A total of 29 provincial regions have started or made plans to reform the national college entrance exam or gaokao,
Wang Hui, director of the ministry’s Department of College Students Affairs, said 14 provincial regions have already implemented(实施) gaokao reforms. Seven regions will
Before the reforms, high school students
High school and university officials said they think the changes encourage students to learn more about the different subjects and
To ensure fairness in the national college entrance exam, the ministry has cancelled the bonus-point system(加分政策) considerably for students
Athletes, winners of academic Olympiads, including in math, physics, chemistry and biology, winners of science
In 2014, 40.8 percent of the people in the village of Bianjiang in Guizhou Province
As poverty alleviation (扶贫) proceeds and the road system in the village improves, industries such as fish, chicken farming and growing mums have been developed. Now, a family of five can earn an average of 10,000 yuan ($1,435) a year through employment and industry bonuses. China
Through the alleviation project, China, home to nearly one
China has designated(指定) a special day for farmers to celebrate the annual harvest. It is the first festival
As we all know, China has
4 . Gas boilers, which are popular as a choice for heating our homes, are filled with problems. Lack of room-by-room control means you could be left cold and unhappy, meanwhile possibly polluting the environment with harmful gases. The inefficiency of gas heaters could also cost you hundreds of pounds in repairs.
The Future is Electric
The Fischer EB is an electric boiler that has been built with the future in mind. With no need for outside water tanks (置水箱), the Fischer EB is a modern and efficient heating solution to replace your outdated heating. Made from a special steel, Fischer EB is built to last and simple to operate. And with no additional need for servicing, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing there is no risk of your boiler breaking down.
Complete Control
Fischer EB comes with a wireless thermostat (恒温计) that has been designed for easy and simple use. Program your Fischer EB boiler to make sure you are getting the right temperature when you need it. No wasted heat, no wasted energy and no more fear when the weather takes a turn for the worse. At the touch of a button you will experience the warmth and comfort of Fischer EB.
Make a difference to the environment
Fischer Electric Boilers run only on electricity, meaning if you are supplied with renewable energy you can heat your home without worrying about any harmful gases or pollutants. Installation (安装) is easy and simple. You can relax when knowing there is no need for maintaining or service.
A cleaner future
Act now! Apply an energy efficient Fischer Electric boiler and replace your huge, inefficient gas or oil boiler. Benefit from controllability and comfort this winter. You can learn more about Fischer EB by calling 0800 1032 672 or by visiting the website at: www.fischerfurureheat. com.
1. The Fischer EB is environmental friendly mainly because ______.| A．it runs only on electricity | B．it’s simple to operate |
| C．it costs less money in repairs | D．it’s easy to maintain |
| A．using a special steel | B．programming the boiler |
| C．installing a water tank | D．adding an extra button |
| A．find an applicant | B．share a technology |
| C．introduce a service | D．promote a product |
5 . With only a click of the mouse, rumors（谣言）can be forwarded between micro- blogs（微博）very quickly. As an example, recently, sensitive netizens discovered that some photos displayed on microblogs describing Beijing’s June rainstorm had actually been fabricated（伪造）.
Sina.com is one of the major Internet portals （入口）in China with hundreds and thousands of users, and a majority of celebrities and famous citizens have their microblog accounts on this portal. As recently as six months ago, the website decided to establish a specialized team to prove rumors and provide accurate information for its users. Tan Chao is in charge of the team.
“Before I took the job, I usually couldn’t identify what information was real and what was fake. But during the process of identification, we discovered that a lot of information was false, including fake photos, fake news stories and rumors that had been spread through microblogs.”
It’s not just website portals which are taking on fact-checking responsibilities, but also a number of civic-minded netizens, who recently set up a Rumor Identification Federation on Sina.com’s microblog system to help netizens identify fake information online.
Dian Zizheng is the team leader of the federation. He says they’ve publicized more than 150 pieces which contradict rumors, which attracted more than 10 thousand visitors within two months.
“We live in an age of new media, so we can’t use the old methods to prove rumors. We can’t wait for the media to prove the facts with related administrative（行政） departments and then release a formal announcement. We can’t allow rumors to run wild and then deal with it, we need to fight rumors while they’re spreading. I think that this is the best way to deal with rumors nowadays.”
Some experts say this displays the advantages of the internet compared to other traditional media. The open platform allows information to be examined and clarified by netizens. But experts like Ding Wengguo, President of the Journalism and Communication College at the China University of Political Science and Law says this self-correction function of the Internet is still quite limited.
