1 . What is a GPA?
A GPA, or Grade Point Average, typically ranging from one to four, is a number reflecting your course performance on average. It’s used by universities to determine whether students meet academic standards and by students to enhance job prospects or secure admission into post-graduate programs.
How to calculate a GPA?
● Determine the letter grade and the number of credit hours for each course you take in a term;
● Translate the letter grade to grade points using your school’s grading system;
● Multiply the grade points by the credit hours for that course;
● Add up all the credit hours for the courses;
● Divide the total number of grade points by the total credit hours and you get the GPA.
| Example: Academic Transcript of Jane Smith Winter 2023 | |||||
| Courses | Letter Grade | Grade points | Credit hours | Total points | GPA |
| Creative Writing | A+ | 4.0 | 3 | 12 | - |
| Psychology | A- | 3.7 | 3 | 11.1 | - |
| History | B+ | 3.3 | 3 | 9.9 | - |
| Computer Science | F | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | - |
| Total | - | - | 11 | 33 | |
What are the consequences of failing college courses?
● Every failing grade (F) significantly impacts your GPA for that academic year, limiting clubs, organizations and program choices, as competitive programs require top GPAs.
● Most financial aid programs require a specific GPA. A sharp drop in GPA due to several course failures may lead to withdrawal from financial aid programs, unless you retake the courses and pass.
● For college athletes on sports scholarships, failing courses repeatedly can lead to losing scholarships and team sports.
● Failing multiple courses can result in school removal and affect future applications.
1. Where is this text probably taken from?| A．An academic course guide. | B．A campus job fair poster. |
| C．A graduate application form. | D．An athletic team schedule. |
| A．3.3. | B．3.0. | C．2.8. | D．1.0. |
| A．School removal. | B．Loss of financial aid. |
| C．Choice limitation. | D．Disqualification in sports. |
2 . Walking has been considered as one kind of rewarding exercise. For many people, daily walking offers massive and long-term physical and mental benefits.
But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood.
Walking outside develops our ability to collect new ideas and take in new sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. Shinrin-yoku, a common form of relaxation in Japan, suggests that being in the forest and walking among the trees there can lower your stress levels.
So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking outdoors?
Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.
| A．Unfortunately, you often fail to do it. |
| B．Expose yourself more to your surroundings. |
| C．The movement during walking is obviously key. |
| D．Without enough energy, you cannot wonder or create. |
| E．But to receive the benefits, you do not have to live in a forest. |
| F．This habit, however, not only benefits well-being but also contributes to innovation. |
| G．Wandering around a park and observing people relaxing or birds singing is also a choice. |
3 . A visit to Antarctica is much more than a holiday. Remote and undamaged, any journey there is a unique adventure you’ll find nowhere else on earth.
As you cruise in style aboard Discovery, you will gaze upon majestic, icy peaks, giant icebergs and diverse wildlife that includes whales, seals, penguins and birds. You will sail through glassy bays and have the opportunity, weather permitting, to set foot on Antarctica’s shores and volcanic beaches. On all cruises, you will get as close to nature as you would on smaller ships, while enjoying a higher class of Discovery’s 4-star comforts.
Exciting cruises aboard Discovery
No single supplement on cabins
Voyage to Antarctica20 Days, departing 16 November 2023
From Lisbon across the Atlantic Ocean to Buenos Aires with stops in exotic settings like Funchal, Rio de Janeiro and Ushuaia
Now from £3575
Antarctica, Chile &Patagonia
18 Days, departing 16 December 2023
From Buenos Aires sail to Antarctica and depart the ship in Santiago
Now from£3145
Note: some sailings might be in reverse, from Santiago to Buenos Aires
Cape to Cape
23 Days, departing 7 February 2023
Leave from Buenos Aires and sail around Cape Horn, visit Antarctica and make your way to Cape Town, South Africa
Now from£2995
What’s included:
●All meals, entertainment and tips on board. Return flights to /from UK. Overseas transfers between airports, hotels and ship. Hotel stays in Buenos Aires and Santiago. Informative lecture programme, Landings ashore and small boat sightseeing.
●PLUS—Save an extra £500 per couple on early bookings before September 2023.
The priority of the cruises is to provide you with opportunities to learn about Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem. Lectures given by Dr. Peter Carey and his team will bring Antarctica to life. They will accompany you on your landings ashore and on small boat field trips （depending on ice and weather conditions）.
