The State Council declared Wednesday it would restart China's nuclear power program, ending the hiatus（中斷）in nuclear construction since Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster last year.
China has been the most courageous country in building nuclear power, with the largest number of plants currently under construction. Nuclear power is facing a tough time in developed countries. The Japanese public is demanding the closure of all the country's nuclear power plants. China is at the forefront of nuclear power development. But it has been forced into this position.
Rapid economic development coupled with improvements in people's life both demand more electricity. It is impossible to exploit fossil resources forever as the supply of coal, oil and natural gas is limited. China has no choice but to develop nuclear power.
China must be the safest user of nuclear power. It should become a leading country in developing nuclear power technologies and increasing the world's knowledge of nuclear power. 
It needs to do at least two things. First, it needs to promote safety in nuclear power plants, based on the technologies of the West. The former Soviet Union, the US and Japan all had severe nuclear accidents, proving there are risks. China should try to remove these risks.
Second, China should establish effective communication mechanisms（機制）between the government, power plants and the public. It's wrong to think the government can control every aspect of nuclear power plant construction.
The opposition to nuclear power program in developed countries has prevented them from building new plants, but they already have many. These governments are reluctant to close these plants despite strong opposition, because they cannot find better substitutes. 
Nuclear power only occupies 1.8 percent of China's current electricity grid（輸電網(wǎng)）, much lower than the proportion in many developed countries. China's nuclear power plan should introduce the advantages of the technologies of other countries and also be creative in providing security. Its space technology is not the most advanced, but its launch safety measures have proven to be among the best.
China's high-profile high-speed railway development has drawn a lot of controversy, as will the active attitude towards developing nuclear power. But China cannot just copy what the developed countries have done. The development of nuclear power must be unique to China and it must be a ground-breaking success. But now, the real test lies ahead.
小題1:In the third paragraph the writer focuses on ______.

A．the reason why China is to develop nuclear power

B．the difficulty China has in developing nuclear power

C．the measures China will take to develop nuclear power

D．the benefits China will have by developing nuclear power

小題2:What attitude do people in developed countries have towards nuclear power program?

A．Supportive.

B．Opposed.

C．Indifferent.

D．Objective.

小題3:. If the Chinese government is to develop nuclear power, it needs to ______.

A．copy exactly what the developed countries have done

B．depend entirely on domestic scientists and technologies

C．a(chǎn)void people’s involvement in nuclear power plant construction

D．do everything in its power to guarantee safety in nuclear power plants

小題4:What is the future of China’s nuclear power program according to the text?

A．It will be unique but can hardly pass too many tests.

B．It will be full of controversy but carried out firmly.

C．It will be on a smooth way to a ground-breaking success.

D．It will receive much opposition from developed countries.

Application Form
Before an applicant can be invited to take part in an assessment, an application form should be returned to the Admissions Office, and the application fee of HK$1,000 cannot be returned. For overseas applicants wishing to pay in currencies other than HK dollars, the fee is US$145. Checks are also good for payment to “Chinese International School”.
The application should include:
※ Applicants’ academic report from the last school year.
※ A recent passport-sized photo (attached to the application form).
※A copy of the applicant’s Hong Kong ID card or a passport showing a valid Hong Kong visa.
※ Only for applicants applying under a Corporate Nomination(提名) Right: A company letter confirming the nomination.
Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. Applicants who would like to re-apply for another academic year are asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Acceptance
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance status in writing by postal mail. Initial(最初的) offers for Reception will be sent out from late March once all assessments have been completed.
Some applicants who have been assessed may be held on a reserve list. Acceptances may also be made on a conditional basis among the applicants on the reserve list.
Applicants who have been assessed but who have not been admitted are welcome to reapply for the next academic year. Please note that such applicants will be asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Confirmation of Acceptance and Enrollment(錄取)
Once an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family will be asked to confirm acceptance and hold the student’s place with immediate payment of the required fees for the Nomination Right (HK$ 500), plus the sum of HK$ 7,500 as the first tuition (學(xué)費) payment.
In addition, enrollment will not be considered complete until the following have been received, normally one month before the start of the new school year:
※ Physical examination results
※ Tuition (first month)
小題1:According to the passage, if the applicants reapply for an academic year,           .

