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. |
C
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, “But, Dad ,you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt- a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One: It’s best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry ,but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you’ll have traveled through a windshield(挡风玻璃)or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear”.
Myth Number Two: Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water. Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷)due to not
wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts are not needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour
(mph) .
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to driving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters.
64. Why did Elizabeth say to her father, “But Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead?”
A. He was driving at great speed.
B. He was running across the street.
C. He didn’t have his safety belt on .
D. He didn’t take his medicine on time.
65. According to the text, to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident is very dangerous because you_____________
A. may be knocked down by other cars
B. may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car
C. may find it impossible to get away from the seat
D. may get caught in the car door
66. Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe______.
A. the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident
B. they will be unable to think clearly in an accident
C. they will be caught when help comes
D. cars catch fire easily
67. What is the advice given in the text?
A. Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour.
B. Try your best to save yourself in a car accident.
C. Never forget to wear safety belt while driving.
D. Drive slowly while you’re not wearing a safety belt.
B
As a teenager of the digital era, it is really hard to say no to fantastic electronic gadgets(电子产品). Many of us can’t get through a day without using our mobile phones or checking our e-mails. No matter if we’re “@home”, “@school” or“@play”, living without technological toys seems more and more unthinkable.
However, although gadgets bring convenience, many of us can start to feel stressed out by them. And, a lot of electronics are fairly expensive. Fashionable gadgets come and go in the digital age in the blink of any eye. So, think twice before you pulling out your wallet.
Here are some of the most popular gadgets and their pros and cons:
Pros: Laptops have made our lives much easier. You can take your books, movies, music and homework everywhere.
Cons: They cost at least 4,000 yuan! If you only want to share photos or games with your friend, then a flash memory stick is a great cheap alternative.
Pros: As well as carrying your favourite music, a video MP3 player can play up to 150 hours of movies and TV programmes.
Cons: The price—sometimes more than 2,000 yuan—is the first concern. Secondly, though music is really important to young people, ask yourself if video is really necessary. A regular MP3 player is a lot cheaper. And remember, don’t let the loud volume damage your hearing.
Pros: New mobile phones combine traditional functions with a digital camera, MP3 player and even a radio. Some can also send and receive e-mails.
Cons: Always trying to keep up with the latest model can be a waste of money. There are always new, improved phones coming out. Don’t be a fool. Do you really need all these functions? Think twice before you buy.
60. According to the writer, which of the following statements is true?
A. Teenagers can’t live through a day without fantastic electronic gadgets.
B. Teenagers can hardly live happily without electronic gadgets.
C. Teenagers’ life is full of expensive electronic gadgets.
D. It’s all but impossible for many teenagers to live without fantastic electronic gadgets.
61. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
A. Never buy the most updated gadgets.
B. You should buy the gadgets with as many functions as possible.
C. We needn’t always pay the most part to buy the most up-to-date gadgets with many functions.
D. Never buy the latest model, it’s much too expensive.
62. Choose the statement most similar in meaning to the underlined sentence in Paragraph2.
A. Fashionable gadgets are updated in the digital times in a flash.
B. Fashionable gadgets are transported everywhere in the digital age in the blink of any eye.
C. People keep buying and throwing away expensive fashionable gadgets in the digital age in the blink of any eye.
D. People use all kinds of fashionable gadgets all the time in the digital age.
63. What do the words “pros and cons” mean in the selection?
A. Agreements and disagreements.
B. The views that are favoured and not favoured by people.
C. Benefits and bads.
D. Advantages and disadvantages.
第三节：阅读理解（每小题2分，共40分）
A
I had gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was an eccentric(古怪的)
farmer. I had never met him before although I had often heard people talk about him. He sounded quite nervous and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understand anything. Finally all I could make out was that someone called Millry had a very bad accident. No matter who she was I obviously had to go.
It had been snowing heavily that day. I didn’t know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there, waiting for me. It seemed Millry had died. “She meant more to me than anyone…even my own wife!” he said. I could see that he had been crying. I thought something terrible had taken place, it may be a scandal(丑闻). I was even more shocked when he told me be had put her in the barn(厩). “I wouldn’t leave her out in the cold!” he said.
Millry had clearly been a secret lover of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door. He lifted his candle and I saw a dark figure on the ground, “She was such a good cow! I wouldn’t let anyone but a doctor touch her!”
he said, and bust into tears again.
