The English test will be removed from China’s college entrance exam by 2020, according to details of exam and admission reform revealed by the Ministry of Education. The national college exam, known as the “Gaokao” has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. The Ministry will solicit(征求) public opinions before its release. Instead, tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to ease study pressure and change China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system.
The plan and suggestion for its implementation(实施) will be announced in the first half of next year. It will be piloted in selected provinces and cities and promoted nationwide from 2017. A new exam and admission system will be established by 2020, according to the education ministry.
The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would reduce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student’s English skills and help students learn English better.
“The reform shows China is learning from the West to give students more test-taking chances. But more chances might become more of a burden since Chinese students are likely to repeat the test until they get the highest score,” said Cai Jigang, a professor at Fudan University’s College of Foreign Languages and Literature and chairman of the Shanghai Advisory Committee for College English Teaching at Tertiary level.
Yu Lizhong, chancellor of New York University Shanghai, where classes are in English and students are required to have a high standard of English, said the most important aspect of the reform lay in what to test and how to test.
“As far as I see, the reform doesn’t mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it will be excluded from the college entrance exam,” Yu said. “In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, can have different requirements of a student’s English skills under a diverse evaluation system.”
Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn’t need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students.
The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．English will become less and less important in the stage of compulsory education. |
| B．It has been 30 years since English became one subject of national college entrance exam. |
| C．China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system is unacceptable at all. |
| D．The system that tests are held several times does more good than once-in-a-lifetime exam system. |
According to the passage, Shanghai educators and parents argue that________.
| A．the new exam and admission system will make no difference. |
| B．English shouldn’t be removed from China’s college entrance exam. |
| C．the reform may accomplish the very opposite. |
| D．Western educational system does not apply to China. |
What does the passage try to express in the underlined sentence?
| A．Students needn’t lay a good foundation during the period of high school. |
| B．Whether students should study English hard may depend on their major. |
| C．Students can constantly struggle for perfection only in their major. |
| D．English must be close to full mark. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To advise students not to devote themselves to English. |
| B．To call on Education Department to remove English from “Gaokao”. |
| C．To support the act of Ministry of Education |
| D．To encourage students to do as they have planned. |
A blocked airway(呼吸道) can kill someone in three to four minutes, but it can take more than eight minutes for an ambulance to arrive. So a simple procedure such as opening someone's airway can save their life while they're waiting for emergency medical help. This means you're more likely to give first aid to someone you know than a stranger.
There are many misconceptions(误解) surrounding first aid. Below are the ‘most popular’ ones with details of what you should do.
You should put butter or cream on a burn. The only thing you should put on a burn is cold water - keep the butter for cooking. Put the affected area under cold running water for at least ten minutes.
The best way to treat bleeding is to put the wound under a tap. If you put a bleeding wound under a tap you wash away the body's clotting agents(凝血剂) and make it bleed more. Instead put pressure on the wound with whatever is available to stop or slow down the flow of blood. As soon as possible call 999. Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives.
Nosebleeds are best treated by putting the head back. If you put the head back during a nosebleed, all the blood goes down the back of the airway. Instead advise them to tilt(倾斜) their head forwards and ask the person to pinch(捏) the end of their nose and breathe through their mouth.
You need lots of training to do first aid. You don’t - what you mostly need is common sense. You can learn enough first aid in a few minutes to save someone's life – whether it’s from a book, attending a course or watching videos online.
Remember: anyone can save a lifeThe most important point to save a person’s life is to ensure _____.
| A．his smooth breath |
| B．ambulances’ arriving time |
| C．the quiet surroundings |
| D．emergency medical help |
If a person is burnt, what you should do immediately is to _____.
| A．put some cream on the burn area |
| B．cook some butter for the burn |
| C．place the burn under cold running water |
| D．wash the affected area for a long time |
If a bleeding wound is put under a tap, what should happen?
| A．It will help the bleeding stop at once. |
| B．It will help produce more clotting agents. |
| C．It will produce more pressure on the wound |
| D．It will bleed more and hard to stop |
Which of the following statement is RIGHT?
| A．When a person’s nose bleed, please put the head back. |
| B．You can learn first aid in quickly in different ways. |
| C．When a person is burnt, crap the burn until help arrives. |
| D．Not everyone can do first aid to save a life. |
The passage mainly tells us _____.
| A．how to learn first aid by yourself |
| B．some misunderstanding about first aid |
| C．the importance of first aid |
| D．how to help medical team save a life |
Ginny Ruffner is one of the best-known glass artists in the United States. Her one-of-a-kind pieces are colorful, detailed and often humorous. Over the years, she became famous for a method called lamp working, also known as flame working. It involves using a torch to melt and shape the glass instead of blowing on it.
Ginny Ruffner almost died in a three-car accident in 1991. No one thought the Seattle-based artist would ever walk or talk again. An award-winning(优等的) film documentary explores that period of her life. "It's scary when you can't talk, you can't do... all your life." said Ruffner.
