign students | D．arranging the subjects |
What is Not needed for you to apply for the job?
| A．your resume | B．your personal data | C．your academic history | D．a recommendation letter |
If you are employed, you may___________.
| A．live far away from the campus | B．share a room with another teacher |
| C．surf the Internet for free | D．enjoy three free meals every day |
Where can you mostly read the advertisement?
| A．In a telephone book. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a travel guide. | D．In a textbook. |
I clearly remember my mom telling me to drink milk every day—one glass in the morning and another at night. I also remember loving it while my sister thought quite the opposite—she would surreptitiously pour her milk into the sink or water the plants with it! I guess I should thank my mom for making us drink a lot of milk, so rich in calcium(钙), during those important years.
Today, calcium shortage is one of the main concerns of women in their 30s or even early 20s. The great fear is that when we reach our 50s or 60s, osteoprosis(骨质疏松症)will set in. That is why you can see a lot of advertisements for products supposedly containing a lot of calcium.
Because calcium is not that easy to acquire from the food we normally eat, busy women these days should take calcium supplements(补充物). There are a lot of different forms of these---calcium carbonate(碳酸钙)，oyster(牡蛎)shell or bone-meal-based calcium supplements.
You have to be careful when choosing which kind to take. This is because calcium is not easily absorbed by the body. So the fact that you are taking supplements doesn’t mean that the body is actually benefiting from them. Different supplements may have different instructions on dosage(剂量)and manner of intake. You can ask your doctor to help you determine which supplement is the best for your needs.From what the author’s mother did we may infer that___________________.
| A．her children had osteoporosis |
| B．she knew her children would benefit from milk |
| C．she must have suffered from osteorosis |
| D．she didn’t like her daughter who didn’t obey her order |
Based on the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The author’s sister will suffer from osteoprosis when reaches her 50s or 60s |
| B．Many businessmen have already been selling products supposedly containing calcium. |
| C．We can’t get enough calcium only from food we eat every day |
| D．Women as young as their 20s should be concerned about calcium shortage |
What does the underlined word “surreptitiously” in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．Honestly | B．Frankly | C．Secretly | D．Curiously |
We may infer from the last paragraph that____________________.
| A．what one chooses as a calcium supplement might not work |
| B．one shouldn’t take in calcium without the permission of a doctor |
| C．the more calcium supplements one uses, the more calcium one can take in |
| D．it is dangerous to use calcium supplements without the guidance |
Many of us have heard of the saying: everything is possible if you can just believe. But few of us really know the power of faith and perseverance(坚定). South African swimmer Natalie du Tiot embodies(体现)those virtues.
Du Tiot, 24, became the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics (残奥会)in Beijing. Although she finished 16th in the tough 10km marathon in the able-bodied Games, she has collected three golds in the Paralympics so far.
One of the most successful disabled athletes of all time, Natalie du Tiot was already a promising swimmer when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, at just 17.
“There are a lot of dark moments,” she said, “There are some days when I cry. But I try to remember that better days are ahead. You just go on.”
Within a few months, she was back in the swimming pool.
She still completes and still succeeds. The only difference is she has switched to longer events—from 200m and 400m individual medley to 800m and 1,500m freestyle—to make up for her loss of speed with only one leg. But she made no adjustment to her mental look(精神面貌).
“Going out in the water, it feels as if there’s nothing wrong with me. It doesn’t matter if you look different. You’re still the same as everybody else because you have the same dream.”
She is the owner of many world records, and she also won gold when competing against able-bodied swimmers in the 1,500m freestyle at the All African Games in 2007.
But there is no magic recipe(秘诀) for success. It all comes down to hard work and determination. “She is stubborn, which is good and bad,” said her coach Karoly Von Toros. “Good for the swimming, but bad for the coach.”
There is a poem that hangs on her wall that reads:
The tragedy (悲剧)of life does not lie in not reaching your goals;
The tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for. Natalie du Tiot is a vivid example that____________________.
| A．you are what you believe |
| B．your biggest enemy is yourself |
| C．results are not so important as the process |
| D．you must set reasonable goals or you will fail |
According to the text , Natalie du Tiot became________________.
| A．the first athlete to compete with able-bodied swimmers in the world |
| B．the youngest disabled swimmer to break the world record in the 1,500m freestyle |
| C．the youngese disabled swimmer to collect three golds in a single Paralympics |
| D．the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics |
Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Natalie du Tiot？
a. She won gold at the All Africa Games.
b. She finished 16th in the tough 10km marathon in the Olympics
c. She adjusted herself to long events.
d. A motorcycle accident disabled her.
| A．cdab | B．dcba | C．dcab | D．dacb |
In dark moments it was_______________ that pushed her on.
| A．her coach | B．her family | C．hope and faith | D．her love of swimming |