2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1 个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

It is reported that Finland has stopped teaching subjects like Maths and History.    1    (school) in Finland are some of     2     best in the world. According to the PISA rankings,   Finland’s education system is the 3rd best,    3    (beat) only by Singapore. This is why the dramatic changes are so     4       (surprise). The Finnish system is already so good. Will the changes make it even    5     (good)?

Traditional school subjects such as Maths, Chemistry, History and English will be cancelled. “Topics” such as the European Union will take the place of    6    (they). Topic teaching     7     (mean) that students will study lots of different subjects    8     the same time. So when students learn about the European Union, they will learn history, geography and economics in the same class. The change has already started and all schools in Finland will be teaching topics by 2023.

Helsinki's education manager says that    9     (teach) children traditional subjects does not benefit students a lot. This system was useful in the 20th century    10     it does not prepare students for working in the next 10 years. Early data show that students produce better results under this new system.

3 . In many countries the best, and sometimes only, path to acceptance to a university is having high test scores or good grades. In the US, admissions officials almost always ask students to list the activities they are involved in outside of the classroom in their applications.     1     This method of considering both academic success and non-academic skills is known as holistic (全面的) admissions.

The more a school knows about a student’s interests, the more they understand the student.       2     The best American universities receive thousands of applications from both inside and outside the country. For example, Washington University had over 30,000 applicants for the 2017 school year. But it only had room to accept about 16 percent of them.

    3     What would schools value more: playing basketball or singing in a musical group? Is it more important to spend weekends serving free food to homeless people or cleaning up a public park? Thinking about holistic admissions in this way is not helpful. Instead of trying to figure out which activities are better than others, you should think about which activities serve you best as an individual.     4    

A student could explain their interest in reading many books or even exploring their home city.     5     Students, for example, can bring attention to their special qualities in the writing samples they provide, or the letters they ask teachers to write in support of them.

Students should trust that admissions officials will consider their personal history and what might have been available to them. The holistic method lets them pay more attention to the qualities they are looking for, not only academics.

A．Many universities only value test scores.

B．You can do almost anything, as long as it’s legal.

C．It’s difficult to choose an activity that suits you best.

D．Some students might wonder how to choose activities.

E．This is especially important for the top universities in the US.

F．These activities can show that a student possesses the qualities they are looking for.

G．Also, there are other places where a student can describe their non-academic interests.

4 . 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.

2. What would an authoritative father do when raising his children?

A．Ignore their demands.	B．Make decisions for them.
C．Control their behaviors.	D．Explain the rules to them.

3. Which group can be a focus of future studies according to the researchers?

A．Single parents.

B．Children aged from 11 to 14.

C．Authoritarian fathers.

D．Mothers in two-parent homes.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

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.

5 . In October, I told the eight-year-olds about my plan. “I’d like all of you to do extra jobs to ___________ some money. Then we’ll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner ___________”. I wanted the children to ___________ that it’s more blessed to give than to _________. I wanted them to understand that religion is _________ nice theological ideas; that people somehow have to make it come ___________

Early in the week, the boys and girls arrived in class seizing their hard-earned money and couldn’t wait to go shopping. I watched ___________ they ran up and down the supermarket aisles. _____________, we headed toward the checkout. Then someone ___________ a “necessity” that sent them racing.

“Flowers！” Kristine cried. The group rushed toward the holiday ____________. I pronounced, “You can’t eat flowers.” “But Mrs. Sherlock, we want flowers.” ____________, I sighed as the children moved a pot of purple mums(菊花) into the cart.

Then we set off to the house of a needy grandmother and finally ________________ in front of a small house in the woods. A woman with a tired face came to the door to ____________ us. My little group hurried to get the turkey and the trimmings. As each box was carried in, the old woman thanked us—much to children’s ______________. When Amy put the mums on the counter, the woman seemed surprised.

We returned to the car. Fastening seat belts, we could see the kitchen window. The woman inside waved goodbye, then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, past the trimmings, __________ to the mums. She put her face in the flowers. When she raised her head, there was a ____________ on her lips. She was __________ before our eyes. The children were quiet. In that one brief ____________ they had seen for themselves the ____________ they possessed to make another’s life ____________. The children had sensed that sometimes a person needs a pot of funny flowers on a dark November day.

1.

A．spend

B．earn

C．withdraw

D．save

2.

A．either

B．though

C．otherwise

D．anyway

3.

A．experience

B．expect

C．advocate

D．clarify

4.

A．enjoy

B．receive

C．accumulate

D．share

5.

A．better than

B．rather than

C．other than

D．more than

6.