Ms. Ruffner was in a coma(昏迷) for five weeks and a wheelchair for five years. But she overcame her injuries. And although she still has difficulty walking and talking, she has willed herself back to work. Now, she has a team that helps bring her dream to life.
Her team recently finished an eight point five meter-high flowerpot made of steel and aluminum. It is now in downtown Seattle. Ms. Ruffner was recently honored in Washington, DC. The Renwick Gallery presented a special showing of the film, "A Not So Still Life, the Ginny Ruffner Story."
Ms. Ruffner says “it has been a long battle, but the hardest part has not been the physical problems. I hate being taken for granted, being ignored. The way I talk, people assume that I'm either really old, or kind of retarded(智力迟钝的), and that is so frustrating."
But she is firm. She says "Fortunately I've done a lot of stuff in my life, so I know that the best thing is to be open to the mystery, who knows what great things will happen. I'm sure they're many more to come."
Ginny Ruffner's art can be seen in more than forty museums around the world. Her work and her life continue to motivate people of all ages.Within five years after a car accident, Ginny Ruffner _____.
| A．was unconscious of everything |
| B．had trouble walking and talking |
| C．got over injuries completely |
| D．went back to her work |
From this passage we can learn _____.
| A．Ginny Ruffner finished an eight point five meter-high flowerpot made of steel and aluminum himself |
| B．The Renwick Gallery made him a the film documentary , "A Not So Still Life, the Ginny Ruffner Story." |
| C．Ginny Ruffner's art is shown in more than forty museums in the United States |
| D．Ginny Ruffner’s story has encouraged people to do what they want to |
What was the most difficult to accept for Ginny Ruffner?
| A．The physical disabilities |
| B．Being considered old andstupidity |
| C．Being looked down upon |
| D．Being mistaken as a useless man |
The best title of this passage is _____.
| A． A New Exhibit of Bright Life |
| B．The Life of a Glass Artist |
| C． A New product of a glass artist |
| D．The Introduction of a Great Glass Artist |
From this passage we can know Ginny Ruffner is _____.
| A．determined and optimistic |
| B．ambitious and stubborn |
| C．hopeful and energetic |
| D．devoted and active |
It is that time of the year when the warm, late Summer days meet the cold, early Autumn nights. The skies on days like these are bright and clear. The air is cool, fresh, and full of the smell of wild flowers. The leaves on the trees are dark green but with splashes of red appearing here and there. It is a really beautiful time of the year. Every where and in everything you can see change.
Birds are starting to migrate. Children are getting ready for another school year. People are looking back on the fun days of Summer and forward to the busy days of Fall.
It is days like these that remind me that while seasons, weather, and nature's colors may change it is all beautiful and it is all joyful. And I am changing too.
My thick wavy hair is now pretty thin on top. Its dark brown color is now getting some gray sprinkled(散落)in it. The smile lines around my eyes and mouth are deeper now and stay with me even when I stop smiling. My glasses continue to get thicker with each new pair and the music I love is now referred to as "oldies". Still, I feel so happy and joyful in my life. I am grateful for my younger years because they taught me so much.
What I have learned and experienced has gotten me to where I am today. I am grateful for my present because now is where I live and now is where I love. I feel happiness in every moment that God has given me, and I take great delight in all the changes life brings. Life is a never ending journey of change and growth. Life's changes never stop but neither does life's joy. The author describes the sceneryin the first paragraph in order to ______ .
| A．tell the time of story’s taking place |
| B．tell the joy of season’s changing |
| C．show the impressive beauty of nature |
| D．set off the author’s delighted feeling |
From this passage we can learn _____.
| A．the author is not young any longer at present |
| B．the season the author describes is the meet of late autumn and early winter |
| C．the author is a person who used to love music |
| D．the author doesn’t hope life has changed so much |
The underlined part in the last paragraph probably means ______.
| A．present life is well worth treasuring |
| B．he is satisfied with where he lives now |
| C．present life isn’t changing |
| D．the world is filled with love everywhere |
From the passage we can see the author’s attitude to life is full of ______.
| A．excitement | B．appreciation | C．compassion | D．complaint |
The best title of this passage is ______.
| A．My life | B．My past | C．I love life | D．Life's changes |
请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意：每空格1个单词。
Searching for the truth
Collecting mid writing news is like researching in history: the best information comes from those who were there at the time. So if' we want to study tile history of China in the sixth century AD, we look at the writings of the people who lived then. They are called the primary sources because they tell us what it was like to live then. People at a much later date who write about the same events are called the secondary sources. For example, when we read the original writings of Jia Sixie on agriculture, we are reading a primary source; when we read about Jia Sixie in our textbook we are reading secondary source because the passage was written about him and his ideas many years after he died.
