The World Bank has looked at the distinguishing features of successful school system.
According to the World Bank’s education specialist, Harry Patrinos, this include: improving the quality of teachers and making sure that teachers are highly regarded; providing information to make schools accountable and giving autonomy to schools and head teachers.
This matters not only for individual pupils but also for the well-being of countries, he says, because improving educational performance has a direct impact on improving economic performance.
China’s education performance— at least in cities such as Shanghai and Hong Kong— seems to be as spectacular as the country’s fast growing economy.
Certainly both these open and outward-looking cities consider education to be important and are willing to adopt the best educational practices from around the world to ensure success. In Hong Kong, education accounts for more than one-fifth of entire government spending every year.
“Shanghai and Hong Kong are small education systems, with a concentration of ideas, manpower and resources for education,” says Prof Cheng.
Under the banner “First class city, first class education”, Shanghai set about systematically re-equipping classroom, upgrading schools and improving the curriculum in the last decade.
It got rid of the “key schools” system which concentrated resources only on top students and top schools. Instead staff were trained in more interactive teaching methods and computers were brought in.
About 80% of Shanghai school leavers go to university compared to an overall average of 24% in China.
Meanwhile, dynamic Hong Kong was forced into educational improvements as its industries moved to cheaper mainland Chinese areas in the 1990s.Its survival as a service and management hub depends on upgrading knowledge and skills.
In the last decade Hong Kong has concentrated on closing the gap for all students, says a report by McKinsey management consultants.
The report, How the World’s Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better, rated Hong Kong’s education system among the best in the world.The World Bank’s survey about education mainly concentrates on .
| A．what has made some education systems successful |
| B．China’s education system and competitive exams |
| C．how to relieve Chinese students of their heavy schoolwork |
| D．the relationship between education and economic development |
According to Harry Patrinos, the key to successful school systems is .
| A．to give autonomy to all teachers to educate students freely in class |
| B．to let students attend after-school tutoring and do more exercises |
| C．to improve teachers’ abilities and give schools free performance right |
| D．to make school education directly serve the economy of the country |
We can learn from the text that .
| A．the “key school” system is the key to many schools’ failure |
| B．students in Shanghai and Hong Kong work the hardest |
| C．Hong Kong’s educational performance isn’t as good as Shanghai’s |
| D．Shanghai and Hong Kong’s economic performance will improve |
What is the author’s attitude towards the school systems of Shanghai and Hong Kong?
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Critical. |
Hundreds of people lined up at Grand Central Terminal yesterday, but they weren’t there to catch a train. They came to New York City’s famous railroad station to trade in old dollar bills for the new George Washington Presidential $ 1 coin.
The gold-colored coin is the first in a new series by the U.S. Mint（造币厂）that honors former U.S. Presidents. The Mint will issue four Presidential $ 1 coins a year through 2016. Like the popular 50 State Quarters(纪念币) program, which issues coins in the order in which each state joined the Union, Presidential $ 1 coins will come out in the order in which each President served. The George Washington coin is the first to be released. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison coins will come out later this year.
The Presidential $ 1 coins will be the same size and color as the Sacagawea Golden Dollar. However, there is an important difference. For the first time since the 1930s, there is an inscription（题字）on the edge of each coin. Each coin will show a different President on its face, or head side. It will also show the President’s name, the order in which he served and his years in office. The other side of the coin will show the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions “United States of America” and “$ 1”.
There will be one Presidential $ 1 coin for each President, except Grover Cleveland. He will have two! Cleveland is the only U.S. President to have served two nonconsecutive（不连续的）terms.
The last President scheduled to get a coin is Gerald Ford because a President must have been dead for two years before he can be on a coin. Hundreds of people lined up at the railway station in order to ____________.
| A．exchange money | B．visit a coin show |
| C．book train tickets | D．do some shopping |
What may you find on the head side of the new US $ 1 coin?
| A．The Statue of Liberty | B．The name of a U.S. president |
| C．The year when the coin was made | D．The inscriptions “ United States of America” |
Why will Grover Cleveland have two coins ?
