The University of Cambridge welcomes applications from suitably qualified international students. We recognize the great academic and cultural value of a diverse student body. Admitting students from outside the UK allows us to seek talent from the widest possible pool.
Attracting so many talented international applicants means competition for places is fierce. However, academic achievement and potential remain the selection criteria for senior high school candidates.
The application processThe application process is the same for all applicants. Whilst much of the information presented on this website is focused on GCE, and A Levels, many other school and national examinations at an equal level are also acceptable.
All applications to UK universities are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS）, which operates on a pre-qualification basis where offers are made in advance of applicants achieving their final grades. Offer holders are finally confirmed or rejected once the results for the relevant qualifications are received.
UCAS will require applicants’ predicted grades. A predicted grade is the grade of qualification an applicant’s school believes they are likely to achieve, all things being well. These predicted grades are used during the admissions process to help the University understand each applicant’s potential.
For a step-by-step guide, please refer to our main Applying pages.Application fee
Most international applicants are required to pay an application fee of £60. This is a standard charge that supports the administration of the application process and maintenance of the systems used in this process. See Terms and conditions of the application fee.
1. Why does the Cambridge university welcome overseas students?| A．They are foreigners. |
| B．They are more qualified than local students. |
| C．They will provide diversity for the campus. |
| D．They will be recognized by the UK government. |
| A．Gaokao results can play a part. |
| B．International experience is a must. |
| C．An offer is the guarantee of admission. |
| D．Applicant’s school can predict the result. |
| A．A British twelfth grader. |
| B．A Hong Kong eleventh grader. |
| C．A student in Peking University. |
| D．A junior high school student from Beijing. |
2 . Research found that when people saw others in their herd (群体) hesitating before making a choice, they were about twice as likely to break from the group and make a different choice.
The findings have meanings for group behaviour in finance, fashion—any situation where there might be herd behaviour, Krajbich said. “Even if it appears at first that everyone is following the same trend, hesitation may show that they are not all on the same page,” he said.
The research studied 72 college students. They participated in groups of eight. When their predecessor (前任) responded slowly, participants chose against the herd about 66% of the time, compared to only 33% of the time when their predecessor chose quickly. In cases where the group was making the wrong decision, this often led people to break from the herd and make the correct choice, he said.
“A couple of bad decisions at the beginning can lead everyone to the wrong road. That’s the herd behaviour,” Krajbich said. “But what we found is that if people can see the hesitation in others’ choices, that can help them break the chain and change the course of the herd.”
Fast decisions by others can consolidate one’s own belief. For example, if a person sees their friends quickly choose to get a vaccine for COVID-19, that may make them more comfortable making the same choice, Krajbich said. If friends hesitate before getting a vaccine—even if they eventually get one—that may make a person less sure about whether to get the shot, he said.
Krajbich said the findings in the research aren’t necessary a universal rule. There may be some decisions for which taking longer to choose could indicate a more thoughtful choice. “It will be important to figure out when fast decisions signal confidence or when instead they signal thoughtlessness,” he said.
1. What will people probably do when seeing others in their herd hesitate?| A．Stop and see. | B．Criticise the trend. | C．Adopt other options. | D．Follow the majority. |
| A．A wrong beginning leads to a wrong road. |
| B．Predecessors help speed up decision making. |
| C．People tend to choose against the herd without hesitation. |
| D．Hesitation in others’ choices helps when the majority is wrong. |
| A．Strengthen. | B．Challenge. | C．Weaken. | D．Change. |
| A．They may lack confidence. | B．They are persuaded by friends. |
| C．They are affected by COVID-19. | D．They may act without due consideration. |
3 . In astronomy, star classification is governed by the Morgan-Keenen system, which categorizes stars based on their composition and surface temperature. The origins of this system can be traced back to the work of Annie Jump Cannon, a late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century astronomer who spent over forty years classifying stars based on their unique spectra (光谱) of transmitted light.
Beginning early in her life, Cannon demonstrated an exceptional talent for the physical sciences. As a child, she developed an interest in astronomy and transformed her study into a temporary observatory. Later, as a student at Wellesley College, Cannon earned a degree in physics and became an expert in spectroscopy, the process by which light is separated into its component wavelengths. During this period, she also took up photography and traveled extensively in order to experiment with the newly invented black-box camera.