A．a(chǎn) new application and application fee are to be required

B．a(chǎn)pplicants on a reserve list needn’t be assessed

C．the application fee can be reduced to a half

D．the initial application form should be returned to the Admissions Office

小題2:. Which of the following is true?

A．Once applicants are refused, they can’t apply for it again

B．Applicants held on a reserve list will not be admitted

C．Applicants don’t have to get a company letter to confirm their application

D．The applicants should show either a Hong Kong visa or a Hong Kong ID card

小題3:. According to the Application Process, the first tuition payment is ______.

A．HK$ 500.

B．HK$7, 500.

C．HK$1, 000.

D．US$ 145.

小題4:. If an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family            .

A．will be asked to submit a new application

B．will receive physical Examination results

C．will be asked to only pay the first month fee

D．will be asked to confirm acceptance and pay the fees

The economic growth that many nations in Asia and increasingly Africa have experienced over the past couple of decades has transformed hundreds of millions of lives – almost entirely for the better. But there’s a byproduct to that growth, one that’s evident – or sometimes less than evident – in the smoggy, smelly skies above cities like Beijing, New Delhi and Jakarta. Thanks to new cars and power plants, air pollution is bad and getting worse in much of the world, and it’s taking a major toll (傷亡人數(shù)，代價) on global health.
How big? According to a new analysis published in the Lancet, more than 3.2 million people suffered deaths from air pollution in 2010, the largest number on record. That’s up from 800,000 in 2000. And it’s a regional problem: 65% of those deaths occurred in Asia, where the air is choked by diesel soot (內(nèi)燃發(fā)動機煙霧) from cars and trucks, as well as the song from power plants and the dust from endless urban construction. In East Asia and China, 1.2 million people died, as well as another 712,000 in South Asia, including India. For the first time ever, air pollution is on the world’s top – 10 list of killers, and it’s moving up the ranks faster than any other factor.
So how can air pollution be so damaging? It is the very finest soot – so small that it roots deep within the lungs and then enters the bloodstream – that contributes to most of the public – health toll of air pollution including death. Diesel soot, which can also cause cancer, is a major problem because it is concentrated in cities along transportation zones affecting overpopulated areas. It is thought to contribute to half the deaths from air pollution in urban centers. Fro example, 1 in 6 people in the U.S. live near a diesel – pollution hot spot like a rail yard, port terminal or freeway.
We also know that air pollution may be linked to other non – deadly diseases. Fortunately in the U.S. and other developed nations, urban air is for the most part cleaner than it was 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to regulations and new technologies like the catalytic converters (催化式排氣凈化器) that reduce automobile emissions. Govemments are also pushing to make air cleaner – see the White House’s move last week to further tighten soot standards. It’s not perfect, but we’ve had much more success dealing with air pollution than climate change.
Will developing nations like India eventually catch up? Hopefully – though the problem may get worse before it gets better. The good news is that it doesn’t take a major technological advance to improve urban air. Switching from diesel fuel to unleaded (無鉛燃油) helps, as do newer and cleaner cars which are less likely to send out pollutants. Power plants – even ones that burn mineral fuels like coal – can be fitted with pollution – control equipment that, at a price, will greatly reduce smog and other pollutants.
But the best solutions may involve urban design. In the Guardian, John Vidal notes that Delhi now has 200 cars per 1,000 people, far more than much richer Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Developing cities will almost certainly see an increase in car ownership as residents become wealthier – and that doesn’t have to mean deadly air pollution. Higher incomes should also lead to tougher environmental regulations, which is exactly what happened in the West. We can only hope it happens before the death toll from bad air gets even higher.
小題1:What tends to give rise to the highest death toll according to the passage?

A．The lack of tight environmental protection standards.

B．The increasing numbers of the diesel cars and trucks.

C．The frighteningly high death rate from deadly cancer.

D．The world’s serious air pollution such as soot and dust.

小題2:The “byproduct” (Paragraph 1) most probably refers to     .

A．consequence

B．solution

C．reform

D．design

小題3:The basic reason why so many people die from air pollution is that       .

