The increase in tuition fees has led to a “clear drop” in the number of English
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The increase in tuition fees has led to a “clear drop” in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn. There are 15,000 “missing” applicants（申请人） this academic year, according to the Independent Commission on Fees. Chairman Will Hutton said: “We’re asking our young men and women to have more debt than any other country in the world — it’s higher than the average debt in the US. It’s not clear whether those lost students this year will return next year, or if it’s a storm warming of a worrying trend.”
But the commission’s report says there does not seem to be an impact on poorer communities. The commission found there was no significant change in the application rate to the key universities, such as Oxford or Cambridge. The decline（下降） in England has not been mirrored（再现） in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population. Students from Scotland attending Scottish universities do not pay fees, while the Welsh Assembly says it will pay fees above ￡3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions.
The average tuition fee at English universities this year is ￡ 8,385, rising to ￡ 8,507 next year. UK and EU students have access to government-backed loans to pay the fees. And the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, carried out this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment（投资） in their future.
A spokeswoman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is responsible for universities, said: “Students shouldn’t be forced to put off going to university for financial reasons. Most students will not have to pay in advance, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least ￡ 2l,000 per year.”
小题1:From the first paragraph, we know that .| A．the rising tuition fees have a great effect on English students | | B．many English students are missing the final examinations | | C．the lost English students will find their way back | | D．it’s a trend that English students are dropping out of school |
小题2: Why is there still a drop of applicants though fees have not been raised?| A．Because the students live in poor communities. | | B．Because education is free for Scottish students. | | C．Because there are less young students in the area. | | D．Because Welsh students will pay fees above￡3,465. |
小题3:What’s the students’ attitude to universities in the survey?| A．They will stop applying for university places this autumn. | | B．They feel universities takes up too much time. | | C．They are anxious to go to a key university. | | D．Most of them are willing to go to university. |
小题4:The spokeswoman in the last paragraph advises students to .| A．put off going to university | | B．pay for the fees in advance | | C．reduce the anxiety about the rising fees | | D．pay back their loan soon aller graduation |
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答案
小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:C |
解析
试题分析：文章大意：这篇短文中主要说明英国申请大学的人数在下降以及下降的原因。费用的增加是申请大学人数降低的一个主要原因，但是学生们还是渴望进入大学深造。
小题1:A 细节题。由第一段“The increase in tuition fees has led to a “clear drop” in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn. ”可知。
小题2:C 推断题。由第二段的The decline（下降） in England has not been mirrored（再现） in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population.可知
小题3:D 细节题。根据文中And the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, carried out this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment（投资） in their future可知。
小题4:C 细节题。由文中最后一句话Most students will not have to pay in advance, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least ￡ 2l,000 per year可知。 |
举一反三
Lately, Bolivia has outlawed (宣布……为非法) the use of animals in circus (马戏团) performances, and officials in the South American nation aren’t doing it in a silly way! They say all Bolivian circuses must stop using animals.
Some people welcome the law. They say animals should not be forced to work and that circus creatures are caged in tight spaces when they travel. However, other people say that many of the four legged performers are cared for by animal experts. Plus, they point out, circus animals entertain millions of fans.
Should animals perform in circuses? Student reporters Michael and Emily have done some work on the issue.
Yes, I think animals should be allowed in circus acts. Most circus trainers love and respect the animals they work with and treat them well. Certain rules and regulations also help to ensure that the animals are treated humanely, or with kindness. Millions of people love circus animals. They look forward to seeing elephants and tigers perform. Many of the animals are exotic (奇特的), so people might not get the chance to see them anywhere else. “Circus animals shouldn’t be banned,” says Parker, a sixth grader from Oregon City, “One of the main reasons people go to the circus is to see animals they don’t see every day and to see them do cool tricks.”
Animals should not perform in circuses. When animals are in circuses, they are forced to learn new behaviors in order to entertain humans. Those behaviors may go against their natural instincts (本性). For example, bears hibernate in the winter, but bears in a circus have to perform and can’t hibernate as their bodies tell them to. Also, circus animals have to travel all the time in cages. All that traveling may cause them to become confused or upset because their environment keeps changing. “When animals are removed from their habitat and held in cages ... it changes their behaviors,” points out Anne Northam, a teacher from Friendswood, Texas. “They are no longer selfsufficient (自给自足的).”