When we make news we use primary and secondary sources. We can see this most clearly in TV programmes. As we watch the news on TV, the person presenting the programme in the studio is the secondary source( because he tells us about the news) and the reporter in. Iraq or Washington is the primary source (because he is telling us about what is actually happening there). Without these reporters acting as primary sources, you would never find out what really happened in a war, earthquake, sports meeting, concert or festival. These reporters explain what is happening so we have a clearer idea of what is going on there. They often take photographers with them who act as primary source by giving pictures of events.
In a newspaper the position is different because these two roles are often combined. This means a reporter who investigates a story may be the same person who writes it. If this happens, the reporter is both the primary and the secondary source. But the photographer who works with him/her is still a primary, source.
One of the reasons that it is important to separate primary and secondary sources is that they help us to decide what is a fact and what is an opinion. A fact is something that everybody agrees has happened. An opinion is somebody's idea of what happened. So facts and opinions are often mixed in any report, whether in a newspaper or on TV.
What have you learnt from the above passage?
| Primary Source |
Primary sources are the writing of' the people who lived at (1)___________ time and offer an inside view of a particular event |
| Secondary source |
Secondary sources are the writings of the people who write about the same events at a much later date with explanation and analysis (2)_________ on primary sources |
| News on TV |
The TV (3)__________ in the studio is tile secondary source while the reporter on the (4) ____________ is the primary source |
| News in a newspaper |
A newspaper reporter can be both primary and secondary source if he collects the information anti then (5) ______________ the news. But the photographer(6) ___________ with the reporter is always a primary source |
| Fact |
A fact is something that everybody agrees has happened. In other (7)____________, it is something that is (8) ________________ |
| Opinion |
An opinion is somebody's idea of what (9)________________on |
| Conclusion |
Primary and secondary sources are both important for (10)_______ the truth |
Kuss Middle School serves students in Fall River, Mass. , a former mill town that has struggled economically for decades. Students at Kuss have struggled, too, usually falling short of making the academic progress required under the No Child Left Behind law.
Then, last year, the school experimented with extending the school day. Teachers got paid at a higher hourly rate.
Students weren't thrilled at first with leaving school at 4:15 p.m. instead of at 2:20 p.m. But the added hours gave them more time for physical education and let them select special interest classes. By the end of the year, student scores had risen by enough to enable Kuss to make the progress required under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
The only surprise is that more districts haven't lengthened school schedules set decades ago to accommodate (适应) a farm economy rather the information economy of today.
| School days The USA ranks 36th of 40 industrialized nations in average weekly instructional time. Selected countries: 1) Thailand--30.5 hours 2) Korea--30.3 hours 7) China--26.5 hours 14) France--24.6 hours 15 ) UK--24.6 hours 16) Mexico--24.2 hours 23 ) Japan--23.8 hours 26)Canada--23.6 hours 36)USA--22.2 hours 40)Brazil--19 hours |
New research suggests the time is ready for a change:
Matched against 39 other developed countries, the United States is near the bottom in the rankings of average weekly instructional time in school. Measured over 12 years, students in the top-scoring countries spend the equivalent of a full extra year in school.
US students perform poorly on math and science tests compared to their international peers, according to a US Education Department comparison released earlier this month. In math, American 15-year-old scored near the bottom among the study's 30 developed countries.
Most countries that boost the number of minutes spent on math instruction find pay offs in improved math scores, according to a study released this month by the Brookings Institution. Small in creases in the school day are more effective than a longer school year, the report concluded.
The most encouraging news about the benefits of extending the school day comes from Massachusetts, where an experiment with 10 schools, including Kuss, appears to be working. Those 10 schools lengthened their instructional days by 25% and boosted their state scores in math, English and science at all grades.
Perhaps the concept won't work everywhere. Certainly, it won't instantly be popular. But it's obvious that a problem exists or that adding class time seems to help.What is the main idea of the above passage?
| A．Experiments with extended school hours produce academic gains. |
| B．Kuss Middle School sets a good example for US education. |
| C．Academic progress has achieved under the No Child Left Behind law. |
| D．Information age calls for more instructional lime at all schools. |
A longer school day is suggested for the following reasons except that _________.
| A．students from many developed countries spend more time at school |
| B．American students do a bad job at science subjects |
| C．teachers are paid at a higher rate with time added |
| D．a longer school day works better than a longer school year |
Which statement is true of Kuss Middle School?
| A．Kuss Middle School lies in where a farm economy is changing to an information one. |
| B．Kuss Middle school has joined the federal "No Child Left Behind" progrann |
| C．Neither teachers nor students are happy with the longer school day. |
| D．Adding class time functions at Kuss Middle School. |
The writer has expressed ____________.
| A．a positive attitude towards adding school time |
| B．a negative attitude towards adding school time |
| C．a changing attitude towards adding school time |
| D．a right attitude towards adding school time |