Cannon’s background in physics, astronomy, and photography provided her with a unique skillset that would serve her well for the rest of her career. After working as a research assistant for a number of astronomers at Wellesley and Radcliffe Colleges, Cannon was hired by Professor Edward Charles Pickering, the director of the Harvard College Observatory. Under Pickering, she classified over 300,000 stars — more than any other human in history — using only a telescope, a spectrometer, and a camera. Using this knowledge, she developed her own classification system that relied on the surface temperature of the stars, which could be accurately estimated using the spectra of light transmitted from stars. It was said that Cannon could classify three stars a minute and, using a magnifying glass, could classify stars down to the 9th magnitude — sixteen times fainter than what can be seen by human eyes.
Today, Cannon’s unique classification system is used by countless astronomy enthusiasts around the world. Harlow Shapley, the astronomer who succeeded Pickering, once referred to Cannon’s contribution to astronomy as “a structure that probably will never be duplicated (复制) in kind or extent by a single individual.”
1. What do we know about Cannon according to the passage?| A．She invented black-box camera. | B．She built a star-watching spot at home. |
| C．She majored in photography in college. | D．She spent forty years in studying light transmission. |
| A．The camera could receive the spectra of light. |
| B．A star’s light could tell its external temperature. |
| C．The light of stars could be classified into nine types. |
| D．Approximately 300,000 stars possessed the same spectra. |
| A．Ambitious and generous. | B．Persistent and brave. |
| C．Work-addicted and honest. | D．All-around and creative. |
| A．A Woman Classifying the Stars | B．A Pupil Outdoing Her Master |
| C．Science Knows No Gender | D．Astronomy Taps Potential |
4 . In a small, rough shipyard on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, a small team is building what they say will be the world’s largest ocean-going clean cargo ship.
Ceiba is the first ship built by Sailcargo, a company trying to prove that zero-carbon shipping is possible, and commercially available. Made largely of wood, Ceiba combines both very old and very new technology: sailing masts stand alongside solar panels, a uniquely designed electric engine and batteries. Once on the water, she will be capable of crossing oceans entirely without the use of fossil fuels, which sets her apart.
“The thing that is striking is the fact that she’ll have one of the largest marine electric engines of her kind in the world,” Danielle Doggett said. The system also has the means to capture energy from underwater propellers (螺旋桨) as well as solar power, so electricity will be available for the engine when needed. “Really, the only limit on how long she can stay at sea is water and food on board for the crew.”
Despite some hold-ups due to the global disaster, the team hopes to get her on the water by the end of 2024 and operating by 2025, when she will begin transporting cargo between Costa Rica and Canada.
“There are actually loads of innovations happening that could transform shipping emissions, but few companies are willing to apply them to building ships like Ceiba.” says Lucy Gilliam. “So it’s not that we don’t have great ideas. The problem that we have is that fossil fuels are still too cheap. And we don’t have the rules to force people to take up the new technology.”
When it comes to promoting this kind of boat, it has to be said that Ceiba is small for a cargo ship — tiny in fact. She will carry around nine standard shipping containers. She is also relatively slow. Being a world-first, there are some aspects of Ceiba’s design that have yet to be proven at sea.
1. What is unique about Ceiba as a cargo ship?| A．It is the world’s largest. | B．It is environment-friendly. |
| C．It is wooden with old technology. | D．It is modern with unique equipment. |
| A．The size of the sail. | B．The weather of the ocean. |
| C．The power of the electric engine. | D．The quantity of the living supplies. |
| A．The rules are disobeyed. | B．The fuels are affordable. |
| C．The bigger ships are preferable. | D．The innovations are distrusted. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Favorable. |
5 . This is Your Dream Dance
With growing evidence that dancing helps boost brain health and manage symptoms of neurocognitive (神经认知的) and movement disorders, accessible dance programmes and movement therapists are helping improve the lives of millions.
There’s actually a lot more happening inside the brain when trying to follow even the simplest choreography (舞蹈编排). “In dance class, we have to learn patterns, and remember sequences,” says David Leventhal, a programme director. The effect extends beyond the dance class to the real world.
In addition to the physical and neurological benefits, dance can also help people living with disease make out what their bodies can and can’t do. Rather than trying to control, or “fix” our body, dance is about developing greater body awareness and moving at our capacity, regardless of physical or cognitive difference.
● Dance as communityStill, researchers say they’re only scratching the surface of understanding how dance can be used therapeutically.
| A．Dance as body acceptance |
| B．Dance as physical exercise |
| C．The uniqueness of dance as a therapy lies in the following aspects |
| D．Dancing requires more “brain power” than simpler repetitive exercises |
| E．Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of dance is the sense of belonging it creates |
| F．Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings of the smaller trials that have been done |
| G．Tasks like navigating the kitchen or walking to the bus stop can be more attainable after dancing |
We Survived Getting Swallowed by a Whale
Respect and revere (敬畏) nature. I’m Julie, 56 years old, living in San Luis Obispo, California, about four miles from the beach. Every few years, the humpback whales come into the bay for several days while migrating.