“It’s still quite different to tell which information is true in such an open environment by just reading a number of different opinions on the same issue. This is something which we need to pay attention to. If society is flooded with too much false information, and it’s allowed to spread in such a fast manner, then people will be suspicious（怀疑的） of all kinds of information including important information from authorities. It also worsens problems relating to social communications and mutual-understanding, which in turn harms society as a whole.”
Experts suggest that the government should react more quickly in the Internet age. Once a rumor begins to spread, administrative departments should make announcements as early as possible to drive away rumors before they lead to bad outcomes.
1. Sina.com decided to found a specialized team to ________.| A．prevent the spread of rumors on the Internet |
| B．advance the development of microblog |
| C．limit the number of microblog |
| D．urge the government to react quickly to the rumors |
| A．Shutting down the website immediately. |
| B．Substituting the Internet for traditional media. |
| C．Examining and checking while they are spreading. |
| D．Making announcements after they are spread. |
| A．draw a conclusion | B．introduce a topic |
| C．support an argument | D．describe a scene |
| A．Negative. | B．Sympathetic. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Changeable. |
6 . Living together with other students may be a wonderful experience for you. If you can deal with it well, you and your roommates will probably enjoy a happy life and even build a lifelong friendship.
Choose your roommates carefully if you are given permission. Combining the living spaces of several students into one location can be an exciting and beneficial experience for the outgoing students.
Divide the bills equally. Some students are far less responsible than their roommates.
Carry your part of the load. Everyone has to clean the bathroom and the kitchen sometimes. Don't avoid your part of responsibility. Student accommodation can get messy and it involves everyone to keep tidy and healthy.
Be open and honest. Hostility between roommates may cause problems that can't be fixed. Everyone brings different standards and expectations to group living.
| A．They tend to let their part of the finance slide. |
| B．Here are a few tips for student accommodation. |
| C．It is quite easy to get along with outgoing students. |
| D．Think about someone else before you think about yourself. |
| E．It's in everyone's best interest to put them into the open. |
| F．If you are on the shy side, or prefer a quiet group, pick quieter roommates. |
| G．Telling a lie or saying rude words to your roommates may hurt their feelings. |
1. According to the Code, visitors should act _______ .
| A．with care and respect | B．with relief and pleasure |
| C．with caution and calmness | D．with attention and observation |
| A．Take your own camping facilities. | B．Bury glass far away from rivers. |
| C．Follow the track for the sake of plants. | D．Observe signs to approach nesting birds. |
| A．A letter from your pen pal in New Zealand. |
| B．An advertisement put by a travel agency. |
| C．A brochure handed out by New Zealand Tourism Bureau. |
| D．A poster on the gate of the New Zealand’s national park. |
8 . “Are personal sad stories a must to win talent shows?” “Shouldn’t talent be judged on the basis of itself without needing a sad story of struggle to win?” These are questions Sanya Malhotra posed on a recent Facebook post.
This morning I came across this interesting post by Sanya Malhotra. She revealed that she loved dancing and dreamt of becoming an actress, but got defeated in “Dance India Dance” because her background story wasn’t sad and inspiring enough. That’s when she started doubting her artistic gift.
This really set me thinking. Why are people attracted to sob stories? Why do we always appreciate only those people who have achieved something after going through a lot of hardships? Why does the headline of a newspaper “Taxi-driver’s Son Stands First In UPSC Exam” find more readers? I think it is because most people, who are in a similar situation, find it comforting that someone has succeeded with so many hardships. I know it is really very difficult for people with financial, health, or family problems to overcome obstacles and succeed. I really feel proud of them and I am often touched and inspired by their stories.
Now come back to what Sanya has said. I think this is a talent show rather than a story-telling competition. When it comes to a competition of singing or dancing or any fine arts, all the competitors should be judged without any bias (偏见). No one should lose because they don’t have a sad story of struggle to tell. It’s very unfair. They can be given opportunities otherwise, but should not be judged because of their stories.
Maybe, the TV channels do it to attract more viewers, because the most important element of any reality show is these touching stories. But as Sanya has said, it’s unfair to those who haven't such a story and are equally talented.
1. What do we know about Sanya Malhotra?| A．She entered a talent show. | B．She won “Dance India Dance”. |
| C．She had a sad story to tell. | D．She was rejected in a film. |
| A．experienced many hardships | B．is a famous actress in Indian |
| C．has a great gift for gymnastics | D．used to be confident in her artistic talent |
| A．A Millionaire Donated Money To Harvard University. |
| B．A Gifted Indian Teenager Won “Dance India Dance”. |
| C．An Armless Girl Was Admitted To Harvard University. |
| D．A Freshman Paid Off Loans By Getting A Part-time Job. |
| A．Winners Should Be Determined By Public Judges |
| B．Sanya Malhotra Displayed A Great Artistic Gift |
| C．Competitors Should Not Be Judged By Sob Stories |
| D．Talent Shows Competitors Can Tell Their Stories |
9 . Creative alarm clocks
Dumbbell（哑铃） alarm clock
It is not a real dumbbell, but you have to shake it up and down 30 times to stop the alarm clock. And there is no stop button. Of course you will be totally refreshed by then. Don’t be lazy and take some exercise in the morning.