56. The underlined phrase “make out” in the first paragraph means .
A. expect B. understand C. see clearly D. hear clearly
57. Before he arrived at the farmer’s house, the writer expected to see Millry lying .
A. on the ground of a barnB. on the floor of a room
C. in bed in a room D. in bed in a barn
58. The farmer wished that the writer might .
A. look into the matter B. bring Millry back to life
C. free him from a scandal D. keep a whole thing a secret
59. The person who told the story is probably a .
A. farmer B. policeman C. country doctor D. newspaper reporter
E
In search of Mr．or Mrs．Right，dozens of Japanese are attending a new school in Tokyo aiming to turn them into marriage material．
The school offers various classes for brides and grooms at a time when many people in
Japan are either avoiding marriage or are finding it very difficult to hook up with a partner．The school which is open to men and women，teaches students how to talk，walk and present themselves elegantly(优雅)in order to capture the hearts and minds of partners and their parents．who are often a major obstacle(障碍)to successful unions．The school，opened last month.now has about 30 female students．An almost equal number of males have signed up，but those actually coming to class are much fewer than females．
“I had never thought that my boyfriend’s mother could play such a big role in my relationship．but now I’ve realized I need to start thinking seriously about how to impress my future in-1aws，”said Kozue Sugawara，29，who joined the school after her previous marriage plans failed．
Government statistics show nearly two-thirds of women under the age of 34 are unmarried．
despite some 3,800 firms in Japan offering match—making services．The average age of the school’s female students is 30．
“Before，people would find it easy to get married because families and society would connect them in some way，sometimes pushing them to get married．But now，people have too many choices to make up their minds，”said Etsuko Satake，principal of the school．
Instructors provide suggestions on students’dress，posture and even details such as how they CROSS their legs or get out of a car．Men and women are taught different skills，which range from how to set a table well to how to be more emotionally expressive．Students also simulate (模拟)dates，during which their instructors grade their performance and point out what they did wrong．
57．The new school is opened to teach students how to．
A．get along with their parents-in—law B．prepare themselves for their marriage
C．behave and present themselves well D．get back to marriage after divorce
58．Nowadays many Japanese find it more difficult to get married because．
A．they are being forced to marry by parents
B．the society and family refuse to help them
C．they have fewer and fewer partners to make
D．they have too many choices to make a decision
59．Which of the following is true?
A．Successful marriage has little to do with future in-1aws．
B．Most women under 34 find it difficult to get married．
C．The school helps men and women while they are in love．
D．The number of men and women attending class is equal．
60．The undedincd part“Mr．or Mrs．Right”probably means．
A．a person with the family name“Right” B．a person who is always right
C．the righi person one wants to marry D．the couple who never tell lies
D
Let’s do some sleep math．You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday．On Saturday and Sunday，you slept in，getting four extra hours．On Monday morning，you were feeling so bright—eyed that you only had one cup of coffee，instead of your usual two．But don’t be cheated by your energy．You’re still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness，or what experts call “sleep debt”一in this case something like six hours，almost a full night’s sleep．
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get．It’s a shortage that grows every time we skim some extra minutes off our nightly sleep．“People get more sleep debt gradually without being noticed，”says William C．Dement，founder of the Stanford University Sleep Clinic．Studies show that such short term sleep lack leads to a foggy brain，worsened vision，and trouble remembering．Long-term effects include obesity(肥胖)，insulin(胰岛素)resistance，and heart disease．A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reports that we’re losing one hour of sleep each night——more than two full weeks of sleep every year．
The good news is that，like all debt，with some work，sleep debt can be repaid．Adding all extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up．For the long-term lack of sleep， take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern．
Go to bed when you are tired，and allow your body to wake you in the morning(no alarm clock allowed)．You may find yourself catatonic(有紧张症的)in the beginning of the recovery cycle：expect to have ten hours shut—eye per night；As the days pass，however，the amount of sleeping time will gradually decrease．
So earn back that lost sleep and follow the rules of your innate(固有的)sleep needs. You’ll feel better．“When you put away sleep debt,you become a superman,”says Stanford's Dement，talking about the improved mental and physical capabilities that come with being well rested．
53．If you have short-term sleep lack，you may___________．
A．put on weight B．get heart diseaseC．hate eating food D．have a poor sight
54．The example of sleep math is used to show______．
A．in what case you build up a sleep debt
B．in what way you can make up for lack of sleep
C．why you are energetic even without enough sleep
D．why you need six hours’sleep every night
55．By saying the underlined sentence，Dement means that______．
A．you need a lot of sleep to be a superman
B．you will be in a good state with enough sleep
C．you need to be a superman to repay sleep debt
D．you will become a superman with more sleep debt
56．What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A．How can you keep energetic? B．What is sleep debt?
C．Can you catch up on lost sleep? D．Can coffee refresh you?