You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.
| A．notice small changes |
| B．expect small changes |
| C．welcome small changes |
| D．exaggerate small changes |
How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
| A．Cautiously. |
| B．Positively. |
| C．Sceptically. |
| D．Critically. |
When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.
| A．the relaxed policemen |
| B．the messy arrivals hall |
| C．the tight security |
| D．the bank robbers |
Which might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life in Britain. |
| B．Back in Britain. |
| C．Britain in Future. |
| D．Britain in Memory. |
Applying to Stellinga College
Why Stellinga?
Thank you for your interest in Stellinga International College. As an international student, we are sure you will find our college an exciting place to study, with like-minded and ambitious people.
Preparing and submitting your application
We have tried to make the application process as easy as possible for you, but there are a number of procedures you must follow.
All our courses are taught in English, so first of all you will probably need to submit evidence of your English language ability. We require an IELTS score of 6.5. You will also have to send us your secondary school diploma, so that we can evaluated it.
We will also require a personal statement. This is a text of up to 1,000 words in which you introduce yourself, explain your interest in our college, and why you want to study your chosen course.
If you are from outside the European Union(EU), it is important that you have an entrance visa before you come to study in the Netherlands, but we will apply for this for you.
We now only accept online applications, so please ensure that you have all your documents ready to upload before you begin. Any documents that are not in English originally will also need to be translated and the translation also uploaded.
You will need a passport photograph; a copy of your passport; copies of all your certificates and diplomas; your proof of language ability; and your personal statement in English.
What happens next?
Your application will then be considered. If your initial application is successful, you will be invited for an interview. This will be conducted in English via skype, over the phone or on site. You will talk to two or three members of staff for up to 30 minutes. We aim to inform you of our decision in writing, within 4 weeks. There are several possible outcomes: you may not have been successful; you may be offered a place on the waiting list. You will need to reply to any offers within two weeks, otherwise your place may be offered to somebody else.
Good luck with your application.Which is unnecessary for people inside the EU when submitting applications?
| A．A personal statement. |
| B．An entrance visa. |
| C．Evidence of English ability. |
| D．A secondary school diploma |
If your first application is accepted, what is the next process?
| A．You will have an interview in English. |
| B．You will get the reply over the phone. |
| C．You should make a decision within 4 weeks. |
| D．You should reply to the offer the moment you get it. |
Where can we find the passage?
| A．In an educational magazine. |
| B．On a notice board. |
| C．In an English teaching book. |
| D．On a university’s website. |
Last week，all the teachers and students of our school watched a special performance by some disabled people．The first program was a dance named “The light of life”．To my surprise，all the dancers had lost one of their legs．As they were performing，I could see how they had to face so many difficulties．However，they showed us many wonderful programs．From these programs，I could see how lively their minds were．
The two persons who came out next shocked us all．The first one was a singer．He was very young but unfortunately he had lost both of his hands in a big fire．The song he brought us was “Late Autumn” and he sang it in such a low and sweet voice．Though it was warm spring， I felt a little cold when I heard the song as if it was really late autumn．“How much love and feeling is hidden in my heart? I wish to hold your hands again．” Hearing this，I couldn’t keep back my tears．
The other one was also a young man．He lost both of his arms when he was six．From then on，his feet became his “hands”．However，he could manage a number of things with his feet．What moved us most was his feet writing．The two words “Flying High” expressed his wishes．
“If your wings are gone，your heart can still fly，” said Zhang Haidi，a disabled writer．
In the world，there are many disabled people，yet most of them don't give in．They have strong wishes and beautiful dreams．Just as Zhang Haidi said they could fly．
Disability doesn't mean complete failure．Once you try hard，miracles（奇迹）will happen sooner or later．I believe where there is a will，there is a way．The teachers and studentslast week．
| A．saw a film |
| B．held a party |
| C．watched a football match |
| D．watched a performance |
Why did the writer feel cold when he heard the song “Late Autumn”?
| A．Because it was cold at that moment. |
| B．Because he had a bad cold． |
| C．Because it was late autumn and the weather was cool． |
| D．Because the song was moving． |
The underlined word “shocked” probably means．
A．surprised B．crashed
C．warned D．sounded
36．“Flying High” expressed the wish of．
A．a blind person
B．a person with no arms
C．a person without feet
D．a person with neither hands nor feetWhat do you think is the best title for this passage?