A．the diesel soot is too small to be seen

B．the diesel soot is much too poisonous to breathe

C．the diesel soot roots in lungs and gets into blood

D．the diesel soot can also contribute to deadly cancer

小題4:According to the passage, the writer actually wants to convince the readers that        .

A．the global economic growth is mainly to blame for air pollution and climate change

B．the developing countries are repeating the same mistakes as the developed ones made

C．the ecological situation and air pollution in India are becoming worse and worse

D．the unbeatable air is increasingly becoming a major killer throughout the world

小題5:By describing urban design as “the best solution” in the last paragraph, the writer means that        .

A．the making of tougher environmental regulations alone is of little use

B．more sever regulations should be made to handle air pollution

C．the urban construction in western developed countries is the best choice

D．the pace of development has to be slowed down to reduce air pollution

China is now sending more college students to study in the United States than any other country.  A new report shows a 23 percent increase in the number of Chinese students coming to the U.S.
The latest edition of the annual Institute of International Education（IIE）and another US institute found a 5 percent rise in the number of international university students in the US compared to one year ago. There are now over 157, 000 Chinese students at U.S. colleges and universities.
Aisa accounted for four of the top five countries and regions to take advantage of the US higher education system. “Increased numbers of students from China, particularly at the undergraduate level, largely accounts for the growth this past year,” the report stated. “They really enroll in a full range of US higher education,” said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of IIE, the group that made the report. “20 years ago, students from China only knew of a handful of US insitiutions, but now, they are enrolling in our community colleges, in our small liberal arts institutions, in the research universities. Really spread across the country,” she said.
Chinese mainland was in the number one spot, while India was the number two country of origin. South Korea was third and Canada was number four. China’s Taiwan held the number five spot. Saudi Arabia was in sixth with a 44-percent increase, while Japan was seventh, down 14 percent.
Blumenthal attributes the increase in the number of Chinese students heading to US colleges to limited university places in China, as well as a feeling from students and their parents than they want a “unique” educational experience. China’s family planning policy, says Blumenthal, has also meant that families can concentrated resources on a single child.
The University of California at Los Angeles has one of the largest Asian student populations of any college in the United States.
小題1:Which ranked the third place sharing US higher education?

A．Saudi Arabia

B．South Korea

C．Canada

D．India

小題2:Why is the number of Chinese students going to the US increasing?

A．The US colleges are better than those in China.

B．Each family in China has only one child.

C．China lacks enough educational resources.

D．Chinese students can enter varieties of US colleges.

小題3:Which of the following is right according to Peggy Blumenthal?

A．The number of Chinese students going to the US has increased by 23%.

B．The University of California has contributed to Asian education greatly.

C．Chinese student populations in the US mainly consist of undergraduates.

D．Chinese students know more about US higher education than before.

小題4:The best title for the passage can be           .

A．Chinese College Students Rush to US Schools

B．The Large Number of Chinese Students in the US

C．Chinese Students Make Up Largely Foreign Students in the US

D．Asian Middle School Students in the US Universities

A portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal life is being developed by scientists.
The Swansea University scientists say it could take many years before the device(裝置) , the size of a spectacle box (眼鏡盒) , is available . Lung patients , who have seen how it would work , have welcomed the research.
Its research suggests that one person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease---- this equates to approximately 8 million people. As of 6 March 2009, 217 people were on the waiting list for a lung transplant（移植） according to figures by NHS Blood and Transplant .
Now scientists in Swansea are developing a portable artificial lung which could transform (改觀) the lives of patients . Researchers claim that in the long term the device could offer an alternative to lung transplant , giving hope to those who suffer from conditions such as emphysema(肺氣腫) and cystic fibrosis.
The device mimics the function of a lung---by getting oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood stream . Professor Bill Johns came up with the idea after his son died of Cystic Fibrosis . It is important that we make something that will help people , who instead of being confined (局限) to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle , can actually walk around and do things for themselves , he said.
Although the research has been welcomed by leading charities(慈善) , caution has also been voiced over the length of time it will take before a portable lung will become available .
“We have to stress that this is several years away from being used , even in a trial stage,” said Chris Mulholland , head of the British Lung Foundation.
Patient Elizabeth Spence from Swansea has been refused the double lung transplant she needs but remains hopeful that one day the new device could save her . “ My body will reject the lungs , so this possibly could be an answer--- another way of getting new lungs without actually having the transplant,” she said.
小題1:Which of the following about the portable lung would the author agree?

