1 . When there are debates about the world’s top performing education systems, the names that usually get mentioned are the Asian powerhouses such as Singapore and South Korea or the Nordic know-alls, such as Finland or Norway. But with much less recognition, Canada has climbed into the top tier of international rankings.

In the most recent round of international Pise tests, Canada was one of a handful of countries to appear in the top 10 for maths, science and reading. The tests, run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are a major study of educational performance and show Canada’s teenagers as among the best educated in the world.     1    

At university level, Canada has the world’s highest proportion of working-age adults who have been through higher education — 55% compared with an average in OECD countries of 35%.

    2     The top performers are often compact (紧凑的) societies and the current highest achiever, Singapore, has been seen as a model of systematic progress, with each part of the education system integrated into an overarching national strategy.

Canada does not even really have a national education system. It is based on autonomous provinces and it is hard to think of a bigger contrast between a city state such as Singapore and sprawling land mass such as Canada.

The OECD, trying to understand Canada’s success in education, described the role of the federal government as “limited and sometimes non-existent”.

    3     Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s education director, says Canada’s “big uniting theme is equity”. Despite the different policies in individual provinces, there is a common commitment to an equal chance in school. He says there is a strong sense of fairness and equal access — and this is seen in the high academic performance of migrant children.

Within three years of arriving, the Pisa tests show the children of new migrants have scores as high as the rest of their schoolmates.     4    

Another distinguishing feature is that Canada’s teachers are well paid by international standards — and entry into teaching is highly selective.

A．It makes Canada one of the few countries where migrant children achieve at a level similar to their non-migrant counterparts.

B．Canada’s success in school tests is also very unusual compared with other international trends.

C．Is school funding linked to results of international Pisa tests?

D．There have been systematic efforts to improve literacy and testing and assessment to identify schools or individuals who are struggling.

E．So how has Canada overtaken so many other countries in education?

F．They are far ahead of geographical neighbours such as the US and European countries with strong cultural ties like the UK and France.

2 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Globalization is the connection of different parts of the world. The process of globalization is very controversial. Many people say globalization will help people communicate. Aid agencies can respond more quickly     1    a natural disaster. Advanced medicines are more easily and widely available to people who may not have been able to afford them. Globalization     2     (increase) the number of students studying abroad over the past few years.     3    some people worry that Western culture will destroy local cultures around the world. What they fear is that everyone will end up     4     (eat) hamburgers and pizza.

3 . One third of adults over 65 in America have never used the Internet, and half don’t even have Internet access at home. In San Francisco, “the center of tech”, 40% of older adults do not have basic digital literacy skills.

This situation is becoming appalling as over 10,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. By 2050,22% of Americans will be 65 or older. Meanwhile, technology is developing very fast. This means that a large number of people will be unable to proficiently use emergent technology.

Many people believe that seniors aren’t required to participate in our tech future because they’ll be retired and relaxed soon. But this is the farthest thing from the truth. Baby boomers are currently experiencing a different boom: With more people getting older than ever before, their life expediencies are also increasing dramatically. With medical advancements, the number of American people projected to live into their 90’s has doubled since 1965.

However, they don’t have strong financial or educational support. This is not a problem; it’s a crisis. More than half of employees over 50 have been laid off in what’s being called ”forced retirement“. And few organizations are actively helping older employees make the transition from full-time jobs to part-time ones. For those fortunate enough to be employed, 3 out of 5 older workers experience prejudice.

The easiest solution is to teach digital literacy. If baby boomers want to survive the forthcoming retirement crisis, they should get enough digital knowledge and skills to operate today’s tools and tomorrow’s platforms. With every crisis comes an opportunity. Tutoring, customer service, editing, research, book-keeping, and other virtual assistance-based work open the doors. But again, digital knowledge is first required to live in our high-tech society and gig economy. So try to get more online and navigate the growing number of sites and apps.

1. What does the underlined word “appalling” probably mean in paragraph2?

A．Confusing.

B．Terrible.

C．Controllable.

D．Inspiring.

2. What problem may baby boomers face?

A．A crisis after retirement.	B．Being knocked out in the future.
C．Failing to receive good healthcare.	D．Tending to double their life expediencies.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The features of high-tech jobs.	B．The way out for baby boomers.
C．Potential industries in the future.	D．The importance of developing technology.

