The increase in tuition fees(学费) has led to a “clear drop” in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn. There are 15,000 “missing” applicants this academic year, according to the Independent Commission on Fees. Chairman Will Hutton said: “We’re asking our young men and women to have more debt than any other country in the world — it’s higher than the average debt in the US. It’s not clear whether those lost students this year will return next year, or if it’s a storm warming of a worrying trend.”
But the commission’s report says there does not seem to be an impact on poorer communities. The commission found there was no significant change in the application rate to the key universities, such as Oxford or Cambridge. The decline （下降）in England has not been mirrored in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population. Students from Scotland attending Scottish universities do not pay fees, while the Welsh Assembly says it will pay fees above ￡3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions.
The average tuition fee at English universities this year is ￡ 8,385, rising to ￡ 8,507 next year. UK and EU students have access to govemment-backed loans to pay the fees. And the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, carried out this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment in their future.
A spokeswoman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is responsible for universities, said:“Students shouldn’t be forced to put off going to university for financial reasons. Most students will not have to pay in advance, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least ￡ 2l,000 per year.”From the first paragraph, we know that __________________ .
| A．it’s a trend that English students are dropping out of school |
| B．the rising tuition fees have a great effect on English students |
| C．the lost English students will find their way back |
| D．many English students are missing the final examinations |
Why is there still a drop of applicants though fees have not been raised?
| A．Because the students live in poor communities. |
| B．Because Welsh students will pay fees above￡3,465. |
| C．Because education is free for Scottish students. |
| D．Because there are less young students in the area. |
What’s the students’ attitude to universities in the survey?
| A．Most of them are willing to go to university. |
| B．They feel universities takes up too much time. |
| C．They will stop applying for university places this autumn. |
| D．They are anxious to go to a key university. |
The spokeswoman in the last paragraph advises students to ______________
| A．put off going to university |
| B．reduce the anxiety about the rising fees |
| C．pay for the fees in advance |
| D．pay back their loan soon after graduation |
Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask. But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history. Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history.
The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past. I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures. However, as the unfortunately true statement goes “the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don’t seem to learn from history ”. Perhaps at least in teaching history, to my children I can do a small part in changing this.
A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context. We can not even understand who we are and where we are without history, much less try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be.
I teach my children history, for one more reason. I purchased a set of historical audio tapes for our children. My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over. It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself. I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr. In doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished. I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for.(325words) What message can we get from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2?
| A．Many people aren’t clever enough to learn well from the past. |
| B．Many people fail to make good use of history and make the same mistakes. |
| C．Many people feel it hard to understand history. |
| D．Many people have no interest in studying history. |
Some historical figures （人物）are mentioned in the last paragraph to show_____.
| A．people can be inspired to do good, while also learning to fight against evil |
| B．people may also learn from bad historical figures |
| C．more celebrations should be held to honor their achievements |
| D．today’s people can also achieve what they achieved |
What would be talked about in the following paragraph?
| A．How to teach history effectively. |
| B．Some negative reasons for studying history. |
| C．How to get more people to study history. |
| D．Some bad historical figures. |
Jamie Oliver has been invited by Gordon Brown to prepare a banquet at No．10 for President Barack Obama and other leaders of the G20, offering a cut-price menu to reflect times when trade and industry are far from prosperous and the rate of employment is decreasing.
Downing Street sources say Oliver, the well-known chef, will cook using "honest high-street products" and avoid expensive or "fancy" ingredients.
The prime minister is trying to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment last year when he sat down to an 18-course banquet at a Japanese summit to discuss world food shortages．
Obama, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and other leaders will be served by apprentices （学徒） from Fifteen, the London restaurant Oliver founded to help train young people in poverty in order to make a living by mastering a skill.
Brown wants the dinner to reflect the emphasis of the London summit, which he hopes will lead to an agreement to lift the world out of recession．"To be invited to cook for such an important group of people, who are trying to solve some of the world's major problems, is really a privilege," said Oliver.
"I'm hoping the menu I'm working on will show British food and produce is some of the best in the world, but also show we have pioneered a high-quality apprentice scheme at Fifteen London that is giving young people a skill to be proud of."
The chef has not yet finalized me menu, but is expected to draw inspiration from his latest book, Jamie's Ministry of Food, which has budget recipes for beef and ale stew （啤酒炖菜） and "impressive" chocolate fudge cake. (286 words)What can we learn about Oliver from the text?
| A．He is a well-known American cook． |
| B．He is invited to attend the G20 summit． |
| C．He has founded the Fifteen London． |
| D．He is one of the apprentices serving leaders of the G20. |
The menu of the banquet for the leaders of the G20 is supposed to ____．
| A．include all delicious British food |
| B．use inexpensive produce with special characteristics |
| C．be rich, varied and of high quality |
| D．imitate the menu of last Japanese summit |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Oliver is honored to be invited to cook for the G20 leaders. |
| B．Altogether three presidents are mentioned in the text． |
| C．President Barack Obama offers the cut-price menu． |
| D．The menu for the G20 dinner banquet has been decided． |
What is the Fifteen London?
| A．an apartment in London． | B．a luxurious restaurant in London． |
| C．a restaurant as well as a training center． | D．a famous avenue. |
How Do Animals Catch Their ZZZ’s?
