BEIJING—Seven prestigious universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the same independent exam —besides the national one —to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in 2011.
The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University.
Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent exam, according to the joint announcement.
"This will help lighten the students' load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities," said the announcement.
Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities.
China's college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based on independent criteria rather than just using the results of the national exam.
In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot (试用) the reform byusing their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students.
Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their own exams.
Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as conducive (有助的) to better understanding where the students, talents lie.
Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams as they often apply for a number of universities.
To relieve students from such pressures, the national education outline (2010—2020) released in July this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams.If students want to be admitted to the seven prestigious universities, they can __________.
| A．only pass the interview. |
| B．only take the national exam. |
| C．only take the independent exam. |
| D．either take the national exam or take the independent exam. |
What's the purpose of students sitting one independent exam to gain entrance to the seven universities?
| A．It can reduce students' load to take several exams. |
| B．The universities will have the same standard to test students. |
| C．There will be less trouble marking students' test papers. |
| D．It can avoid fierce competition among these universities. |
If students pass the independent exam, they will __________.
| A．take the national exam. |
| B．have one or more interview chances. |
| C．be admitted to one of the universities. |
| D．be trained to be adapted to universities life and studies. |
What is the advantage of universities selecting students according to independent examinations?
| A．Students needn't take the national exam. |
| B．Students' education cost can be lowered. |
| C．Students' abilities and talents can be better found. |
| D．It can encourage middle schools to recommend more qualified students. |
Casablanca, Sep. 24
A flash flood swept across the coastal plain about 100 miles southwest of here, killing hundreds of Moroccans in a market place yesterday morning.
Reports from the area said 218 bodies had been counted, and many of the people were missing.
The flood followed heavy rains, which filled the coastal plain and dried river beds and caused them to overflow. The flood crest, sev
eral feet high, hit the village of Khemis Nagua at midmorning yesterday as farmers from the surrounding area joined town people in an o
pen market place.
The roaring water swept the village’s living places, the market sheds (棚子), shoppers, cattle and farm tools for miles across the plain..
The flood was over almost as soon as it started, the reports said, as the cre
st swept out to sea. Rescue workers quickly moved into the area from Sari, about 25 miles further south. It can be learnt from the te
xt that _____.
| A．the news report is from Khemis Nagua | B．the flo od didn’t last long |
| C．hundreds of Moroccans were saved | D．Casablanca is a city in Africa |
The report mainly tells the public about _____.
| A．how the flood swept the coastal plain | B．why the terrible flood took place |
| C．the flash flood in the fall | D．a rescue attempt |
According to the text, which of the following maps may be correct?
(KN="Khemis" Nagua C="Casablanca" S=Safi)
I used to be a mortgage broker(贷款中间人) in the Phoenix area. In April 2007, the company that I had been with for a year went out of business. That was the latest of the four companies that I had worked for since 2000 .They all either went under or let most of the employees go, including me.
In December 2007, the bank took
back my house, and I had no choice but to move in with my parents, five miles away. My sister has three children, and she had no room. My fiancée(未婚妻), Brandi Wetch, and I have been living in my parents’ house for about a year and a half now.
My mother, Sue, works part-ti
me at a high school library. My father left for a job in the Marshall Islands a few months ago and will be gone for two years.
I’m trying to be patient with finding a new job, but it’s been hard. I check the Internet for jobs every morning. I have sent countless letters but have never got a job. I have no idea how many other people are applying for the same job.
I do the housework and washing, and 
I take care of the garden. Sometimes, I feel like the best part of my life is over. The worst part of the day is when I chat with my friends on the Internet. I’ve talked to about 10 old friends online. The f
irst thing they usually ask is what I’m doing now.
My mother, who is in her 60s, has been so patient and supportive. She acts like she’s happy to have us, not like we’re crowding her. We have learned what’s important since I lived here. We can infer that the writer is living a _________ life.
| A．busy | B．rich | C．difficult | D．hopeful |
How long has the writer been out of work?
| A．For more than a year | B．For a year and a half |
| C．For less than two years | D．For more than two years |
Which of the following types of work is NOT done by the writer in his parents’ house?
| A．Looking after children | B．Doing the housework. |
| C．Washing clothes and dishes | D．Applying for a job online. |
It can be learned from the passage that the writer now________.
| A．is preparing for his wedding | B．is fond of doing the housework |
| C．is patient with job-hunting | D．is afraid of being asked about work |
Who's in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it's other people-society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we
learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿)，their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug－we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix(一剂毒品)，we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom－the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot-control what other people think. People have their own agenda(日程安排), and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probable pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there's only one way－make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values－not values imposed from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic(真实的), effective, purposeful and happy life.What Oscar Wilde says implies that.
| A．most people's thoughts are controlled by others. |
| B．we have thoughts similar to those of others. |
| C．most people have a variety of thoughts. |
| D．other people's thoughts are more important. |
What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph?
| A．The price of taking the drug is freedom. |
| B．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom. |
| C．We may lose ourselves to please others. |
| D．We need to pay for what we want to get. |
It can be concluded from the passage that.
| A．it's important to accept others' opinions. |
| B．it's better to do what we like. |
| C．we shouldn't care what others think. |
D．we shouldn't change our won opinions. |
The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his arguments mainly by.
| A．making suggestions. | B．analyzing causes and effects. |
| C．providing examples and facts. | D．discussing questions |
If you give something to someone for free, will that person value it and use it? Development experts have debated this question for decades. Some think the act of paying causes people to value something and use it more.