| A．An unforgettable Day |
| B．Some Disabled people |
| C．A Special Performance |
| D．A Strange Writer |
One of the most difficult problems a young person faces is deciding what to do．Some people，however, from the time they are six years old“know”that they want to be doctors or teachers or firefighters．but most of us do not get around to making a decision about a job until someone or something forces us to face the problem．
Choosing a job takes time，and there are a lot of things you have to think about as you try to decide what you would like to do．You may find that you will have to take special courses for a particular kind of work，or you may find out that you will need to get enough knowledge for a particular job．
Fortunately，there are a lot of people you can turn to for advice and help in making your decision．At most schools，there are teachers to give you information about jobs．And you can talk over your ideas with family members and friends who are always ready to listen and to offer suggestions．In the first paragraph“get round to”means ________．
| A．consider | B．go all the way |
| C．arrive at | D．remain he same |
The passage tells you that ________ for a particular job．
| A．you should have ideas when you are a child |
| B．it’s impossible for you to get enough knowledge |
| C．you have to face the problem |
| D．you may enter a class to study |
Making a decision about your job ________．
| A．needs friends | B．needs time |
| C．cost money | D．cost your ability |
Waste can be seen everywhere in the school. Some students ask for more food than they can eat and others often forget to turn off the lights when they leave the classroom. They say they can afford these things. But I don’t agree with them.
Waste can bring a lot of problems. Although China is rich in some resources(资源), we are short of others, for example, fresh water. It is reported that we will have no coal or oil to use in 100 years. So if we go on wasting our resources, what can we use in the future and where can we move? Think about it. I think we should say no to the students who waste things every day. Everybody should stop wasting as soon as possible.
In our everyday life, we can do many things to prevent waste from happening, for example, turn off the water taps when we finish washing, turn off the lights when we leave the classroom, try not to order more food than we need, and so on. Little by little, everything will be changed. Waste can be stopped one day, if we do our best.Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．Fresh water. | B．Forest. | C．Oil. | D．Coal. |
What may happen in 100 years?
| A．We may still have enough oil. |
| B．We may still have enough coal. |
| C．We may have a little oil. |
| D．We may have no coal or oil to use. |
Which of the following is right?
| A．Waste brings problems. |
| B．Waste can bring no problem. |
| C．China is rich in fresh water. |
| D．Students never waste things. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Stop Wasting |
| B．School life |
| C．Waste in the School |
| D．Rich Resources in China |
February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin.
Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player. But when you watch him on the court, there is no doubt that he belongs there. He moves with speed and grace that demonstrate years of faithful practice, which is fueled by a love for basketball.
Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.
In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team.
During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.
When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
At first，playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitementwore offand was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up.
But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012，on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory.
The Associated Press called Lin "the most surprising story in the NBA". Knicks fans developed the nickname for him "Linsanity" (林发疯). Time magazine released its 2012 list of the 100 "Most Influential People in the World", Jeremy Lin included.
No doubt, Lin fever is continuing to spread if you haven't already caught "Linsanity", get ready.Which of the following elements is of little help in Lin's success?
| A．his father's influence |
| B．his devotion to basketball |
| C．his years of hard work |
| D．his graduation from Harvard University |
What does the underlined phrase "wore off" in the seventh paragraph probably mean?
| A．arose | B．disappeared |
| C．grew | D．remained |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Before Lin there was no Chinese-American NBA players.
B. Lin learned to play basketball when he was eight.
C. Lin was excited for professional games and did a good job at the beginning.
D. Lin is the most outstanding player in NBA.Which is the right order for Lin's life?
a He made an excellent performance on Feb,4.
b He was fired by the Golden State Warriors.
c He was invited to play in the NBA Summer League.
d He graduated from Harvard University.
e He became famous overnight.
| A．a, d, c, b, e |
| B．d, b, c, e, a |
| C．d, c, b, a, e |
| D．a, e, d, c, b |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. NBA prefers graduates from Harvard University.
B. Lin got an easy entry into NBA.
C. Lin didn't show his basketball talents in Harvard University.
D. Lin didn't have a smooth road in NBA.