A．alive

B．great

C．fresh

D．natural

7.

A．until

B．before

C．while

D．since

8.

A．Gradually

B．Eventually

C．Frequently

D．Occasionally

9.

A．observed

B．confirmed

C．recognized

D．spotted

10.

A．plants

B．lights

C．cards

D．foods

11.

A．Contented

B．Confused

C．Defeated

D．Determined

12.

A．pulled up

B．settled down

C．came around

D．got through

13.

A．accompany

B．welcome

C．inspect

D．instruct

14.

A．puzzle

B．relief

C．pleasure

D．disappointment

15.

A．straight

B．abruptly

C．casually

D．suddenly

16.

A．terror

B．shock

C．pain

D．smile

17.

A．transformed

B．comforted

C．convinced

D．witnessed

18.

A．chance

B．decision

C．moment

D．condition

19.

A．energy

B．power

C．talent

D．quality

20.

A．wealthier

B．healthier

C．easier

D．better

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

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.

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。

High school exit tests are tests that students must pass to graduate from high school. In the last few years, however, a number of states in America have dropped them. Although some states still use them for diplomas, the number is down from a high of 27 states during the testing craze promoted by No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

The appearance of this phenomenon is small wonder. Researches clearly show that exit tests have little positive effects on students. A 2014 report found exit testing was associated with lower graduation rates, negatively affected labor market outcomes, and, most alarmingly, produced a 12.5 percent increase in incarceration(监禁) rates. Exit exams, the study concluded, had tended to add little value for most students.

Exit testing relies on the following assumptions. One is that standardized testing can serve as a kind of “quality control” for high school graduates, guaranteeing that graduates are college ready. The other is that they have predicting value for future success in academic situations.

But there is little evidence. The tests don’t exactly measure what they pretend to measure. For example, qualities such as intelligence, academic ability, college readiness are not determined. Those that should be developed in all young people, like responsibility, critical thinking, and empathy(移植), are not measured, either. Even supporters of exit tests have acknowledged that they don’t offer reliable data.

Thus, more and more people are suggesting that exit test scores ought to be just one component of the high school diploma. Schools should consider many other records including credits earned, courses taken, activities, service, projects and other elements of academic accomplishment so that students can be evaluated flexibly. In other words, exit test scores should never be the only criterion for high school diplomas.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . The “Bystander Apathy Effect” was first studied by researchers in New York after neighbors ignored — and in some cases turned up the volume on their TVs — the cries of a woman as she was murdered (over a half-hour period). With regard to helping those in difficulty generally, they found that:
(1) women are helped more than men;
(2) men help more than women;
(3) attractive women are helped more than unattractive women.

Other factors relate to the number of people in the area, whether the person is thought to be in trouble through their own fault, and whether a person sees himself as being able to help.

       According to Adrian Furnham, Professor of University College, London, there are three reasons why we tend to stand by doing nothing:
(1) “Shifting of responsibility”— the more people there are, the less likely help is to be given. Each person excuses himself by thinking someone else will help, so that the more “other people’ there are, the greater the total shifting of responsibility.
(2) “Fear of making a mistake” — situations are often not clear. People think that those involved in an accident may know each other or it may be a joke, so a fear of embarrassment makes them keep themselves to themselves.
(3) “Fear of the consequences if attention is turned on you, and the person is violent.”

Laurie Taylor, Professor of Sociology at London University, says: “In the experiments I’ve seen on intervention (介入), much depends on the neighborhood or setting. There is a silence on public transport which is hard to break. We are embarrassed to draw attention to something that is happening, while in a football match, people get involved, and a fight would easily follow.”

Psychotherapist Alan Dupuy identifies the importance of the individual: “The British as a whole have some difficulty intervening, but there are exceptional individuals in every group who are prepared to intervene, regardless of their own safety: These would be people with a strong moral code or religious ideals.”

1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Pretty women are more likely to be helped.

B．People on a bus are more likely to stop a crime.

C．Religious people are more likely to look on.

D．Criminals are more likely to harm women.

2. Which factor is NOT related with intervention according to the passage?

A．Sex.

B．Nationality.

C．Profession.

D．Setting.

3. Which phenomenon can be described as the “Bystander Apathy Effect”?

A．When one is in trouble, people think it’s his own fault.

B．In a football match, people get involved in a fight.

C．Seeing a murder, people feel sorry that it should have happened.

D．On hearing a cry for help, people keep themselves to themselves.