Selling necessary health treatments, others argue, may deny them to the people who need them the most.
Consider, for example, chemically treated bed nets, which kill mosquitoes anti protect people against malaria(疟疾)while they are sleeping. William Easterly, an economist at New York University, believes this is one example of development having gone wrong. In a recent book, Professor Easterly suggests bed nets given free in Africa are often used for the wrong purpose. Yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends bed nets be given out free and used by whole communities. The success of a large free bed net campaign in Kenya led the WHO to announce this recommendation
This debate will likely influence social programs in the developing world. Many non-governmental organizations support the creation of self-supporting programs in poor countries. Goods and services are sold for a price to help these programs survive.
According to Rachel Glenerster, who runs a research lab doing development and poverty studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her several studies have proven that small price changes have a big influence on the number of people who use a product. A price change will reduce the total amount of use of the product as well, she says. She has also found no evidence that the very act of paying for something changes how people use it.
As for a particular product among special populations, some development experts argue that pricing is useful. When it comes to bed nets, Miss Glenerster says research shows no evidence of this. People are just as likely to use a bed net whether they paid for it or not. The debate among experts focuses on.
| A．a special use of bed nets in Africa |
| B．the use of assistance-related products |
| C．the importance of social programs for the poor |
| D．a popular way to help the poor |
According to some experts, certain health treatments.
| A．can only be sold to the rich | B．should be completely free |
C．are to o expensive |
D．are not needed by the poor |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
| A．The WHO's advice may not be always practical. |
| B．Many Africans don't know the function of bed nets. |
| C．The case of Kenya is doubtful. |
| D．Bed nets given to Africans are poor in quality. |
What may be the possible change in the social program according to the third paragraph?
| A．Some of them may become financially independent. |
| B．Many of them will not be organized by the government. |
| C．Some of them will go to developed countries. |
| D．Most of them will be free of charge. |
Winterlake Lodge
Winterlake lodge, located at mile 194 along the historic Iditarod Trail, offers good accommodation in Alaska's remote wilderness. Join owner and cook Kirsten Dixon in the kitchen for a wine tasting or cooking class, soak(泡) in the hot tub or relax by the fire
or in the lakeside wood burning sauna(蒸气浴室).
ITINERARY(旅行计划)
Day 1: Anchorage to Winterlake
Depart from Anchorage's Lake Hood via ski plane for your one hour flight to Winterlake Lodge. We will take you to your comfortable cabin.
Days 2+: Winterlake Lodge.
Each day is free to enjoy all the activities included with your stay. Activities include dog mushing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, yoga, meditation and massage.
Lodge owner and famous cook Kirsten Dixon also offers daily cooking classes in the large kitchen.
Departure Day: After breakfast, depart on a scenic flight back to Anchorage. Tour ends on arrival.
ACTIVITI
ES
Outdoor activities include sled dog rides, guided cross country skiing and snowshoe excursions(远足), snowmobiling, and exploratory trips through Rainy Pass. If you prefer a more thorough dog sledding experience, try the 4-day sled dog school. Lodge-based activities include cooking classes, wine tasting, yoga, meditation, stretching and massage. If you are not able to participate in the culinary(烹任的) weekends, don't worry－when you visit the lodge, you will have plenty of opportunity to cook and share you culinary skill.
D
ATES OF OPERATION
December 15, 2009 to March 31, 2010: Daily departures
Lodge is NOT available from March 6, 7 or 8, 2010, due to being an Iditarod Check-Point.
PRICE PER PERSON
| 2009/2010 Winter Rates |
|
| Per Person |
|
| Regular Winter 2 day/ 2 night stays |
$ 1,500 |
| Regular Winter 3 day/ 3 night stays |
$ 2,000 |
| Regular Winter 4 day/ 4 night stays |
$ 2,500 |
| Culinary weekend stays |
$2, 317 |
** R ates are based on a 2-person minimum and on 24-hour periods. Single rates upon request. |
EXPERIENCE WINTERLAKE LODGE THIS WINTER AND SAVE $250 PER DAY AND PER NIGHT PER PERSON!What is special about Winterlake Lodge?
| A．You can share your cooking skills. | B．You will experience sled dog rides. |
| C．You will experience remote wilderness. | D．You can join in many outdoor activities. |
If you want to visit Winterlake Lodge, you'd better avoid.
| A．late March | B．late December | C．mid-January | D．early March |
If a couple wants to stay at Winterlake L
odge for 3 days and 3 nights this winter, it will probably cost them .
| A．$2,500 | B．$4,000 | C．$4,500 | D．$3,500 |
What is the main purpose of the text?
| A．To provide travel information. | B．To introduce a cooking school. |
| C．To provide guide service. | D．To introduce a sled dog s chool |