A. He is the only one who has served two terms
B. He is the most famous President in the U.S.
C. He served longer than any other President.From the passage we can infer that_________.
| A．the new presidential coin can buy more than the old coin. |
| B．the U.S. Mint has issued all the presidential coins by now. |
| C．no presidential coin has been released for president Obama |
| D．the coins are issued to honor the greatest presidents in America |
Herta Müller, the Romanian-born German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature. Ms. Müller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987. She is the first German writer to win the Nobel in literature since Günter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901. She is the 12th woman to gain the literature prize. But unlike previous winners like Doris Lessing and V. S. Naipaul, Ms. Müller is unknown inside of literary circles in Germany.
“I am very surprised and still cannot believe it,” Ms. Muller said in a statement released by her publisher in Germany. “I can’t say anything more at the moment.”
She has written some 20 books, but just 5 have been translated into English, including the novels “The Land of Green Plums” and “The Appointment.”
At a news conference on Thursday at the German Publishers & Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms. Müller, wearing all black, appeared overwhelmed(不知所措) by all the cameras in her face.
When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned in the same breath as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Böll, Ms. Müller remained philosophical(达观的). “I am now nothing better and I’m nothing worse,” she said, adding: “My inner thing is writing. That’s what I can hold on to.”
Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter Englund, secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms. Müller was honored for her “very, very distinct special language” and because “she has really a story to tell about…and growing up as a stranger in your own family..we can learn from the passage that Ms. Muller is_______.
| A．the 1st writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature since 1999 |
| B．the 12th winner for the Nobel Prize in Literature since 1901 |
| C．the 13th woman writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature |
| D．a German citizen since she moved to German in 1987 |
Ms. Müller was surprised at the news about her winning the award because ____.
| A．she was born a Romanian person |
| B．she had failed many times in winning it |
| C．she had never wanted to win the prize |
| D．she was only an unknown writer |
The underlined expression “in the same breath” is the nearest in meaning to ____.
| A．instead of | B．at the same moment |
| C．in a breath | D．under the same roof |
We can infer according to the passage that ____.
| A．her honored works are based on her own experience |
| B．most of Ms. Müller’s novels are unsuccessful works |
| C．Ms. Müller is feeling much better after she becomes the award winner |
| D．Ms. Müller was honored because she’s described the Germans’ life vividly |
I first visited hutong as part of a tourist group several years ago. We rode on a trishaw（脚踏三轮车） with a guide explaining the history, architecture and lifestyle of the local inhabitants.
Having visited the "must-sees" of Beijing, like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Drum Tower and the Summer Palace, going into the hutong home of some famous ancient families gave the “Beijing experience” a human element.
My curiosity has sharpened over the years from reading about them at every opportunity. During the preparation for the Olympics I was eager to learn that some siheyuan courtyards in hutong were turned into accommodations（食宿） for visitors. I wished to stay in one someday.
Preparing for a recent trip to the capital, I eagerly sought one out. On my limited teacher’s salary, I settled on an affordable option, though I looked longingly at the more upscale courtyard accommodations.
As usual, I ended up having something closer to a true experience. A real family still lives in the courtyard, which is closer to the original. The rooms all opened into the central courtyard. Flowers were blooming, beans and peas were climbing up the bamboo fence, and the cat was napping in the sun. Every day after exploring the city, I'd hurry back to the hutong, take a quick shower and join the cat – snoozing（小睡） in a bamboo-made chair with a book ready nearby.
As the other guests came back we’d greet one another. There was a mother and young daughter from France, a guy from Canada, a mother and teenage daughter from the Netherlands, a teacher from England and several guests from various parts of China.
Coming and going through the narrow alleys（小巷） of the hutong, the residents would smile and give cheery “ni hao” （hello）. Laughing children were playing under the watchful eyes of the neighbors. I felt right at home in this friendly neighborhood. The main idea of the passage is about ______________.
| A．hutong days realize my desires to live local life |
| B．Trishaw is the only way to visit the hutong |
| C．living in the hutong with other visitors |
| D．exploring the deeper of Beijing |
When did the author have the idea to visit Beijing hutong?
| A．As early as he was a little child |
| B．when he was reading the text books at school |
| C．during the preparation for the Olympics |
| D．the author doesn’t mention it specifically |
The underlined word “upscale” in the fourth paragraph means _________.
| A．inexpensive | B．high-class | C．appropriate | D．secondary |
What is the impression of the author about the people in hutong?
| A．They came from all over the world. |
| B．They all wanted to enjoy the old life of Beijing. |
| C．They are living together in harmony. |
| D．They are living in a heavenly peace life. |
Skiing only caught on for ordinary Chinese in the mid-1990s in the country’s north and northeast, but has since developed into a pastime that can be practiced nationwide. Here are four resorts(度假胜地) worthy of consideration.