4. What does the author advise baby boomers to do?

A．Have a good sense of crisis.	B．Avoid retiring at an early age.
C．Look for many part-time jobs.	D．Improve digital literacy actively.

4 . Six months ago, 28-year-old Danny Wallace, who earns his living as a TV comic and “ideas” man, had a great idea. What if he started his own country and invited anyone who wanted to join him to become a citizen? So, naming himself King Danny I and declaring his one-bedroom flat in East London an independent state, he set about taking the necessary steps to make his dream come true. He even documented his progress in his BBC2 series How To Start Your Own Country, which comes to the end of its six-week run on Wednesday.

Over the six weeks, Danny explored the possibilities of forming his own country. The first thing on his agenda was to hand in his Declaration of Independence to the prime minister. With this out of the way, he was free to start thinking about writing a constitution and setting up a government. Then he was off to design his own flag and record his own national anthem and even got someone to design possible postage stamps of his country, with his face on them!

The final thing Danny had to do was to find a name for his country. At his request, citizens sent in thousands of suggestions as to what this new country could be called. Ideas ranged from Flatland to Wallaceland! But, in the end, the final selection came down to just two: Home or Lovely. Aiming to become the most democratic democracy in the world where its citizens have the opportunity to enjoy equality, King Danny achieved a world first and let the people decide. Lovely finally stood out.

Whether the country will continue to grow will very much depend on how busy its creator is. And, as Danny Wallace is much in demand for several other TV projects, it might fall to other members of his government to keep things running. But with elections promised every six months, the creation of the University of Lovely and several sporting events planned over the coming weeks, there are plenty of activities to keep the citizens of Lovely occupied for quite a while yet.

1. What does Danny Wallace’s “great idea” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Making a documentary.	B．Founding a new country.
C．Owning an independent state.	D．Choosing actors for a TV show.

2. What’s crucial to carrying out Danny’s great idea?

A．Drafting a constitution.	B．Getting official approval.
C．Analyzing the possibilities.	D．Composing a national anthem.

3. What can be inferred from the final decision on the name Lovely?

A．Lovely beat Home in the final selection.

B．The world is created by ordinary people.

C．The citizens’ rights of a country are respected.

D．Lovely signals the successful rule of King Danny.

4. What’s mainly discussed in the last paragraph?

A．The future of Lovely.	B．The life of the citizens.
C．The daily routine of Danny Wallace.	D．The establishment of the University of Lovely.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many topics does the report cover?

A．8.

B．18.

C．22.

2. What will China build up a system to promote by 2050?

A．Public security.

B．New energy industry.

C．Agriculture.

3. What will China further develop?

A．Technology.

B．Science.

C．Mineral resource.

4. What does CAS(中科院)consist of?

A．11 regional branches.

B．Over 100 institutes.

C．Both A and B.

6 . The Chinese government ends its one-child policy (政策) and allows families to have three children. The policy is meant to balance population development, stop a falling birth rate (出生率) and strengthen the country’s labor force (劳动力).

China, with the largest population in the world, started the one-child policy in 1980. But the government allowed only a small number of couples to have two children. For example, some families in the countryside could have two children, if the first-born child is a girl. In 2016, the Chinese government gave other couples a chance to have two children if one of them was an only child. Because of aging of population, in 2021, it allowed families to have three children.

To the newest policy, different families have different opinions. “Too many young people in the cities are no longer interested in having two or three children,” an official said. “People in the countryside are more interested.”

At the end of 2021, China had a population of more than 1.4 billion people. A total of 900 million of them have jobs. But the labor market population will drop in 30 years. That is to say, the country will be in great need of labor by the year 2050. With the three-child policy, an increase in births can solve this problem.

Boys and girls, what do you think of the three-child policy? Do you want to have new-born brothers or sisters?

1. Why does the Chinese government end the one-child policy?

A．Because China needs a larger population.

B．Because a falling birth rate must be stopped.

C．Because most families want to have a second or third child.

2. How long does China take from the one-child policy to the three-child policy?

A．20 years.

B．30 years.

C．more than 40 years.

3. How do most young people in the cities react (反应) to the three-child policy?

A．They strongly support the policy.

B．They don’t think it is good.

C．They’re not interested in it any more.

4. When will our country be seriously short of labour if one-child policy continues?

A．In 2035.