4. The author wrote this article ______.

A．to explain why bystanders behave as they do

B．to urge people to stand out when in need

C．to criticize the selfishness of bystanders

D．to analyze the weakness of human nature

9 . Educators across the US are calling for major changes to the admissions process in higher education. The Harvard school of Greduate Education, along with 80 other schools and organizations, released a report called “Turning the Tide Making Caring Common” in January, 2016. The report argues that the process schools use to choose students causes major problems.

David Hawkins is the Executive Director for Educational Content and Policy at the National Association for College Admissions Counseling. Hawkins told Voice of America that most colleges and universities require many   things from students when they apply. Schools usually ask for an essay describing a student's interests or why they want to study at that school. The schools also ask for letters from teachers or other responsible adults describing why a student is a good candidate. But, Hawkins says, the area that schools are most concerned about is a student’s high school grades and standardized test results.

The report suggests that paying attention to academic success over other qualities works well for some students but hurts others. In addition, academic success is not the most important quality a student should have. More attention should be paid to showing whether or not a student wants to do well in the world, according to the report.

The report goes on to state that the best way to change the admissions process is by changing college applications. It suggests that schools should ask for evidence that students care about other people. But the report does have its critics. Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, said that every few years, someone makes the same argument for changes, but no real change has happed yet. Even many of the schools that agree with the report still make no changes.

Lloyd Thacker, Executive Director of the Education Conservancy, said that until a majority of schools agree to make the changes, there will still be problems. However, he said, the admissions process was better in the past. If bad changes can affect the process, so can good ones.

1. What is the problems of the admissions process according to the report?

A．The schools ask too many things from the applying students.

B．The schools attach too much importance to students’ academic records.

C．The number of students getting admitted is too small.

D．Admissions officers consider too many unimportant factors.

2. What is usually missing in an essay?

A．The reasons to attend the school.

B．A description of interests.

C．Recommendation letters from adults.

D．Evidence that students care about others.

3. Bob Schaeffer argues that _________.

A．not all changes are good

B．the largest schools are expected to make changes first

C．no schools currently agree with the report

D．some schools don’t make changes even if they agree

4. What’s Lloyd Thacker’s attitude toward the possible change in the admissions process?

A．Confident.	B．Negative.
C．Doubtful.	D．Unclear.

10 . For many years the school system in Finland has been very successful. In the PISA survey, which compares reading, math and science knowledge of 15-year-olds around the world, Finland is not only the top European country but also competes with Asian giants like Shanghai, Singapore and South Korea. But what makes the educational system in this small country so different from others in the western world?

Until the 1960s Finland’s school system had been influenced largely by its neighbor, the Soviet Union. Most students left school after six years; some went on to private schools. Only the wealthy ones got a better education. In the middle of the 1960s the Finnish government saw the need to change and modernize their education system if they wanted to be internationally competitive. Lawmakers made a simple decision: a basic school for all the 7- to 16-year-olds. Compulsory education begins at 7. The government makes it possible for all children to attend preschool as well.

Most of Finland’s schools get their money from the government. The people who are in charge of the education system, from teachers to officials are trained teachers, not politicians like in other countries.

Teachers work with their pupils in school as much as possible. When teachers are not with the pupils, they spend a lot of time in schools working on the curriculum and new projects. Schools in Finland are small, at least for international standards. So teachers know every pupil in their school and try everything to succeed with their pupils. That is why dropout rates are low compared to other countries. In contrast to other nations, teachers in Finland are highly respected. Finland selects its teachers very carefully: only talented students go on to a university and receive a master’s degree in education. Finland only takes the best to educate its youth.

All Finnish children, whether they come from the city or the country, whether from a rich or poor family, have the same chances in education. There are not so many differences between the wealthy and poor, as in America or other western European countries. Education experts say that there is very little difference between very good and the worst students. Two thirds of Finnish pupils move on to higher education, the highest rate in the European Union.

1. What did the Finland government do in the middle of the 1960s?

A．They changed the school system.

B．They lengthened preschool education.

C．They encouraged students to go to private school.

D．They learned modern education from neighboring countries.

2. We can learn from the text that ______________.

A．the children in Finland are educated equally

B．the children in Finland attend preschool at the age of six

C．the school system in Finland is better than that in Singapore

D．the school equipment in Finland doesn’t meet international standards

3. The author mentions Shanghai, Singapore and South Korea to show________.

A．Asian countries are successful in school education

B．the school system in Finland has been very successful

C．students in these places are better than those in European countries

D．theeducational system in Asia is different from that in the western world

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．What Differences European Schools Have

B．What Good Schools Provide Students with

C．Why Finland’s School System Is Successful

D．Why Finland’s School System Has Changed