Luo Gaoqi hopes to join the increasing number of Chinese students in the United States because he wants the experience of studying in a foreign land as it will help his future job at home. “I want to try Western education because people there think differently,” said the 21-year-old who is in his final year of undergraduate studies. “I also hope to meet friends from different cultures. The social connections may help in the future.”
The latest report from the US-based institute of International Education said China, for the first time, has become the top country of origin for international students in the United States.
For Yang Fan, a journalism student, said studying in the United States is a way to escape the competition for places in China’s top universities. “Due to limited education resources, only about 60 percent of high school graduates in China enter college, and a much lower rate enters the top-level ones. “A foreign degree will definitely help when I seek a job in China,” Yang said.
Both Yang’s and Luo’s parents are supportive of them studying abroad. Neither of them is thinking of settling down in the United States after graduation.
“It is not realistic to do so. As a journalism student, there would be no advantage for me to work in the United States,” Yang said. “But in China, with a US degree and good English, I may stand out against other students who have only studied in China.”
China still needs to improve its environment for scientists and high-level talents, said Xiao Mingzheng, director of the Center for Human Resource Development and Management Research of Peking University, adding that, in particular, the country needs to improve its policies relating to research environments.
In June, the Chinese government published a plan concerning talent development for the next 10 years. In it, it has improved policies and increased budgets to attract talented students back home.Why does Luo Gaoqi wants to study in a foreign land according to his words?
| A．Because the people there are more intelligent. |
| B．Because the foreign countries are more developed. |
| C．Because he can make more friends there. |
| D．Because the culture there is different from that in China. |
What do Guo Gaoqi and Yang Fan have in common?
| A．Their major is the same, which is journalism. |
| B．Both of them want to go back to China after graduation. |
| C．Their parents are against their decision. |
| D．They are forced to study in a foreign land by their parents. |
From the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．scientists and high-level talents need a better environment in China |
| B．the students abroad are unwilling to go back to China |
| C．China doesn’t need those people to come back to our country at all |
| D．we all need to go abroad to study and then serve our own country |
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of （证明有……罪）shoplifting for the second time in six months．
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops．
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9．95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9．
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting（起诉）,said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store．When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms（防盗警报装置）．
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said．
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions．
Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that．
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this ,” Miss Duff said．“She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store．She is at a loss to explain it．She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady．She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this．”
Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50, and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record．If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have．”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK．What is Ana Luz’s nationality?
| A．American． | B．British． | C．Spanish． | D．German． |
What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
| A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things． |
| B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops． |
| C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops． |
| D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions． |
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?
| A．Carrying goods in a lift for a shop． |
| B．Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet． |
| C．Selecting some goods from a display． |
| D．Taking goods from a shop without paying． |
From the passage we can learn that ．
| A．Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK |
| B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
| C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
| D．Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer |
You either have it , or you don’t –a sense of direction ,that is．But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map ,while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction ,but it is not property understood how it works．One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it．Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it．we lose it．
“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around．” says Jim Mart land．Research Director of the project．“However if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car ,they never develop the skills”
Jim Mart land also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction．He makes the following suggestions．
●If you are using a map ,turn it so it relates to the way you are facing．
●If you leave your bike in a strange place ,put it near something like a big stone or a tree．
Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike．When you return ,go back
along the same route
●Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town,
streams ,or walls in the countryside to guide you．Count your steps so that you know how
far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to
find out where you are．
Now you need never get lost again!Scientists believe that ．
| A．some babies are born with a sense of direction |
| B．people learn a sense of direction as they grow older |
| C．people never lose their sense of direction |
| D．everybody posses a sense of direction from birth |
What is true of seven-year-old children according to the passage?
