1 . In the United States and other countries, schoolchildren have long learned from one kind of world map. It is called the Mercator projection. This version of map is more than 450 years old. Gerardus Mercator, a European mapmaker, designed it for the purpose of helping sailors and ships on the high seas.
But map experts say the Mercator projection should not be used in schools. They say it does not correctly show the sizes of countries and continents. For example, Mercator maps make Greenland appear bigger than China. In fact, China is about four times larger than Greenland.
Now, school officials in Massachusetts are replacing the Mercator map with the Peters projection. German historian Arno Peters worked on the projection in the 1970s. Peters’ aim was to fix Mercator’s problems with sizes.
Seeing a Peters map for the first time can be a strange experience. Land masses may look stretched (拉伸的) compared to how they look on the Mercator s and some other world maps.
Every map has its purpose. At first, the main purpose of Gerardus Mercator’s map was to help sailors get across the open seas without getting lost. When the Mercator map is used for other purposes than navigating (航行), such as on classroom walls as a representation of the real world, that’s like using a telephone to brush your teeth. The aim of the Peters projection was to show all countries, all regions, all continents, at their own actual sizes.
The Mercator and Peters projections are just two of many kinds of world maps that may hang in school classrooms. Many public schools in China, for example, use a map that shows East Asia near the center. It is human nature to view one’s own place near the center of the world. Mercator himself put Germany—his adopted homeland—near the middle of his map.
Maps are powerful tools. And the map from which students learn about the world can make a big difference in their understanding of others.
1. Why is the Mercator projection said to be unfit for school use?| A．It was designed too long ago. | B．It can’t provide exact information. |
| C．It doesn’t suit the changing world. | D．It only shows the position of the seas. |
| A．To correct the mistakes in the Mercator map. | B．To help students learn about geography. |
| C．To take the place of the Mercator map. | D．To compete with the Mercator map. |
| A．Different characters of their makers. | B．Different realization of the world. |
| C．Their different purposes. | D．Their different times. |
| A．They should put one’s country in the center. | B．They should be the most advanced ones. |
| C．They are the most important materials. | D．They have a great effect on students. |
2 . Many people in the UK have poor mathematical skills. Dr.Richard Pike, a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said that mathematics questions in entrance tests to British universities were much too simple.
About two thirds of British universities now offer special courses in mathematics to new students. The courses are necessary because new students do not know enough mathematics when they leave high school. A university teacher said that there was a serious risk that there would not be enough scientists and engineers coming out of British universities in the future.
New university students are bad at mathematics. So are a lot of other people in Britain. A survey found that 7 million people in England were bad at mathematics. It is necessary to help people improve their math skills, which are important in lots of ways.
One problem is that many students do not want to study math because they think it is a difficult subject. They want to have high grades in their A levels. High A level grades are necessary in order to go to university. This is one reason why students do not choose to study mathematics at A level. Sometimes schools also prefer students to study easier subjects instead of mathematics. A school will have a better reputation if more students pass A level exams.
Another problem is that some educated people think mathematics is not important. They think it is not a creative subject. This way of thinking is very dangerous. When people do not understand mathematics, they are not able to make proper judgments about important questions. Nowadays, a lot of people use the Internet to find the answers to scientific questions. But they don’t understand science. They cannot judge the value of the information which they find. People will become very ignorant if they don’t study mathematics and science.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Mathematics problems in the UK. | B．Simple exams for British students. |
| C．Unscientific course structure in the UK. | D．Problems for British high school students. |
| A．students hope to learn more about mathematic skills |
| B．students’ parents want them to continue math study |
| C．students do not learn enough mathematics in high school |
| D．students are expected to become scientists or engineers |
| A．students think mathematics is not important |
| B．schools ask all students to pass A level exams |
| C．schools encourage students to study mathematics |
| D．students are afraid to study mathematics at A level |
| A．They can’t make any achievements in some creative work. |
| B．They can’t make correct decisions on some important issues. |
| C．They can properly use the Internet to look for information. |
| D．They can gain the respect of students who are bad at math. |
3 . Have your ever imagined a robot doing homework for you? This has become a reality due to the coming of ChatGPT. But teachers at UK universities have been asked to rethink about the way to assess (评价) their courses because students are already using a powerful new AI tool capable of producing high-quality essays (论文).