1. What activity is included on Discovery cruises?| A．Camping on the volcanic beaches. |
| B．Interacting with seals and penguins if possible. |
| C．Swimming through the waters filled with icebergs. |
| D．Setting foot on Antarctica’s shores if the weather allows. |
| A．February. | B．December. | C．November. | D．September. |
| A．extending luxury hotel stays |
| B．small boat sightseeing and landing ashore |
| C．learning about the environment of Antarctica |
| D．providing free meals and entertainment on board |
4 . I absolutely could have gone my entire life without ever reading Moby-Dick, but unfortunately, I have read it. Twice. I’ve had to read it twice.
I can trace it as far back as middle school — the teachers’ strong desire to push classic literature on students as much as possible. And it makes sense, in some ways. There are benefits to being well read —a larger vocabulary, mental stimulation, concentration and understanding of literary references in the world. But at the same time, being well read doesn’t necessarily mean only reading classics for the sake of reading classics.
This isn’t to say that these classic novels serve no purpose in curriculum (课程) or in the literary world — classics are, in many ways, vital to a well-rounded education in literature. But so are pieces of contemporary (当代的) literature and books from centuries ago that haven’t been recognized classics. So yes, there’s room for classic novels. But right now, there’s too much room for classic novels.
There are also many modern sayings that come from classics — like “Big brother is watching,” from George Orwell’s 1984, “Tomorrow is another day,” from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind and “Hey Boo,” which originally comes from To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s worth something to be well versed in texts that have made an impact on the construct of modern day language. But at the same time, when classic novels are put on syllabi (教学大纲) or inserted into high school curriculum, novels should be selected with care —not just selected because it’s “what everyone in the field reads” —which yes, has been said to me before.
And as far as contemporary literature goes, there seems to be an opinion that it doesn’t offer as much wisdom and has less value and, therefore, we can’t learn as much from it. I’ve found this to be most untrue. After all, we tend to learn best from things that we can connect to, and contemporary literature is often the most relatable. And though it hasn’t had the time to become a classic, the structure and syntax (句法) holds its own. It’s different from classic work, but it’s not less valuable.
So let’s take a step back from the classics. We think that they’re pushing us forward, when, really, they might be standing in our way.
1. Why did the author read Moby-Dick twice?| A．To stimulate her mind. | B．To enlarge her vocabulary. |
| C．To meet her teacher’s requirement. | D．To better understand literary references. |
| A．To prove classics are worth reading. |
| B．To show some classics are out of date. |
| C．To compare classics with contemporary literature. |
| D．To advise schools to include more classics in curriculum. |
| A．They should not be taken lightly. | B．They are not as valuable as classics. |
| C．They are more important than classics. | D．They will surely become classics soon. |
| A．Avoid them entirely. | B．Treat them seriously. |
| C．Promote them at high school. | D．Reconsider their significance. |
5 . People may typically think of memory as the recollection of the past. Memory enables people to learn from past experiences and apply that knowledge in present cases. It is an important part of our identity. So is culture, the way of life specific to a group of people.
Cultural memory is the constructed understanding of the past that is passed from one generation to the next through text, oral traditions, monuments and other symbols. Cultural memory is often amassed in objects, such as museums or historical monuments. To understand culture, humans access a mass of cultural symbols, such as books. Artifacts (历史文物) of the past provide insights into where we came from. Libraries and the Internet keep a seemingly boundless amount of data on what it means to be part of a culture. Cultural memory is the longest-lasting form of memory.
Like all forms of memory, cultural memory has important functions. For example, it makes the experiences a nation owns clear. It provides us with an understanding of the past and the values of the group to which we belong. Besides, it creates a form of shared identity and a means for communicating this identity to new members. The most powerful forms of cultural memory may involve memories of past disastrous experiences undergone by groups of victims. For example, in Russia, their role in World War II —in which tens of millions of Russians were killed — is still an important part of modern Russian identity. Because all groups have cultural memory, it can bring about a spirit of resistance or survival among threatened groups.
The main function of cultural memory is not to recall the past, whether it is good or bad. Rather, it is to use knowledge of past experiences to avoid making the same mistakes again and again. Aleida Assmann, a professor who has worked on memory theory since the 1960s, calls this “remembering forward”. Cultural memory enables people to adapt to their culture; it enables cultures to adapt to new circumstances by keeping traces (痕迹) of what worked in the past.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．Reporting a discovery of cultural memory. |
| B．Leading to the concept of cultural memory. |
| C．Introducing the importance of memory in identity. |
| D．Making a connection between memory and culture. |
| A．Stored. | B．Ignored. | C．Damaged. | D．Created. |
| A．the features of cultural memory | B．the formation of cultural memory |
| C．the role of big events in Russian identity | D．the impact of cultural memory on identity |
| A．Pass previous wisdom down. | B．Keep traces of history. |
| C．Get people to know about the past. | D．Remind people of their identity. |
6 . Childhood can bring a lot of awe (敬畏). Research also suggests that awe is important in promoting well-being beyond our individual lives — it can encourage our children to care for others.