A．It can help a lot in lung transplants

B．It was once on display

C．It works differently from the normal one in the body

D．It’s just like an oxygen bottle.

小題2:It seems as if _______ really matters before the portable lung is put into use.

A．support

B．money

C．time

D．trial

小題3:What’s the author’s attitude towards the portable lung ?

A．Negative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Curious.

D．Objective.

小題4:Which edition can you probably find the passage ?

A．Science.

B．Culture.

C．Economy.

D．Education.

How to Study Smarter, Not Harder
Here are some of our favorite study tips that will help any student study smarter, not harder:
Recite As You Study
Reciting—saying things out loud should first take place as you read through each paragraph or section. Test yourself. This will help you to understand as well as learn faster because it is more active than reading or listening. It will also help you to notice your mistakes and the topics you have trouble understanding.
Take Fuller Notes
Notes should be in your own words, brief and clear. They should be tidy and easy to read. Writing notes will help you better than just underlining as you read, since it forces you to rewrite ideas in your own words.
Study the Middle
The best time to review is soon after you’ve learned something. You are more likely to remember the material at the beginning and the end of the lesson, so make sure you focus on the middle when you review.
Sleep On It
Study before going to bed, unless you are very tired. It’s easier to remember material you’ve just learned after sleeping than after an equal period of daytime activity, because your brain continues to think even after you’ve fallen asleep.
Combine Memory and Understanding
There are two ways to remember: by memorizing and by understanding. Multiplication tables, telephone numbers, and math formulas are better learned by rote. Ideas are best learned by understanding.
The more ways you have to think about an idea, the more meaning it will have; the more meaningful the learning, the better you can remember it. Pay attention to similarities in ideas and concepts, and then try to understand how they fit in with things you already know. Never be satisfied with anything less than a completely clear understanding of what you are reading. If you are not able to follow the thought, go back to the place where you first got confused and try again.
小題1: You can notice your mistakes by _______.

A．saying things out aloud	B．taking notes
C．studying the middle	D．sleeping on it

小題2:When taking notes, you should _______ to better help you with reading.

A．underline important notes

B．write notes in your own words

C．take down every detail

D．write as quickly as possible

小題3:The writer advises you to _______ as it is easier for you to remember material.

A．study after a period of activity

B．do some exercise after studying

C．study as soon as you get up

D．study before going to sleep

小題4:Which of the following is NOT helpful for your understanding?

A．Thinking about an idea in different ways.

B．Relating ideas and concepts with what you already know.

C．Reading from the beginning to the end without stop.

D．Going back to what first made you confused and start again.

What’s the difference between the British Isles, Britain, the United Kingdom and England?
The British Isles is made up of two large islands: One is called Ireland and the other Britain. Britain, or Great Britain, is the larger of these two islands and it is divided into three parts: Scotland, Wales and England.
The United Kingdom (UK) is short for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is made up of Scotland, Wales, and England (i.e. the whole of Britain), and also about one-sixth of Ireland, the Northern part. The rest of Ireland is self-governing(自治的).
England is the largest, most populous (人口眾多的), and generally speaking, the richest section. English people often use the words “England” and “English” when they mean “Britain” and “British”. This sometimes makes the Scots and the Welsh angry. The Scots are very proud of their separate nationality. The Welsh too do not consider themselves as England, and have a culture and even a language of their own. Ireland became part of the United Kingdom in 1801, but is soon grew discontented (不滿的), and for forty years the “Irish Question” was the greatest headache of British Parliament(國會). At last, Ireland divided itself into two: Northern Ireland remained loyal(忠誠于) to the Crown(英國王室), and in 1922 the rest of the country broke away to form Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland.
小題1:Which is the largest in area?