Target alarm clock
The alarm is ringing at the time you set it for！Do you see the target？Then hit it to stop the sound with a laser gun（激光枪）. Of course you have to be fully awake if you don’t want to miss the target.
Flying alarm clock
I’m sure you won’t be able to simply ignore this alarm as you usually do, because it flies！Its propeller（螺旋桨）flying off the alarm is the key. Before the frightening alarm sounds drive you crazy， you’d better quickly put the key back.
Banclock
Have you been keeping a pocketful of change for some time without knowing what to do with it？Maybe you can put those coins in your alarm. This is both an alarm clock and a money box. It only stops ringing if you put a coin in it.
IQ alarm clock
What about a brain workout in the morning？ IQ alarm will go off and ask you a set of IQ questions. Don’t even think about removing the battery, because it is hard to open. The only way to shut it off is to answer all questions correctly.
Mr. Bump-off-the-wall alarm clock
An alarm clock is so annoying when you are too tired and sleepy to get up. You can release your anger on Mr. Bump. It looks like a blue ball covered with “bandages（绷带）”. Just throw this alarm at the wall to silence it.
1. How can we turn off Target alarm clock？| A．By shooting at it. | B．By shaking it 30 times. |
| C．By putting the key back on it. | D．By answering questions shown on. |
| A．Improving people’s sleep. | B．Asking people to do exercise. |
| C．Testing people’s intelligence. | D．Helping people to save money. |
| A．It hangs on the wall. | B．It is difficult to break. |
| C．It was invented by Mr. Bump. | D．It rings louder than any other clocks. |
10 . When HarmonyOS, the Chinese self-developed operating system for Huawei mobile devices, was released on Aug 9, it quickly became a hot topic on social media. Many believe it not only represents the rise of the country as a tech power, but also pays tribute (致敬) to classical Chinese culture by naming the system “Hongmeng” in Chinese. “Hongmong” is a classical word from the Taoist (道家) text Zhuangzi. In the ancient times of Chinese myths and legends, “Hongmeng” was used to describe the original state of the universe before matter existed.
For HarmonyOS, “Hongmeng” indicates the developers’ aim to make an innovative operating system, unlike any other. Besides “Hongmeng”, Huawei has also registered many of its products under the names of legendary creatures from Chinese mythology, such as “Qilin”for the Kin mobile chip, and “Kunpeng” for the server chip. Many Chinese internet users and media have praised Huawei’s use of these names, “as they stand for Chinese wisdom and ancient people’s imagination and spirit of exploration”, Global Times noted.
In fact, Huawei is not alone in using traditional culture for modern ventures. Ne Zha, the new film, also portrays traditional culture in a modern context. Earlier this month it became the biggest animated movie in China and was called “the glorious light of domestic anime”. The movie is loosely based on the well-known work of classical Chinese mythology The Investiture of the Gods. Unlike his attractive heroic character in previous cinematic works, Ne Zha is shown as a rebellious underdog, who has to overcome hardship and his dark fate to become a hero. Many young Chinese people can relate to Ne Zha, who encourages them to become dream-chasers and fate-changers. As Global Times put it, today by revisiting and incorporating a modern context, “ancient mythology has the power to stir up contemporary imagination in young people”. After all, imagination is the beginning of creation.
1. Why did Huawei name the new system “Hongmeng” in Chinese?| A．Huawei was interested in describing the original state of the universe. |
| B．Huawei targeted at designing a unique operating system in the world. |
| C．Huawei aimed to develop classical culture. |
| D．Huawei was fond of Chinese myths and legends. |
| A．Admirable. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Critical. |
| A．Not all the plot is based on the popular Chinese mythology. |
| B．The new film Ne Zha means a lot to domestic anime in China. |
| C．The character of Ne Zha is a failure at first in previous works. |
| D．The film Ne Zha encourages many youth to achieve dreams. |
| A．Huawei’s new names for its products and their influence. |
| B．A brief introduction of a new successful movie Ne Zha. |
| C．Imagination is important and the beginning of creation. |
| D．Ancient cultures come into new life and inspire imagination. |