ChatGPT, the latest chat robot, has only been publicly available for weeks, but has already caused concerns about the possibility of academic (学术的) dishonesty and questions about the acceptability of the essay as a future form of assessment. Working groups have been set up in university departments to meet this challenge.
Experts admit feeling both excited and alarmed. Dr Thomas Lancaster, a computer scientist working at Imperial College London, best known for his research into academic honesty, said ChatGPT was in many ways a game changer. He explains, “It’s certainly a major turning point in education where universities have to make big changes. They have to adapt sooner rather than later.”
There are signs of Australian universities to have a return to greater use of in-person exams to try to protect the fairness of assessment. Lancaster said, however, a total return to exams was not the answer, suggesting instead the use of giving a formal talk to enable students to show their understanding of a subject.
Michael Webb, director of technology and analytics at Jisc, which provides network and IT services to higher education, agreed. He said, “The immediate reaction might be to avoid these tools in order to stop students cheating, but that’s not advisable. We should not simply regard them as spelling or grammar checkers, but technology that can make everyone’s life easier.”
“We don’t need to go back to in-person exams: This is a great opportunity for the schools to explore new assessment methods that measure learners on critical thinking, problem-solving and reasoning skills rather than essay-writing abilities.”
1. Why do the UK teachers have to rethink about the way of assessment?| A．Because their students fail in producing quality essays. |
| B．Because ChatGPT doesn’t do well in academic assessment. |
| C．Because essays will not be accepted as a future form of assessment. |
| D．Because ChatGPT increases the possibility of academic dishonesty. |
| A．Changing the way ChatGPT works. |
| B．Testing students with spoken reports. |
| C．Doing research on academic honesty. |
| D．Returning to previous in-person exams. |
| A．He is concerned about the way students use ChatGPT. |
| B．He advises students not to use ChatGPT in writing essays. |
| C．He is impressed with ChatGPT’s grammar checking function. |
| D．He expects schools to explore better ways to assess students fully. |
| A．A big advance in AI technology. |
| B．A problem facing college educators. |
| C．A challenge to academic assessment from ChatGPT. |
| D．ChatGPT as an effective tool for academic assessment. |
4 . College students usually hear the praises of education. We have all become used to believing that a college education is always a guarantee of an easier life. I was nine years old when my fourth-grade teacher presented me with a task, to write down all of the things I wanted in my life. I filled my paper with things like: own a big house and have servants; be rich and have a good job. The next day my teacher handed back my paper and in red ink she wrote: “GO TO COLLEGE.” For a long time, I believed that once I got a college education, BAM! Life would be easier.
However, education cannot promise all wishes, dreams, and desires. Society must reject (拒绝接受) the foolish idea that a college education’s main purpose is to satisfy our desires and secure success. Like most challenging things, education is a gamble (赌博) in which results depend entirely on people’s ability to look past their wants to see the realism and reason behind their wants.
For example, my first year of college, I took a sociology (社会学) class. In class, we were taught that Third World countries were poor. We learned that our quality of life would be almost impossible for an average person in those countries. I began to examine my own desire to be rich. To always go after money felt selfish when knowing others had none at all. Learning about other society’s economic situations forced me to look beyond what I wanted.
Through the process of education, everything once desired is tested. Wanting something no longer is enough; it’s more important to examine why we want it and whether we really want it. When my desire for money changed, everything changed. I stopped longing for money-driven careers and stopped valuing the people who had them. I began to examine the things I bought and my reason for wanting them.
Education is a tool to be used to develop and advance our desires, so we can discover the things that are truly important in life. Education is a source to improve our society to see beyond the superficial (表面的) attractions and the “quick fixes”, leaving the belief of an effortless life behind in order to desire a meaningful one.
