We think that life in Chinese high school is     1     adventure in which we have to survive mountains of homework and exams. Yet would it be     2     (surprise) if I tell you that high school life in the US is almost as stressful and demanding     3     it is in China?

In US high school, everything     4     (record) and graded, including your grades on quizzes, tests and final examinations. Failing     5     (turn) in your homework on time will directly affect your grade for a certain course. Perhaps contrary to what we used to think of the US high school students, they pay great attention to     6     (they) academic performance to try to get into a distinguished university. Otherwise, they’ll be disappointed after graduation     7     high school.

Like university students, US high school     8     (student) have the freedom to choose the courses     9     most interest them. Even the ninth-grader can sit in the same classroom as 12th-graders. But this also means he or she has to work very hard, because the teacher will not treat him or her     10     (different) just because he or she is a few years younger.

How can teenage students become more involved in their studies? Groff Mulgan believes the solution lies in     1     (make) learning more relevant. His research suggested that a new model of schooling was needed — a model     2     connects what students are learning to their own plans for their future.

Therefore, Mulgan     3     (help) create the Studio School for 14- to 19-year-olds in the UK in 2010. Unlike traditional education, Studio Schools combine academic learning with practical training for future jobs. About 80 percent of the curriculum     4     (do) not through sitting in classrooms     5       through real-life, practical projects, including working at local businesses.

This different approach also includes more personalized     6     (instruct) and support. Studio Schools are     7     (small) than traditional schools — typically around 300 learners — to make sure that every student feels valued and supported. Each student has a     8     (person) coach who helps him or her develop a plan to meet their learning goals. By having clearer goals, students become more determined     9     (perform) well at school. Many students who were not getting good grades improved greatly after they moved to a Studio School.

Studio Schools put teamwork and practical projects at the heart     10     learning. The idea is good, but we have to wait and see what the future holds for these schools.

The university of Birmingham, UK, announces that it will accept the Gaokao exam for high-flying Chinese students     1    (wish) to join its undergraduate courses in 2019. High school students     2     complete the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or Gaokao, with top grades can apply for direct entry into Birmingham degree programmes     3     first completing a foundation year.

Gaokao, which     4    (hold) across China in early June, is     5    (increase) accepted by universities in Australia, the USA, Canada and mainland Europe Birmingham will only be considering high quality students who achieve a minimum 80% Gaokao score and meet additional academic and English language     6    (require).

Professor Jon Frampton, Director of the University of Birmingham’s China Institute said, “I am     7    (delight) that the University is now accepting the Gaokao. This gives the     8    (bright) and best Chinese students.     9     opportunity to move straight into the first year of our undergraduate programmes and experience the benefits of studying at a     10    (globe) Top 100 university.

This year, Zhang Guimei sent 150 female students to college from a free all-girls high school she had founded in 2008 in southwest China's deep mountains. For the past 13 years, a total of 1,954 female students     1     (graduate) from this school, the first and only one of its kind in the country. "To educate a girl is to change the destiny(命运) of three     2     (generation)," Zhang said.     3     64-year-old teacher from southwest China's Yunnan Province was presented     4     the July 1 Medal by Xi Jinping at a ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday. Because of her efforts to improve female education in China, more girls can change their destiny. When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, female illiteracy(文盲) was much higher than    5     of their male counterparts. In the 1950s, the Chinese government launched campaigns     6     helped some 16 million females become educated. In recent decades, wiping out illiteracy and     7     (improve) the reading skills of women is regarded as one of the     8     (high) priorities in China, according to the government's guideline for helping the country's females. The female illiteracy rate for those above age 15 has decreased from     9     (rough) 90% in the early 1950s to 7% in 2019. In 2021, China scored 0.973 in the Global Gender Gap Report     10     (release) by the World Economic Forum (with a score of 1 being completely equal).