| A．They never have a sense of direction without maps． |
| B．They should never be allowed out alone if they lack a sense of direction． |
| C．They have a sense of direction and can find their way around． |
| D．They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car． |
If you leave your bike in a strange place ,you should ．
| A．tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen |
| B．draw a map of the route to help remember where it is |
| C．avoid taking the same route when you come back in it |
| D．remember something easily recognizable on the route |
According to the passage the best way to find your way around is to ．
| A．ask policemen for directions |
| B．use walls．streams , and streets to guide yourself． |
| C．remember your route by looking out for steps and stairs． |
| D．count the number of landmarks that you see． |
The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone．Enter the Red Hat Society －a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun．
“My grandmothers didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody．They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornett, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society．
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age．But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers(生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old．
If you take into consideration feminism(女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable(必然的)．In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple(紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing．
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple．With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998．When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention．
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper saiD．“Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves．” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful．“We’re a ladies’ play group．It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood．The underlined word “chapter” in paragraph 2 means __________．
| A．one branch of an organization | B．a written agreement of a club |
| C．one part of a collection of poems | D．a period in a society’s history |
From the text , we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who ．
| A．have gradually become more noticeable |
| B．are worried about getting old too quickly |
| C．are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend |
| D．tried living a different life from their parents when they were young |
It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are ．
| A．interested in raising money for social work |
| B．programmers who can plan well for their future |
| C．believers in equality between men and women |
| D．good at cooking big meals and taking care of others |
Who set up the Red Hat Society ?
| A．Emily Cornett． | B．Ellen Cooper． | C．Jenny Joseph． | D．Joe Heywood． |
It all starts with a tree．In fact, it starts with several trees．Since the first modern guitars were made in northern Spain over 150 years ago, crafts persons have known the wood to be used is important in making a guitar.
Every guitar is made of several different kinds of wood．Each piece is carefully chosen and then cut to fit the part of the guitar for which it is designed．The most important part of a guitar is the soundboard--the piece of wood with a large hole that lies under the strings(弦,线)．Guitar makers are careful to make the soundboard just the right shape and thickness．Then they fix stripes（长条）of wood across the inside in a special pattern, which helps strengthen the soundboard and improves the tone of the guitar.
Wood for the curvy (弯曲的) sides of the guitar must be soaked (浸湿) in water and bent over a hot iron pipe．When all the pieces of the guitar are ready, they are carefully stuck together with glue．Special woodworking tools are used to shape and smooth the neck of the guitar．The craftsperson must make sure that the neck is perfectly centered over the soundboard.
Then it is time to use varnish(亮光漆)．This brings out the beauty of the wood．Varnish also improves the sound of the guitar but too much varnish makes the guitar sound flat and dull.
Finally guitar strings are attached and tightened to make just the right musical tones．Then it’s time to play a song．(273 words)The best title for this passage may be _____.
| A．How to Make a Guitar | B．What a Guitar Is Made of |
| C．How to Play the Guitar | D．Where to Find the Best Guitar |
In order to make the soundboard strong, _____.
| A．people tie strings to the top of it |
| B．stripes are stuck across the inside of wood |
| C．a large hole is made in it |
| D．several pieces of wood are glued together |
Which of the following doesn’t affect the sound of a guitar?
| A．Soundboard | B．strings | C．neck | D．color |
What will happen to the guitar if too much varnish is used to the wood?
| A．The beauty of the wood can’t be seen clearly. |
| B．The sound of the guitar will be flat and dull. |
| C．The tone of the guitar will be improved |
| D．A guitar will become thin |
A friend and I were standing in line at the grocery store the other day, and I was telling her how lazy my children were．I had come in from work that morning, and like most times, my house was wrecked.
“I believe children nowadays are just out for what they can get．They can never help keep our house clean.” I said, feeling unhappy.
“Do you know how happy you are?” a woman behind us asked．“I would love to go home and find my house a mess．I wouldn’t mind my floor being dirty．Nor would I mind the dirty clothes being piled high．I wouldn’t even mind anyone talking about my dirty home．I would love it．I would love to kick my way through the house just to get to my kids and be able to hug them, kiss them and tell them how much I love them．You see, my two children were killed in an accident． My house stays clean; my clothes stay put up; the dishes are done.”
“There are no fingerprints on my walls．There are no sounds of arguing, either．So you see, you are very lucky．I would give anything to be going through what you are now! How I’d love to be able to hold my kids, wipe away their tears and share their dreams! I wouldn’t care how my house looked．I would be happy just to have them.”
Now if you come into my house and see a big mess, you can think bad thoughts if you want, but I feel greatly blessed.(268 words)The writer was complaining about her children to her friend because they ____.
| A．would go out without permission | B．couldn’t keep the house clean |
| C．made her look dirty and bad | D．were too lazy to hug or kiss her |
My house was wrecked in the first paragraph means my house _____.
| A．was very dirty | B．was broken into |
| C．needed to be painted | D．looked beautiful |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children shouldn’t be left home alone. |
| B．A mother lost her children in an accident. |
| C．People should be thankful for what life gives. |
| D．A mother complained about the mess at her house. |