A recent study by researchers Eftychia Stamkou, Keltner, and their colleagues invited children aged 8-13 to take part in an experiment. In the awe group, children were offered a short part of a movie that features a child transformed into a seal (海豹) and exploring the sea while in the joy group, children were offered a short part of another movie where friends were celebrating.
Researchers measured children’s kindness toward poor families by inviting children to support their food drive by spending as much time as they wanted in counting donated things, to make sure the poor got access to the donated food as quickly as possible. They also invited children to donate the reward they earned from taking part in the research (e.g., a snack or a museum ticket) to a poor family.
The results? Children who watched the awe-inspiring video spent more time counting food donations and donated their rewards to poor families more often compared to the children who watched the joy-inspiring video. These findings highlight that awe-inspiring art can motivate children to be sympathetic toward people who have been forcibly displaced (离开家园) from their countries of origin.
As parents, we can also seek out everyday experiences of awe in our communities to share with our children, like wall paintings of the city scenery and folk art. Awe can be inspired by music, like the harmonious sounds of a wooden guitar and the beat of a drum. Awesome architecture, like symphony halls, museums, and even features like staircases, can be a way to experience awe with our children.
1. What does the research find?| A．Awe should be inspired early. | B．Awe helps kids be more generous. |
| C．Individual lives affect kids’ health. | D．Training awe gives kids excitement. |
| A．They watched different movies. | B．They commented on the videos. |
| C．They were asked some questions. | D．They donated money to poor families. |
| A．They learned this from a video. | B．They were motivated by the movie. |
| C．They liked to contribute to charity. | D．They were reminded by the homeless. |
| A．Give reasons for feeling awe. | B．List experiences of awe. |
| C．Show benefits of awe to kids. | D．Appeal for developing awe in kids. |
7 . ACL 500 Word Story Competition
We are pleased to announce the launch of the ACL 500 Word Story Competition. This time the theme is “Awakening”. We’re looking for our community to pen a story that quickly catches our attention and tells a great tale. You can submit (提交) an entry as an individual achievement or as a team effort — we want to read both kinds! Our judges will include a range of our experienced instructors, staff and local Essex Author Sarah Armstrong.
Sarah Armstrong is the author of three novels, most recently The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt and The Starlings of Bucharest, the first and second in the Moscow Wolves series. She is also the author of A Summer of Spying, a book mainly about her own experience. Sarah teaches undergraduate and postgraduate creative writing with The Open University, and lives in Essex with her husband and four children.
Rules:◆ Your story can be a poem, an essay or any other kinds of writing.
◆ Entries will need to be in a Word format. PDF files are unacceptable.
◆ Please ensure your story is suitable for all to read.
◆ Use the given submission form to submit your details and story. The deadline for submissions is 12th April.
Benefits:
◆ Prizes include a book voucher (代金券), a short creative writing course, and your work published.
◆ Discover new and exciting skills at writing while exploring your creative writing and sharing inspirational moments with others. We have a fantastic range of Creative Writing courses for you to choose from.
1. What do we know about the competition?
| A．It’s organized in honor of Sarah Armstrong. |
| B．It looks for both individual and group works. |
| C．It aims to awaken an interest in writing. |
| D．It’s targeted at undergraduates and postgraduates. |
| A．They should be submitted as a Word file. | B．They must be poems or essays. |
| C．They must be based on personal experience. | D．They should be about life in Essex. |
| A．A voucher for a course. | B．An expert training class by Sarah. |
| C．A vast range of courses. | D．An improvement to writing skills. |
8 . I was standing in front of a stranger’s house, rescue box in hand, my head full of instructions to follow. It would be my first test as a volunteer wildlife rescuer. A call had come through that afternoon from a man: an unknown bird was attacked by other birds. He saved the victim. Could someone please help to transfer it?
I was anxious even at the door: would I be able to transfer it neatly into my rescue box? I entered the house, lifted a shoebox and saw a bird standing on thin legs, shaking. Hesitating for quite a while, I decided to transfer the whole shoebox into my rescue box.
Back home, I could see no obvious sign of injury, but it refused to eat the bird food I provided. I phoned a specialist. She told me this species hunts insects on the wing, so keeping it longer than overnight would make it starve. I released it and it flew high immediately. “What would be different for this delicate creature this time around?” I wondered. Nothing. But at least it would win its life again.