Different creatures have developed some pretty creative ways to get their rest and stay safe. The lizard（蜥蝎）likes to sleep at the far end of small branches hanging out over a pond or lake in the rain forest. If a snake tries to slither up the branch to eat it, it will shake the branch and knock the lizard off , and the lizard will fall safely into the water. Chameleons （变色龙）can change color to match their surroundings in order to hide even while sleeping.
Corillas（大猩猩）like to sleep high in the trees. They build a new bed every night, sometimes taking up to half an hour to pile branches, twigs, and leaves into a comfortable bed. Birds also find it safe to sleep in the trees, but unless they have eggs or young chicks, they don’t use a nest. They just lock their feet around a branch and hang on. A special tendon（腱）in their legs is automatically tight when they are at rest, so they won’t let go and fall.
Dolphins(海豚) live underwater, but must come to the surface to breathe. Scientists now believe that dolphins may sleep with only half their brain, while the other half stays awake to keep them safe and breathing. Seals (海豹) also do this，lying on their sides on the surface of the water with one flipper underwater paddling to keep their noses above the surface. Some ducks may also have this ability, and actually sleep with one eye closed and one eye open.(281 words) How many animals are mentioned in this passage?
| A．6. | B．7. | C．8. | D．9. |
How does a chameleon protect itself while sleeping?
| A．By changing its body colors. | B．By hinging out over a pond. |
| C．By sleeping with half their brain. | D．By making beds with branches. |
Why will not birds fall when they are at rest?
| A．They build nests and sleep in them. | B．They fall asleep automatically. |
| C．They have a loose tendon in their legs | D．They lock their feet around a branch. |
What does the writer intend to tell us?
| A．The cleverest animal is the gorilla because it can make beds. |
| B．Differences in habitat could lead to different living habits. |
| C．The ways animals catch their ZZZ’s are pretty much the same . |
| D．In order to protect themselves most animals choose not to sleep. |
Basic Study Manual (Hardcover): $37.50…… Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by students. Read this book and learn:
*What the three barriers to study are and what to do about them
* What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying
*Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding
Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study.
Study Skills for Life (Hardcover): $31.99
L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them advice on how to study and learn. Fully illustrated（插图）for easy comprehension.
Learning How to Learn (Hardcover):$24.99
The basics of effective study for 8 to 12-year-olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book can regain their liking for study. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies!
How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children (Hardcover):$34.90
In spite of billions of dollars spent on “educational research”, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning: how to use a dictionary. Written for children 8 to 12-year-old, this fully illustrated book will teach your children:
*How to find words in a dictionary
*The different ways that words are used
*How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words
At last, you’ll just pay 50% for these books before May 1, 2007. （260 words）The four books can mostly satisfy .
| A．teachers | B．children | C．adults | D．parents |
If you want to improve your ability to study, you’ll probably choose .
| A．Basic Study Manual | B．Study Skills for Life |
| C．Learning How to Learn | D．How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children |
If you buy all the fully illustrated books before May 1, 2007, you will pay about .
| A．$56 | B．$111 | C．$46 | D．$92 |
This passage aims to .
| A．introduce new books to readers | B．guide readers to choose books |
| C．encourage people to buy the books | D．enlarge students’ knowledge about books |
It’s you and I who are to blame for the state of the earth. No question about it. It’s our life-style that is threatening life on Earth, so we must make the changes. The good news is that many of those changes are really quite simple, even enjoyable, but for every careful step we take as individuals , we must press government and industry to take a big step on our benefit . And we must start now. Tomorrow’s too late.
My aim this year is to persuade as many of my friends and colleagues as possible to choose the train, and leave their cars behind too. My gardens have been pesticide(杀虫剂)–free zones for years and I enjoy seeing more wildlife on my doorstep as a result; I’ve tried to reduce my contribution to water pollution too, by using environment-friendly, phosphate(磷)–free washing powder , and by no longer thinking of the toilet as a suitable waste-disposal(处理) point .
I ran after a young lady through town recently to give her back the piece of paper she had carelessly thrown away. She disappeared into a shop, and when I followed her inside and made my presentation, she was doubly embarrassed--she worked there, and the boss gave her a ticking–off too. I’ve started asking fellow drivers at gas stations why they aren’t using unleaded (无铅的) petrol . These are small things, but we have to start somewhere, and every little does help .To help the environment, the author is trying to do everything mentioned below EXCEPT .
| A．taking the train instead of a car |
| B．throwing away the old cars |
| C．avoiding the use of pesticides |
| D．running after those who throw articles carelessly |
The author ran after a woman through town because he wanted .
| A．to find out where she worked |
| B．to give her back the piece of paper she had lost |
| C．to tell her not to throw away pieces of paper carelessly |
| D．to ask her to pay him for picking up the piece of paper. |
The word “ticking-off ” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．blaming | B．a piece of paper | C．prize | D．ticket |
The purpose of this passage is to .
| A．persuade his friends to take the train |
| B．inform us of the good news |
| C．make clear who is responsible for the environment |
| D．try to advise us all to protect our environment |