小题1:Which of the following can be a reason why people support the law?| A．Animals in circuses are given more respect and care. | | B．Animals in circuses bring a lot of fun for people. | | C．Animals in circuses can’t live their life naturally. | | D．Animals in circuses are protected by many regulations. |
小题2:What’s Anne’s attitude towards the new law?| A．She welcomes it. | | B．She is against it. | | C．She thinks it acceptable. | | D．She thinks it useless. |
小题3:Which would be the best title for the text?| A．Enjoy more fun in circuses | | B．More respect and kindness to animals | | C．Circuses in Bolivia Open or Closed | | D．Animals belong in circuses Yes or No |
小题4:The underlined word “hibernate” in the last paragraph probably means __________.| A．sleep | B．look for food | C．move from one place to another | D．perform |
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In today’s congratulatory phone call to the team behind NASA"s Mars Curiosity rover（火星车）, President Barack Obama made sure that if the mission discovers Martians, he"ll be one of the first to know.
"If in fact you do make contact with Martians, please let me know right away," Obama said during the call, "I"ve got a lot of things on my plate, but I expect that that will go to the top of the list. Even if they"re just microbes(微生物), it will be pretty exciting."
Obama also said he was impressed by the attention that"s been paid to flight director Bobak Ferdowsi, the "Mohawk Guy" whose star-spangled haircut and warmhearted behavior during Curiosity"s Aug. 5 landing won him Internet fame.
"I, in the past, thought about getting a Mohawk myself," Obama joked. "But my team keeps on discouraging me. And now that he"s received marriage proposals and thousands of new Twitter followers, I think I"m going to go back to my team and see if it makes sense."
The congratulatory phone call is a tradition for the White House. But it was clear that Obama particularly enjoyed congratulating the scientists and engineers behind the amazingly successful landing of NASA"s newest Mars exploration.
He also said the achievement reflected the American spirit, and he gave his personal promise to protect these critical investments in science and technology.
"This is the kind of thing that inspires kids across the country," he said. "They’re telling their moms and dads they want to be part of a Mars mission, maybe even the first person to walk on Mars. And that kind of inspiration is the byproduct of work of the sort that you guys have done."
The Curiosity rover"s $2.5 billion mission focuses on studying billions of years" worth of geology on Mars and determining whether the planet was ever potentially suitable for people to live in. The mission is not specifically designed to explore life, even on the range of microbes, but it could point the way for future life-exploration experiments.
小题1:Obama phoned the team behind NASA"s Mars Curiosity rover in order to _______.| A．congratulate them on finding Martians | | B．praise the flight director | | C．congratulate on the rover’s landing | | D．encourage them to contact with Martians |
小题2:What is the main idea of Paragraph 2 ?| A．Obama is very busy now. | | B．Obama longs for the finding of life on Mars. | | C．Obama is interested in biology. | | D．Obama wants to contact Martians. |
小题3:Which of the following about the Curiosity rover is TRUE ?| A．It costs billions of dollars. | | B．It mainly aims to find life on Mars. | | C．It carries the first person to Mars. | | D．It proves Mars fit to live on. |
小题4:What can we learn from the passage ?| A．Bobak Ferdowsi got a Mohawk haircut to win great Internet fame. | | B．Obama called on the government and companies to invest in science. | | C．America’s president seldom congratulates on scientific achievements. | | D．Children showed special interest in the landing of Curiosity. |
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LaMar Baylor, an American performer in the Broadway musical, spends most of his time in New York City．But since 2011, he has also spent weeks in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda．There, he teaches dance to boys who live on the street．His teaching is part of an effort by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company．The project helps young people learn more about dance and learn how to behave in a classroom environment．
Rebecca Davis and LaMar Baylor teach ballet to street children in Kigali, Rwanda．The children have lost all of their families．Some have been in prison; others have sold their bodies for sex．Dance classes provide the children with structured learning and self-expression that they"ve never had before．
Rebecca Davis is the founder and director of the dance company．She got the idea for the project after visiting Rwanda in 2008．There she met a large number of street children who were dancing, and she thought that dance could be used to get them off the street and into a safe place．She believes that learning to dance is a step toward education．She says children can take classes in information and technology after they have learned to attend classes and follow directions．
Boys who have done best in the classes win scholarships and are sent to the Sunrise Boarding School．About 30 boys have won this kind of financial aid．
As for LaMar Baylor, he knows from his own experience how dance can lead to a better life．He is from Camden, New Jersey．Camden has sometimes been called America"s poorest and most dangerous city．He now thanks dancing for saving his life．
The Rwanda program is the largest one set up by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company, and Ms．Davis has also set up dance programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Guinea．About 2,000 children in the three countries have taken part in the project since it was begun in 2010．