In November 2020, the whales were around, so I took out my yellow double kayak (皮划艇) to watch the wildlife. I paddled out the pier (长堤) and saw seals, dolphins, and about 20 whales feeding on silverfish. They sprayed through their blowholes. Each one is huge, about 15 metres long. Sometimes they turned side fins as if waving at me. It was incredible.
At the time, my friend Liz was with me. We had met 28 years earlier. I asked Liz if she wanted to see the whales. I really wanted to share the magnificent experience with her.
“No way,” she said. She’s terrified of whales and sharks. I promised that the craft was stable and safe enough. Moreover, humpback whales couldn’t swallow down kayaks for their throats were tight even though they had enormous mouths and white-wall-like internal mouth structures, not to mention that we got paddles and life jackets. After some persuasion, Liz finally agreed.
We set off at about 8:30 the next morning. There were already about 15 other kayakers in the bay. One hour later, I spotted two whales right past the pier, swimming toward us. We were in awe, feeling amazed to be so close to a creature that size.
When whales swam down after breaching (跃身激浪), they disappeared in ripples. I figured if we paddled there, we’d be safe since they’d just left. We followed them at a distance—or what I thought was a distance. I later learned that it’s recommended to keep 90 metres away, or about the length of a football field. We were probably 18 metres away.
All of a sudden, a swarm (群) of fish started jumping out of the water into our kayak. Their movement sounded like crackling glass. Now I knew we were too close. I was terrified. Then our kayak was lifted out of the water—about two metres—and tipped back into the ocean. I figured the whale was going to drag us down somehow, and I had no idea how deep.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I didn’t realize that Liz and I sitting in the kayak were in the whale’s mouth.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thankfully, the whale spitted us out, people paddling to help, shooting videos.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.活动特色；
2.参与体验；
3.改进意见。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Impressions from the 3D Printing Exhibition
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As a distinctive visual art symbol of China, Chinese paper cutting, has been around for centuries. With
Due to their
The oldest
9 . In 1835, William Talbot finally succeeded in producing a photograph of his country house. He declared that his was the first house ever known to have drawn its own picture. The drawing was formed “by the action of light upon sensitive paper. ” Photography offered nature a “pencil” to paint herself through optical (光学的) and chemical means alone.
By the mid-nineteenth century, people no longer needed to hire a draftsman to draw detailed images because the process could be completed instantly with a camera. Advocates for the technology stated that not only was it more precise than the human hand-it was faster and cheaper.
The removal of human fallibility in the creating process was one of photography’s biggest selling points, but this also started debates about the new medium’s implications for visual culture. Could images made largely by a machine be considered art? If so, where did human creativity fit in this process?
As the twenty-first century becomes increasingly automated (自动化的), more and more people attempt to identify where human agency exists in the technologically driven world. Images generated with artificial intelligence by companies like OpenAI are stimulating questions like those that emerged with the coming of the photograph. By typing a sentence, users can generate “new” images composed from images collected across the internet. The result has been a flood of AI-generated images in places that are previously unique to human authors. Painting competitions, commercial graphic design and the fashion of portraiture (肖像) have all since collided with the technology in troubling ways.
The fine arts were thought to be a final hold-out of human creativity, but the surprisingly high quality of AI-generated images is producing deeper questions about the nature of originality. If the history of photography tells us anything, it’s that the debate won’t be settled quickly, straightforwardly or by the institutions we typically associate with cultural gatekeeping.
1. Why did Talbot declare that his house had drawn its own picture?| A．To downplay human factors in the creation. | B．To investigate a supernatural phenomenon. |
| C．To show his advanced knowledge in science. | D．To demonstrate the beauty of his country house. |
| A．The photo of Talbot’s house. | B．The image by a draftsman. |
| C．The technology of a camera. | D．The paper sensitive to light. |
| A．They improve the taste of beauty. | B．They advocate fashion designs. |
| C．They challenge human agency. | D．They produce original images. |
| A．Cultural gatekeepers will solve the issue as they did. |
| B．AI-generated images will go through a similar debate. |
| C．The nature of originality will be held in human hands. |
| D．The fine arts will include photography and AI images. |
We’ve all heard the advice to “get out of your comfort zone” by taking on a new challenge. A recent study goes a step further: Make discomfort a direct goal. That’s more likely to motivate you than if you focus on
In the first of five experiments, the researchers assigned several hundred students training at Second City Chicago
Reframing anxiety as excitement has been proven a way to improve singing in front of strangers, and
“When people reinterpret negative experiences as functional, they are more willing to engage