Yabuli Ski Resort
The ski resort, built on Yabuli Sun Mountain, part of the Changbai Mountain Range, is located in China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang.
It has the best snow quality, skiing trails and impressive views. Wild animals are often spotted on the site.
The resort serves as the primary training centre for China’s national teams. It also has a trail vertical drop from 200 meters to 1,200 meters with an average drop of 700 meters.
What’s cool: The largest ski resort in China.
Beijing Huaibei International Ski Resort
This is a great destination for snowboarders and skiers to escape the rush life of the city and is a large recreational spot that boasts excellent ski slopes, world-class facilities, beautiful natural scenery, as well as convenient accommodation and dining services.
Travelers are also able to take a bird’s eye view of the Great Wall by catching a cable car along 1,200 meters.
What’s cool: Close to the Great Wall and Beijing’s largest ski resort.
Shennongjia Ski Resort
Opened in 2004, the ski resort is located in the inland of Shennongjia. It covers an area of 100,000 square meters and is only 0.5 km from the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve.
There are ski tracks for beginners and more than 20 coaches for tourists. While experiencing the excitement of skiing, people can also admire Shennongjia’s distinctive scenery of countless different odd mountain valleys, unknown beautiful flowers and plants.
What’s cool: Largest winter sports complex for skiers from South and Central China.
Changbai Mountain Ski Resort
The ski resort is an ideal place for skiing and ice-skating because of its well-constructed ski tracks, comprehensive winter sports training facilities and breathtaking environment.
Enthusiasts can also choose other activities including motor skiing, sleigh skiing, shooting and hunting.
The area’s natural hot springs are another attraction of the resort.
What’s cool: The resort is located in the heart of Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve’s thick forest and has natural hot springs. The passage is intended to ______.
| A．encourage people to learn skiing during holidays |
| B．attract people to ski in these places |
| C．offer services of booking tickets for skiing |
| D．provide people with a better understanding of skiing |
In what way is Changbai Mountain Ski Resort different from the other three resorts?
| A．It has various training facilities. |
| B．It has coaches for tourists. |
| C．It has natural hot springs. |
| D．It has breathtaking natural scenery. |
China’s national teams are usually trained at_______.
| A．Yabuli Ski Resort | B．Shennongjia Ski Resort |
| C．Changbai Mountain Ski Resort | D．Beijing Huaibei International Ski Resort |
Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery（谜） inside a puzzle”. Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same of the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.
Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education. He developed lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB(苏联国家安全委员会) at the age of 17. When they told him to go away and come back with a degree, he completed with an efficiency(效率) that would later serve him well.
Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008.
Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term. After the victory of Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointed to be Russia’s Prime Minister.
Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law. During his presidency, Russia’s economy(经济) bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72%, poverty cut more than half, and average monthly salaries increase from $80 to $640. Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive. At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments, and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and freedoms.
Whether he wants to drive
Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined to put his nation back on its feet. To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than later. What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Mysterious President of Russia |
| B．Russia’s High-growth Economy |
| C．Russia’s Far Past and Near Future |
| D．The Political Situation in Russia |
Which of the following helps Putin’s success in presidential election?
| A．His family background. | B．His belief in Soviet. |
| C．His efficiency in jobs. | D．His love for freedom. |
What happened in Russia during Putin’s presidency?
| A．The number of the poor reduced to 50%. |
| B．Every Russian enjoyed equal rights. |
| C．Russia’s economy picked up rapidly. |
| D．Russian people lived a peaceful life. |
What c
an we learn about Putin from the text?
| A．He gains respect of foreign governments. |
| B．He always fought for human rights. |
| C．He ran for president a third time. |
| D．He is a politician of great achievements. |