The English test will be removed from China’s college entrance exam by 2020, according to the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance 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. Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure and change China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system.
The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted whether 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.
“As far as I see, the reform doesn’t mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it is excluded from the unified 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 strive 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. |
I was driving home one evening about 5, stuck in traffic, and the car started to die— I hardly managed to get into a gas station, glad only that I would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck(拖车). Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the “ Quickie Mart” building, then suddenly she slipped(滑倒) on some ice and fell down, so I got out to see if she was okay.
When I got there, it looked like she had been overcome by weep than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked exhausted with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up and gave it to her. It was a coin.
At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban packed full of stuff and three kids in the back, and the gas pump(汽油泵) reading $4.95.
I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying “I don’t want my kids to see me crying,” so we stood at the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California for Christmas and that things were very hard for her right now.
I took out my credit card and swiped(刷磁卡) it through the card reader on the pump so that she could fill up her car completely, and I bought 2 big bags of food for her kids in the 
car who attacked it like wolves. While it was fueling, she asked, “So, are you an angel or something?” I said, “At this time of year, angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses common people.”
It was unbelievable to be part of someone else’s miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. Sometimes, angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter(摆动) of their wings.. Caught in traffic, the author still felt happy because .
| A．she could fill up her car to get home in time |
| B．the woman who needed help was waiting there |
| C．she could find a warm place to wait |
| D．she could do something for others in the gas station |
. The young woman cried because.
| A．her situation was very terrible | B．her kids wouldn’t listen to her |
| C．she was too tired | D．she fell down and got injured |
. It can be inferred from the passage that.
| A．the author was driving carelessly on the way home |
| B．the young woman was interested in long driving |
| C．the young woman didn’t want to see her kids crying |
| D．the kids were extremely hungry at that time |
. According to the passage, we can say that the author .
| A．was a kind person | B．liked to deal with others’ business |
| C．had no thought for others | D．was a real angel |
I am sure that everybody in his/her life has used computers. Nowadays you can feel their presence everywhere at home，at school，at work and they certainly make life easier．On the other hand，there are people who can’t work with them．
Anyway，I believe their presence is a good thing. Life with them seems easier, less difficult and more comfortable You can use them to choose your meal，to withdraw your money, and also save your time，because these operations are all controlled by computers. Therefore you can hardly imagine the modern world without them；the whole planet seems to be one big computer society．
Nevertheless，problems can often appear in this area, too．To have a computer means you have to be quite well－off and have the necessary skills to use it．However，think about questions like “Are computers so available for everyone, or rich and poor people，for people from villages and people from cities. Aren’t they too expensive？Is everyone able to learn how to use them and not everyone has the chance to access and work with them，how could everything in the future be dependent on them？”Therefore，I think our society will be split into two parts．One part will work with them and enjoy the benefits that computers can bring and the other part will be pushed out and will actually be far behind the other group．
Another question that bothers me is，on the one hand，computers are important and good things in our life，but they aren’t everything．They are good as a help at school，quite often as entertainment，especially for young people，as an necessary tool to help in research etc，but I think we shouldn’t be so dependent on them，because computers are only machines and machines can’t feel anything be human and sympathetic，and every action performed by computer can be interfered with another person，which could cause these machines to crash or work badly．
In conclusion，I would like to say I am not against computers．I use computers，too，but people should be wary all the time．By saying “wary”（In the last paragraph）,the writer is trying to say “People should_______.
| A．be strongly for the use of computers because of its convenience |
| B．be careful with computers that will also cause problems |
| C．master more necessary computer skills |
| D．not do something that causes computers to work badly |
Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage？
In the third paragraph，the author presents his idea by________
| A．asking questions for people to think about |
| B．giving examples to support his argument |
| C．raising questions and answering them |
| D．expressing his opinion directly |
The writer’s main purpose in writing the passage is__________
| A．to encourage us to use computers in our society |
| B．to advise us to say no to computers from now on |
| C．to remind us to care about the problems that computers bring. |
| D．to inform us that the computer has become a necessary part of our life |
Hidden in our subconsciousness (意识) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out of the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw (拚图玩具) puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles(通道) ,condemning the minutes for loitering-waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
‘‘When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry, “When I'm 38.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through co llege.” “When I have paid off!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! " Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish (appreciate) the moment" is a good motto, actually it isn't the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough. .