1. What does the underlined word “guarantee” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Promise. | B．Process. | C．Attraction. | D．Dream. |
| A．the author was a bad-working student |
| B．the author should set more realistic goals |
| C．college students were leading an easy life |
| D．a college education was the key to the author’s dreams |
| A．To share her leaning experiences with readers. |
| B．To support her new understanding about education. |
| C．To express her pity on people in Third World. |
| D．To stress the importance of taking a sociology course. |
| A．College education is a key to an effortless life. |
| B．College education offers solutions to social problems. |
| C．College education tests and guides our life desires. |
| D．College education turns young people into gamblers. |
5 . Children are naturally curious beings, but getting them to study something they aren’t interested in can be a difficult task. Teachers often find themselves trying to reward in the
Natural curiosity is sometimes referred to as “internal motivation”. Studies have found that children who see learning as
External motivation, things like rewards and punishment, does have its
According to some experts, the key is to
So it seems that the most
| A．form | B．name | C．order | D．right |
| A．examples | B．answers | C．experiments | D．thoughts |
| A．frustrating | B．ordinary | C．overwhelming | D．fun |
| A．ashamed of | B．annoyed with | C．grateful for | D．passionate about |
| A．causes | B．outputs | C．uses | D．principles |
| A．acknowledged | B．restricted | C．challenged | D．treated |
| A．discussion | B．creativity | C．interest | D．demand |
| A．allow | B．pass | C．sense | D．monitor |
| A．social | B．strong | C．frank | D．free |
| A．affected | B．explained | C．analyzed | D．met |
| A．test | B．build | C．admit | D．refresh |
| A．visually | B．slightly | C．exactly | D．originally |
| A．effective | B．humble | C．private | D．traditional |
| A．end up | B．come from | C．commit to | D．set off |
| A．level | B．choice | C．judge | D．doubt |
6 . Definitions of adult learning vary, but it is usually defined as all forms of learning undertaken by adults after having left initial education and training, however far this process may have gone.
Education and training are important factors for achieving the strategy objectives of raising economic growth, competitiveness and social inclusion. However, with some exceptions, the process of implementing education and training remains weak. Most education and training systems are still largely focused on the education and training of young people and limited progress has been made in changing systems to mirror the need for learning throughout the lifespan.
An additional 4 million adults would need to participate in lifelong learning. Recent research confirms the importance of investing in adult learning. The research on adults indicates that those who engage in learning are healthier, with a consequent reduction in healthcare costs.
The big economic challenge in Europe is to raise its growth and employment performance while preserving social cohesion(凝聚力). The rapid progress in other regions of the world shows the importance of creative, advanced and quality education and training as key factors of economic competitiveness. General levels of competence must increase, both to meet the needs of the labour market and to allow citizens to function well in today's society.
Europe is facing big demographic(人口的) changes that will have a major impact on society and on the economy and consequently on education and training provision and needs. Over the next 30 years, the number of younger Europeans will fall by 15%. One in three Europeans will be over 60 years old, and about one in ten will be over 80.
Given the challenges identified above, raising the overall level of skills of the adult population by offering more and better learning opportunities throughout adult life is important for both efficiency and equity reasons. Not only does lifelong learning help make adults more efficient workers and more active citizens, it also contributes to their personal well-being.
1. Which can replace the underlined word “implementing” in paragraph 2?| A．Carrying out. |
| B．Taking in. |
| C．Knowing about. |
| D．Looking over. |
| A．Adults have reduced healthcare costs. |
| B．Learning is good for adults’ health. |
| C．Few adults need to receive learning. |
| D．More research will focus on learning. |
| A．Europeans are not healthy. |
| B．Many old Europeans have died. |
| C．The European population is aging. |
| D．Young Europeans are out of work. |
| A．Lifelong learning is essential. |
| B．Raising adult population is significant. |
| C．We should help more efficient workers. |
| D．Work contributes to personal well-being. |
写作要点：1. 提出倡议的背景；2. 倡议的内容；3. 提出呼吁。
参考词汇：all-round talents全能型人才
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；
3. 请按如下格式作答。
To Be an All-round Student
Dear boys and girls,_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The English Club
8 . An economist, Adam Smith, famously wrote that “it is not from the benevolence (慈善)of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest.” Like Smith, many economists today believe that one’s self-interest is what drives competition and growth in market economies. Yet, in an increasingly interconnected society, it is even more crucial to have collaborative skills. Thus we should encourage cooperation to better prepare children for the future.
Firstly, in the present age marked by the transformative potential of technology to facilitate interactions, cooperation is an especially prized soft skill to have. As a research study proves, soft skills such as good communication and empathy consist of qualitative indicators of outstanding employees as compared to technical skills or knowledge. In contrast, excessively (过分地)competitive and individualistic behaviour may fracture social relations in the community of co-workers and since no man is an island, even the most competent employee will not be able to pursue his goals effectively without the help of others who are able to share a common vision and understanding.