That was in 2009. My first rescue was a second chance for the bird as well as for me. Five months earlier, I’d received a cancer diagnosis. After the treatment, I recovered but was told I couldn’t take on my former work, which would worsen my physical condition. I was at the point where I didn’t know how to schedule my days. Then I heard about a wildlife rescue group that was seeking volunteers and holding a course. I’d been attracted by animals ever since I was a young girl but had always thought that I’d missed that boat. Then I found the boat again.
I did the course and acquired qualifications. All I had to do was wait for a rescue call. And it came: it was in a box waiting, just for me.
1. What can we learn about the author in her first wildlife rescue?| A．She forgot rescue instructions. | B．She experienced high pressure. |
| C．She lacked proper tools for rescue. | D．She was skilled in doing the rescue. |
| A．It would die from the injuries. | B．It would find the food it desired. |
| C．It would seek someone for adoption. | D．It would be too weak and get starved. |
| A．To try a new hobby. | B．To relieve her work stress. |
| C．To find life’s meaning again. | D．To cure her disease completely. |
| A．The Skills of Rescue | B．Wildlife Protection |
| C．Our Second Chance | D．Thoughts after Cancer |
9 . Some people today might be early risers because of DNA they take after Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago, suggests new research.
When early humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia roughly 70,000 years ago, some of them mated with Neanderthals, who had already adapted to the colder, darker climates of the north. The ripple (涟漪) effects of that intermating still exist today: Modern humans of non-African ancestry (血统) have between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Some of that DNA relates to sleep more specifically, the internal body clock known as the circadian rhythm.
For the new study, researchers compared DNA from today’s humans and DNA from Neanderthal fossils (化石). In both groups, they found some of the same genetic variants involved with the circadian rhythm. And they found that modern humans who carry these variants also reported being early risers.
For Neanderthals, being “morning people” might not have been the real benefit of carrying these genes. Instead, scientists suggest, Neanderthals’ DNA gave them faster, more flexible internal body clocks, which allowed them to adjust more easily to annual changes in daylight. This connection makes sense in the context of human history. When early humans moved north out of Africa, they would have experienced variable daylight hours — shorter days in the winter and longer days in the summer-for the first time. The Neanderthals’ circadian rhythm genes likely helped early humans’ offspring (后代) adapt to this new environment.
Notably, the findings do not prove that Neanderthal genes are responsible for the sleep habits of all early risers. Lots of different factors beyond genetics can contribute, including social and environmental influences. The study also only included DNA from a database called the U.K. Biobank—so the findings may not necessarily apply to all modern humans. Next, the research team hopes to study other genetic databases to see if the same link holds true for people of other ancestries. If the findings do apply more broadly, they may one day be useful for improving sleep in the modern world, where circadian rhythms are disturbed by night shifts and glowing smartphones.
1. What does the new research focus on?| A．DNA’s dramatic changes. | B．Genes’ influence on early risers. |
| C．Neanderthals’ sleeping patterns. | D．Ancestors’ environmental adaptability. |
| A．Historical context. | B．Additional proof. |
| C．Sample analysis. | D．Studying process. |
| A．Getting up earlier. | B．Having healthier daily routines. |
| C．Being more flexible in their work. | D．Possessing a better circadian rhythm. |
| A．They get proof from other studies. | B．They are confirmed by early risers. |
| C．They suggest potential applications. | D．They reveal factors in sleeping disorders. |
10 . Problem-solving skills are increasingly valuable in the workplace and could help you achieve more in your personal life too. Mastering these skills involves adopting effective approaches that enhance your ability to face challenges and find solutions.
Develop analytical thinking
Analytical thinking is a very important skill. It breaks down big issues into smaller, more manageable components.
Clear and simple communication is the key to effective problem-solving. Effective communication begins with clearly defining the problem statement. This involves choosing the right words, structuring information, and being mindful of the audience to ensure that your message is broad. Also, active listening is the skill of receiving information with focus. It involves not just hearing words but understanding the differences, emotions and ultimate messages.
Promote cooperation.
Effective problem solving often develops rapidly in a cooperative environment, where diverse opinions fuel innovation.
Stay informed.
| A．Listen to others attentively. |
| B．Improve communication skills. |
| C．The following strategies are worth a try. |
| D．Improving this skill requires a structured approach. |
| E．Regularly updating your knowledge keeps you sharp. |
| F．The process will equip you with the skills to succeed. |
| G．It begins with recognizing the strengths of teammates. |