B．In 2050.

C．In 2070.

5. What may happen after we have the “three-child” policy?

A．The population development will be balanced.

B．The labor market population will drop.

C．There will be more old people.

7 . Scotland is a country in Great Britain, to the north of England. Scotland has nearly 800 islands, but people only live on some of them. About five million people live in Scotland, which is 8.5% of the UK population. Most people live in the south of the country, in and around the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Dundee.

Language

In Scotland, most people speak English and Scots and a minority speak Scottish Gaelic, an old Celtic language which is very different from English. Scots is spoken by young and old people and sometimes people mix Scots and English. Some words in Scots are the same as in English and some are different.

Sport

The most popular sport in Scotland is football and famous teams include Celtic and Rangers, from Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. Another popular game, golf, was invented in Scotland in the Middle Ages. You can go skiing in winter at Scotland’s five mountain ski fields and any time of the year at snow sports centers around the country.

Food

When people think of Scottish food, they often think of haggis, a type of sausage made from parts of a sheep. However, Scotland is also known for its variety of seafood and beef.

Symbols

Blue is a colour which is often connected with Scotland. The Scottish flag is blue with a white X-shaped cross called the Saint Andrew’s cross. St Andrew is the Patron Saint(守护神) of Scotland. Everywhere you go in Scotland, you will see tartan(苏格兰格子呢), kilts and bagpipes. Also, look out for the national animal, the unicorn, and the thistle, the national flower of Scotland.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The Scottish live separately on 800 islands.

B．Most of the Scottish live in big cities.

C．8.5% of the UK population live in Scotland.

D．Scotland lies to the north of Great Britain.

2. How many languages are there in Scotland?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．Scotland is the birthplace of golf.

B．Celtic and Rangers are famous golf clubs.

C．The special Scottish food is its seafood.

D．The Scottish flag is white with a blue cross.

8 . There are many different types of houses in the UK. You may see detached, semi-detached, terraced houses or even end-of-terrace houses on a typical street. You might see apartments in wealthier parts of town, or people living in bungalows, preferring to live a life without stairs. Strange cottages may dot the countryside, while heading to the cities you could see any number of types of flats, including houses turned into flats, studios and duplexes. But one thing you will notice is that many houses come from different eras, and asking a British person about their ideal home, many of them will have a specific period property in mind.

For some, it could be Victorian houses, which are often seen with bay windows, high ceilings, stained glass doors and colored brickwork. During the Victorian era, a huge number of houses, particularly terraced, were built in towns and cities to accommodate vast numbers of workers who were moving from more rural areas.

Georgian architecture refers to houses built during the period of 1714 and 1830 during the rules of four British monarchs. Usually houses with this architectural style have a more symmetrical theme, both internally and externally, with a small square garden in front. For those not into older properties, new builds from the 1990s onwards offer better insulation against the cold and newer electrics. And those who prefer less repairs could always go with the open-plan or minimalist look of the modern era.

So, whether it’s high ceilings, better insulation, brickwork, bungalows or square gardens, people in Britain have a wide variety of preferences when it comes to where they live. And their ideal home may just simply be a case of what style feels like home.

1. What do the Victorian houses have?

A．A small square garden in front.	B．High ceilings and colored brickwork.
C．A more symmetrical theme than any other era.	D．Broken windows and stainless doors.

2. Why does the author mention Victorian and Georgian houses?

A．To display the wisdom of the architects.	B．To introduce the origin of them.
C．To attract people fond of British houses.	D．To show the diversity of British houses.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．The preference of British for the houses.	B．The history of the Georgian houses.
C．The house structures of Britain.	D．The fine scenery in Britain.

4. What will the author probably talk about next?

A．Ideal British home.	B．Terraced houses.
C．Georgian houses.	D．Square and gardens.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．1973.

B．36,500.

C．20.

D．300,000.

2.

A．Workers’ wages increase largely every year.

B．More money is spent on citizens welfare.

C．Foreign investment is favoured.

D．Business activity is regulated.

3.

A．Ireland’s economic growth.	B．Ireland’s future development.
C．Ireland’s amazing history.	D．Ireland’s traditional values.

10 . 阅读下面语段，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

There is so much     1     (learn) about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom.     2    (study) the history of the country will make your visit more     3    (enjoy).