Moreover, encouraging cooperation increase a healthy sense of self-esteem in children that better prepares them for the competitive working world. Many modern societies today are consumed by an obsessive drive for success and the pressure to perform has infiltrated both classrooms and offices alike. The consequences of the fierce competitive culture include higher rates of anxiety and depression among university students and office workers, which are all counterproductive. Teamwork can help a maturing individual realise that each has his or her own unique set of abilities to bring to the table and that another person’s strengths do not in any way diminish (降低)the value of his or her talents. Thus, cooperation can affirm the self-worth of children by correcting the violent insight that winning or paper achievement is an exclusive (唯一)measure of success in life.
However, critics may claim that in a cutthroat world, adapting to competition should be of supreme priority in education and parenting. To achieve one’s deepest ambitions, such as to become a medical student, or to create a tech start-up, one has to adopt competition by actively fighting for opportunities and distinguishing oneself from others. Nevertheless, since passion can already stimulate children to work hard to fulfill their ambitions, the need to encourage competition may be at the end of the day. As much as external competition can drive people to pursue excellence, internal motivation is at least equally or arguably even more essential, and collaboration plays an instrumental role in helping one uncover one’s tendency and motivations.
1. What can be inferred from Adam Smith’s words?| A．Our society is increasingly interconnected. |
| B．Our dinner is made out of the regards to markets. |
| C．Self-interest pushes the development of economies. |
| D．The butcher, the brewer or the baker is not sympathy. |
| A．Deepen. | B．Establish. | C．Maintain. | D．Damage. |
| A．Paper achievement is an exclusive measure of success. |
| B．Confidence and ambitions can be achieved through cooperation. |
| C．Actively fighting for distinguishing oneself is a healthy competition. |
| D．Competition is not essential for people to pursue excellence. |
| A．To introduce parents the advantages of cooperation. |
| B．To inform parents to balance cooperation and competition. |
| C．To persuade parents to care about their children’s education. |
| D．To tell parents to encourage their children to learn to cooperate. |
9 . Today's world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. Key skill set for success is persistence (毅力), a characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fathers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence.
BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time，the persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school.
"There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers，"Padilla-Walker said. "This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence-which can be taught-are key to a child's life success.”
Researchers determined that dads need to practice an "authoritative" parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian:rigid，demanding or controlling. Rather，an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics:children feel warmth and love from their father；responsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed children are given an appropriate level of autonomy(自主权).
In the study，about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. A key finding is that over time，children raised by an authoritative father were significantly more likely to develop persistence，which leads to better outcomes in school.
This particular study examined 11 to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence，which is an avenue of future research.
1. What is special about the BYU professors' study?| A．It centered on fathers' role in parenting. |
| B．It was based on a number of large families. |
| C．It analyzed different kinds of parenting styles. |
| D．It aimed to improve kids' achievement in school. |
| A．Ignore their demands. | B．Make decisions for them. |
| C．Control their behaviors. | D．Explain the rules to them. |
| A．Single parents. |
| B．Children aged from 11 to 14. |
| C．Authoritarian fathers. |
| D．Mothers in two-parent homes. |
| A．Three Characteristics of Authoritative Fathers. |
| B．Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in Future. |
| C．Children Tend to Learn Determination from Father. |
| D．Family Relationship Influences School Performance. |
10 . Reducing class size has traditionally been seen as an important way to improve a student’s educational experience. Many often believe that smaller classes would permit teachers to give more personal attention to their students.
But one recent study suggests there's not much research-based evidence to support this idea. The research was collected by a team from Denmark's Danish Center for Social Science Research.
The study notes that one of the main problems with reducing class size is that it can have very high costs.
The new study began by examining 127 studies on classroom size. Its goal was to examine the major research studies already completed on the subject.
The researchers concluded that there's some evidence to suggest that reducing class size may lead to some improvement in a student 's reading achievement.
| A．But they said the effect is very small |
| B．For mathematics achievement, the result was 49 percent |
| C．This can theoretically lead to improved academic results for students |
| D．Many public opinion studies have shown teachers favor smaller class sizes |
| E．The effects of larger class size can stay long after the students complete their education |
| F．Increasing class size is one of the most common ways school systems control education spending |
| G．They especially centered on those trying to measure if smaller class size led to greater academic success |