Why does the author describe the mental picture?
| A．To lead us into a perfect world. | B．To let people enjoy the scenery. |
| C．To introduce an actual trip of his. | D．To compare it to our life's journey. |
.
How do people feel when they’re on their trip?
| A．Puzzled. | B．Happy. | C．Relaxed. | D．Impatient. |
.
What does the author mean by "Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today" in Paragraph 4?
| A．Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today. |
| B．We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear. |
| C．Regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life. |
| D．We’re frequently challenged by the two : regret and fear. |
.
Why does the author write the passage?
| A．To teach us a good lesson. | B．To tell us the right attitude to life. |
| C．To advise us to forget our worries. | D．To stop us wandering along the aisles. |
★The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana(大麻). Psychologists say that sending/receiving messages or looking through the many menu options your mobile phone has, lowers a person’s IQ by almost 10 points. British researchers have named this situation “infomania”. Instead of fixed on what they are doing, people’s minds are constantly focused on reacting to the technology surrounding them. This means they don’t pay full attention to the work they are paid to do. The report also added that the brain can not do so many things at once. If you try to do too many things, mistakes begin to occur. And while modern technology can have huge benefits, too much use can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social life.
★The more televisions 4-year-old children watch, the more likely they are to become bullies later on in school, a newest U.S. study said. At the same time, children whose parents read to them, take them on outings and just generally pay attention to them are less likely to become bullies, said the report from the University of Washington. Researchers also found gaps in learning and understanding such things as social skills early in life makes it more difficult for children to relate with other children. Watching violence on television leads to aggressive behavior.
★You could soon be able to add your favorite perfume to your e-mails. UK net provider Telewest Broadband is testing a system to let people send e-mails over the Internet with sweet smell. It has developed a kind of hi-tech air freshener that plugs into a PC and sprays a smell linked to the message. Telewest says it could be used by supermarkets to attract people with the smell of fresh bread or by holiday companies seeking to stir up images of sun-kissed beachers..
What does “infomania” refer to according to the first part of the text?
| A．A situation in which a person uses his mobile phone too much. |
| B．A situation in which a person has his IQ lowered using his mobile phone. |
| C．A situation in which a person performs badly at work.. |
| D．A situation in which a person lowers his IQ using his mobile phone improperly. |
.
According to the second part of the text, _____ are less likely to become bullies.
| A．children whose parents care about them |
| B．children whose parents give them more freedom |
| C．children whose parents direct them over watching TV |
| D．children whose parents stop them watching TV |
.
The children who watch TV frequently will not ______.
| A．be aggressive |
| B．be likely to become bullies |
| C．have difficulty in communicating with other children |
| D．understand socially skills as easily |
.
The new system provided by Telewest Broadband can _____.
| A．be used as a kind of air freshener |
| B．make people have imagination of sun kissed beachers |
| C．make people smell fresh bread |
| D．make e-mails smelly over the Internet |
BEIJING (Associated Press 美联社) —China has a growing middle class, a tradition of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year. Selling educational toys should be easy.
While China may be the world’s biggest toy-maker, many of the best are exported. Department stores here do not have enough high quality toys. It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.
A US company, BabyCare, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China.
BabyCare works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals. People who join the company’s "mother club" can get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost, if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company’s educational toys and child-care books.
"We want to build a seven-year relationship with those people," said Matthew J. Estes, BabyCare’s president. "It starts during pregnancy, when the anxiety and needs are highest." BabyCare works on a one-to-one basis. Doctors, nurses, and teachers paid by BabyCare advise parents, explain toys that a re de signed for children at each stage of development to age six.
BabyCare opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo. It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.
It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children’s education and health that no other companies are in..
What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?
| A．Educational toys and foreign toy markets. |
| B．Problems with China’s toy market and education. |
| C．Reason s for pushing sales of educational toys in China. |
| D．Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China. |
.
Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?
| A．Club members buy BabyCare products for free child-care advice. |
| B．Doctors in Beijing help in making BabyCare products. |
| C．Parents are encouraged to pay $ 18 for club act ivities. |
| D．BabyCare trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost. |
.
BabyCare is developing its business in China by________.
| A．opening stores in Beijing hospitals |
| B．offering 18-month courses on child-care |
| C．setting up children’s education centers |
| D．forming close relationships with parents |
.
Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Mother Club in China | B．BabyCare and Doctors |
| C．American Company Model | D．BabyCare’s Educational Toys in China |