A．The British Iles	B．Great Britain
C．England	D．The United Kingdom

小題2: Which is the largest island of the British Isles?.

A．Ireland	B．Britain
C．England	D．Northern Ireland

小題3:The United Kingdom is mainly made up of          .

A．3 parts: Scotland, Wales, and England

B．4 parts: Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland

C．2 parts: the whole of Britain and Ireland

D．2 parts: the whole of Britain and Northern Ireland

小題4: Strictly speaking(嚴格地說), which is wrong?

A．“English” refers(指) to people of England.

B．“The Scots” refers to people of Scotland.

C．“England” refers to all the people to the UK.

D．Only one-sixth of Ireland belongs to the UK.

小題5:Who will be happy if we use “England” when we mean Britain?

A．The British	B．People of England
C．People of the Republic of Ireland	D．The welsh

I remember as a small child when we would have these gatherings where someone would come up and ask, “What are you going to be when you grow up?”?
Well, it    41   being a cowboy or some super hero. Later it was a fireman, policeman, lawyer ... As I grew older my dreams of the future   42  . When, at last, I was in college, I made up my   43    to become a preacher(牧師) as my father.    44    I studied and prepared for that life. I reached    45  in the end and I was preaching nearly fulltime for much of my adult life.
However, for many, there is a “thief” which goes around stealing our   46   . Sometimes, the thief will come as a parent, a relative, or a friend, but the    47   thief is, so many times, just    48  .?
We find ourselves just about reaching the top, and this “small”    49    inside says, “You will never make   50   .” “You can’t possibly do this.” And on and on the “small” voice 51       some kind of failure. Failure, though, is exactly how dreams are    52   . It is one of the most important tools we have, because it teaches us invaluable   53   . And, when we learn these lessons well, we are ready    54   success.
The message I always gave my children was that you   55   do anything your heart desires. Remember the saying, “Nothing is    56  to a willing heart.” There are   57   “overnight” successes, but with determination, it will come. Imagine yourself in the life you dream of   58   . Then in your heart, believe it   59  happen for you. Then work, work, work. You get the picture.
So, be true to your dream, and don’t let anyone   60   it from you—especially yourself.

小題1:	A．insisted on B．felt like C．kept on D．started out

小題2:	A．changed B．meant C．planned D．left

小題3:	A．goal B．mind C．interest D．experience

小題4:	A．But B．So C．Or D．Yes

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)greement B．conclusion C．success D．position

小題6:	A．money B．children C．friends D．dreams

小題7:	A．greatest B．tallest C．poorest D．oldest

小題8:	A．themselves B．yourselves C．ourselves D．itself

小題9:	A．sound B．voice C．noise D．speech

小題10:

A．it B．him C．her D．me

小題11:

A．expects B．predicts C．a(chǎn)nswers D．suffers

小題12:

A．met B．defended C．understood D．realized

小題13:

A．stages B．suggestions C．lessons D．choices

小題14:

A．to B．for C．a(chǎn)t D．with

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)re able to B．used to C．have to D．ought to

小題16:

A．interesting B．important C．necessary D．impossible

小題17:

A．many B．a(chǎn) few C．some D．no

小題18:

A．spending B．living C．planning D．changing

小題19:

A．will B．might C．could D．does

小題20:

A．buy B．fool C．steal D．borrow

Tre’S mom，Christina Thompson, cannot believe how much her son already learned this year in his full-day, free pre-school class in Oklahoma City. “Since he’s been in school his vocabulary has increased surprisingly,” Thompson says. “The other day he came home and said, ‘You know what ，mom? You are being ridiculous，” Thompson laughs quietly. “And then he asked, ‘Do you know what ‘ridiculous’ means, mom?’” Tre knows the entire alphabet, his numbers to 100，and he’s starting to read. And letters and numbers aside, Thompson is most struck by how fast Tre is absorbing vocabulary and language.
Of course, not all pre-school is created equal. High quality pre-schools have well-trained, well-educated teachers in the classroom (much like Tre Thompson’s teacher Mrs. Wallace, who uses play-based learning to teach both academics and social skills and can rattle off (飛快說出） a battery of data on how well her students are progressing towards their year-end goals). Texas can also offer a model for educator development: its Texas School Ready! Campaign has proven to increase the quality of participating pre-schools by providing early childhood teachers with coaching, professional development, research-based curriculum (課程)，and progress monitoring. States and districts should also combine pre-school with the K-12 system, as Oklahoma does ，so that children enter kindergarten smoothly.
Oklahoma is one of the leading states in providing students like Tre with free ，full-day pre-school. And the results are already paying off: According to a 2012 study, Oklahoma kids that went through pre-school showed vocabulary gains 28% higher than those of children without pre-school, and math gains 44% higher than non-pre-school kids. And we know that high-quality pre-school doesn’t just mean higher scores in elementary school. They were more likely to have graduated from high school and less likely to have committed a violent crime. They also earned more money and were more likely to be employed.
We know pre-school works, so let’s stop talking and start building a system where all children have access to excellent early childhood education. As any well-educated four year old could tell us, not doing so would be ridiculous.
小題1:The case of Tre in the first paragraph serves as the evidence of______.

A．children’s disrespect towards parents

B．the bad performance of students at school

C．the positive effect of pre-school on children

D．Thompson’s doubt about her son’s education

小題2:At high quality pre-schools, children may learn by______

A．playing

B．modelling

C．researching

D．monitoring

小題3:It can be inferred that______.

A．children can not enter kindergarten without pre-school

B．Oklahoma is the best state offering full-day pre-school

C．a(chǎn)ll pre-schools have well-trained, well-educated teachers

D．kids with pre-school may be better equipped for their future

小題4:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Not all pre-school works

B．All pre-school is created equal

C．We owe our kids universal pre-school

D．Pre-school goes well with K-12 system

Every time you go to the supermarket, you come away with your purchases in plastic bags. But wouldn’t it be kinder to the environment if you asked for paper bags instead?
The answer is not the easy as it might seem. Environmentalists say there are drawbacks to using both plastic bags and paper bags.
According to the American Plastics Council 80 percent of groceries in the US are packed in plastic bags.
“The numbers are becoming huge,” said Vincent Cobb, a businessman from Chicago who set up “reusable bags. com” on the Internet. He notes that consumers use between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags per year worldwide.
Some experts believe that all these bags harm the environment. Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down and, as it does so, poisonous materials are released into the water and soil.
Further damage is caused if plastic bags enter the sea. For example, endangered sea turtles cannot tell the bags from jellyfish(水母), their main source of food, and often choke on them.
Floating plastic bags have been spotted as far north as the Arctic Ocean and as far south as the southern end of South America. One expert predicts that, within ten years, plastic bags will wash up in Antarctica!
However, this kind of bag does have its advantages.
“Plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused things around the house,” explained Laurie Kusek of the American Plastics Council.
According to the Film and Bag Federation, a trade group in the US plastics industry, paper bags use more energy and create more waste than plastic bags. Plastic bags require 40 per cent less energy to produce and cause 70 per cent less air pollution, the group explained. They also release as much as 94 percent less waste into the water than paper ones.
But paper bags do break down more quickly than plastic bags. They don’t endanger wildlife, either.
So what should we do? One possible solution would be to use biodegradable(能被生物分解的)plastic bags. But until biodegradable technology improves, it might be easier to pack things you buy in reusable cloth bags.
小題1:The best title of the passage is _____.

A．Paper Causes Less Pollution

B．Plastic Causes Less Pollution

C．Paper and Plastics Cause Pollution

D．Paper Bags Break Down More Quickly

小題2:The underlined word “drawbacks” might mean “_____”.

A．Advantages

B．disadvantages

C．a(chǎn)ir pollution

D．waste

小題3:According to the passage, which of the following in NOT true?

A．Plastic takes longer to break down than paper.

B．Sea turtles usually mistake the plastic bags for jellyfish.

C．Paper bags require less energy than plastic bags.

D．You’d better pack things in reusable cloth bags.

小題4:Which of the following shows that paper bags are better than plastic ones?

A．Paper bags take less time to rot.

B．Paper bags cause less air pollution.

C．Paper bags are more reusable.

D．Paper bags cause less water pollution.