小题1:The dance project aims to____．| A．give the street children parental care | | B．provide scholarship for the street children | | C．help the street children receive some education | | D．keep the street children in good health |
小题2:What do we learn about the street children from the passage?| A．All of them can be sent to the Sunrise Boarding School． | | B．It may be hard for them to adapt to classroom rules at first． | | C．They only take classes in dancing． | | D．Many of them have been in prison． |
小题3:What LaMar Baylor and the street children in the project have in common is that _．| A．they all benefit from dancing | | B．they borrowed money from the project | | C．they learn to express themselves in dance class | | D．they were homeless at one time |
小题4:We can infer from the last paragraph that -．| A．the dance project was started in Guinea | | B．the Rwanda program is the first program by Rebecca Davis | | C．the Rwanda program has attracted about 2,000 children | | D．the dance project gains popularity and grows quickly |
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They already guide blind and disabled people; now dogs are to be trained to help people with dementia（痴呆） or Alzheimer"s．Alzheimer"s can make people confuse night and day or forget basic things such as washing or drinking enough water．
The dogs will be trained to respond to sound triggers（触发器） in the home that cause them to perform tasks．The duties will include reminding their owners to take medicine, as well as encouraging them to eat, drink and sleep regularly．
The idea was developed by design students at the Glasgow School of Art and will now be put into practice by Alzheimer"s Scotland and Dogs for the Disabled．The first dogs will be distributed to four Scottish couples, where one of the partners is in the early stages of dementia．Some 670,000 people in Britain have dementia and one in three over 65s will develop the condition．By 2021 this is expected to rise to one million．
Joyce Gray of Alzheimer"s Scotland said, "People in the early stages of dementia are still able to live a relatively normal life, and dogs help to maintain routine．" Another advantage of using the pets as companions is that dogs can give them a sense of silent support and companionship．Ms Gray said, "The evidence is that people may forget familiar faces but not pets．It"s such a strong bond that people often remember them longest．People don"t need to communicate verbally （言语地） but they can still interact．You can have a speechless bond．"
Helen McCain, director of Dogs for the Disabled, said, "People with dementia often forget to take the medicine．If a dog presents them with a bag with pills in it there"s a greater chance of them taking it．The dog would also encourage the owner to take them out for walks, ensuring they keep exercising and interacting with other people．"
小题1:In Britain people with dementia _ _．| A．are likely to increase in number | | B．are mostly over 65 years old | | C．will be trained to respond to sound triggers | | D．will be able to live a relatively normal life |
小题2:The dogs are taught to perform tasks by -．| A．making some sound signals | | B．communicating with the patients | | C．reminding the patients by barking | | D．reacting to some sound triggers |
小题3:What does the underlined word "them" in Paragraph 4 refer to?| A．Faces． | B．Triggers． | C．Pets． | D．Companions． |
小题4:What is mainly talked about in the passage?| A．The idea of dementia dogs was developed by students． | | B．Dogs are trained to assist Alzheimer"s patients． | | C．British people with Alzheimer"s are in poor condition． | | D．The dementia dogs perform most duties of a doctor． |
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Cao Min couldn’t believe she was experiencing exactly what she had seen years ago in the film “Titanic”.
Cao and her two children from Anhui Province were traveling on board the “Liaoludu 7” on February 22. They were among the first people on the ship who were rescued by lifeboats. Cao’s one-year-old son was the youngest passenger on board.
The “Liaoludu 7” was traveling in the Bohai Straits from Lvshun in Liaoning Province to the port city of Longkou in Shandong Province. It suddenly lost its power at 2:30 pm and tilted(倾斜) on its side. With 81 people on board, the ferry began to sink.
“I was so scared that my legs couldn’t move forward. They kept shaking even when I was asked to jump onto a lifeboat,” Cao recalled.
Upon receiving the mayday appeal (紧急呼救), China Marine Search and Rescue Centre immediately informed the State Council. The center sent eight lifeboats to the fishing boats.
After more than four hours of fighting strong winds and freezing ocean water, the passengers were recovered. All but four survived. These four died after spending too long time in the freezing waters, according to a spokesperson for the Beijing-based center.
小题1:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?| A．The film “Titanic” had been on show again in Shanghai. | | B．Cao Min and her children experienced the terrible accident. | | C．“Liaoludu 7” with all passengers on board were saved. | | D．The ferry began to sink on the way to the port of Liaoning. |
小题2:From the passage we can infer that .| A．China Marine Search and Rescue Centre quickly carried out the rescue task | | B．the center sent eight lifeboats and asked for help from the United Nations | | C．the passengers were fighting strong winds and freezing ocean water for one hour | | D．the ferry sank into the sea immediately it tilted on its side at 2:30 pm |
小题3:According to the passage, ________ passengers on board were still alive.| A．four | B．seventy-seven | C．eight | D．eighty-one |
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