GCSEs not fit for purpose
GCSEs（General Certificate of Secondary Education，普通中等教育證書(shū)）encourage "teaching to the test" and may be past their sell-by date, according to Britain's leading business organization. The Confederation of British Industry（CBI） warns that the qualification is stopping teachers delivering an "inspirational classroom experience" and should be replaced.
John Cridland, the CBI director general, said industry faced a shortage of key skills, particularly in science and maths. The CBI（英國(guó)工業(yè)聯(lián)合會(huì)）, which represents more than 240,000 companies, is also concerned about the 40% of young people who fail to achieve the benchmark of five good GCSE passes including English and maths. The percentage of pupils who reach this standard is the main measure of school success.
Speaking at the launch of a CBI inquiry into education, Cridland argued that abandoning GCSEs could help deliver a full education. "There's something about this GCSE limitation which produces a form of learning ------ teaching for the test.’’
"It frustrates teachers because it stops them delivering that inspirational classroom experience."
The CBI head suggested that raising the school leaving age to 18 – a change that comes into effect in 2015 – is an opportunity to reform the system. "It seems to me that we've raised the participation age to 18 and we're left with an education system that focuses on 16," said Cridland. More than 600,000 children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to take GCSEs this summer.
Many other countries do without a public exam at 16. Finland, the highest performing school system in Europe, has just one public exam, at 18, though children are regularly tested at younger ages.
【小題1】What does the author intend to tell us in paragragh1？

A．“Teaching to the test” should be encouraged.

B．We should stop teachers delivering “inspirational experience”.

C．The current qualification is out of date and should be replaced.

D．The Confederation of British Industry should be replaced.

【小題2】What’s the main idea of the passage？

A．The British GCSEs are no longer practical and should be reformed.

B．In the GCSEs system , teachers don’t have freedom.

C．Five good GCSEs is hard to achieve.

D．The British Education Department will reform education system.

【小題3】The meaning of the underlined word “benchmark” in paragraph 2 may be ______.

A．success

B．target

C．standard

D．excellent grades

【小題4】Where can we find this article?

A．TV series	B．radio news
C．newspaper education section	D．government report

Most American schools have boys and girls in the same classroom. But a public high school in the small, rural town of Boonsboro, Maryland, offers a special program called the Academy. Top students in the ninth and tenth grades can attend single-sex classes for math, science, English and social studies.
The aim is to help teenagers keep their mind on their work by keeping males and females apart. What they really want to do is take that top group of kids and take them to the very highest level they can achieve there, so that they’re prepared for college.
Students are invited to enter this program after they finish middle school, and placement in the Academy is voluntary. However, they need high marks and test scores and strong teacher recommendations. They also need to be involved in activities.
Almost 350 students have taken part in the Academy. It began as an experiment in 2010.
Michael Bair has been at Boonsboro High for twenty years and directs the Academy. His ninth-grade English class for boys centers on books that he believes boys find interesting. He says that the novels the students are reading now are very manly (男子氣概的) novels. These novels deal with the arrogance (傲慢) of man and the pride of man which finally leads to man’s downfall.
One of those books, for example, is The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This classic story tells of a dog stolen from his home and sold to work as a sled dog in Canada’s Klondike Gold Rush.
Morgan Fleet, a senior at Boonsboro High, likes being in the Academy. She says boys and girls act differently when they are together in a classroom. She believes this difference seems to prevent her from developing herself because she’s more focused on thoughts like “Oh, I wish they would shut up. Oh, what do they think of me?’’ instead of focusing on “What’s the homework? What’s going on in this class? What’s the lesson?”.
There is one activity that girls and boys in the Academy do together. At the end of the day, many of them stay and help tutor students who are having trouble in school.
【小題1】What is the purpose of the Academy program?

A．To offer a special program in high school.

B．To help students concentrate on study.

C．To strengthen sex education for teenagers.

D．To start learning college courses earlier.

【小題2】To enter the Academy program, students are NOT required to _________.

A．do well in their study	B．be recommended by teachers
C．take part in some activities	D．have worked as volunteers

【小題3】The Call of the Wild is given as an example to show that male students ___.

A．should learn more about literature

B．should have a sense of protecting the wildlife

C．a(chǎn)re reading more manly novels

D．a(chǎn)re interested in stories on animals

【小題4】Which is likely to be Morgan Fleet’s opinion?

A．A girl cares about the boys’ opinions of her.

B．Single-sex classes should be stopped.

C．Girls are more focused when studying with boys.

D．Boys and girls act the same in separate classrooms.

【小題5】The passage is intended to _________.

A．introduce the single-sex class project

B．explain the differences between boys and girls

C．persuade students to enter the Academy program

D．urge students to work hard in their study

Beginning college is exciting: new ideas to explore, new challenges to be met and many decisions to be made; your future begins here.
However, you will find college life is different from your previous school environment. Many of us can be easily defeated by the details of running a well-balanced life. While some of us may have the know-how, I guess there are more of us who can benefit from learning about the experiences of others who have walked the college halls before you.
The following you may find useful about life on campus:
·Plan well. There are so many new things to do at a new college or university. Give yourself time to make new friends and became familiar with the campus, but don’t forget why you are there. Give some time for social activities and manage your time wisely.
·If you don’t have a “system” for planning your time now (like a day timer, a computer data book), get one. Most of all, don’t depend on your memory.
·Don’t miss the guidelines. The restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student’s handbook. Consider them well-balanced food for thought. What dates are important? What pieces of paper need to be handed in? What can / can’t you do in your student residence（住處）? Who has the right for what? What do you need to complete to graduate?
·Write the word “STUDY” on the walls of your bedroom and bathroom, and maybe it will help to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on the telephone, TV and the kitchen table. Consider this — you are paying thousands of dollars for your course. You pay every time you have to repeat or replace a course.
·Build your identity. This is the time for you to decide what to do and what not to do. Take as much time as you need to explore new ideas. Do not be afraid of the beyond. This is learning to make good choices.
(From http://www.iamnext.com/academics/frosh10tips.html)
【小題1】What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To offer advice on college life.

B．To explain why college life is exciting.

C．To describe the importance of college life.

D．To persuade you to go to college.

【小題2】According to the passage, why is it exciting to begin college life?

A．Because you will have more freedom at college.

B．Because you will no longer be afraid of the beyond

C．Because you prepare for your future career and life there.

D．Because professors there will provide you with many new ideas.

【小題3】The underlined word “know-how” refers to _____.

A．An understanding of how things are going at college

B．Practical knowledge about how to learn well at college

C．College halls where rules and regulations are presented

D．An environment completely different from the one you’re used to

【小題4】According to the passage, college students _______.

A．needn’t learn from those who went to college before them

B．spend as much time as possible on social activities

C．should know what they have fight for on campus

D．a(chǎn)re supposed to repeat or replace at least one course

A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students. It shows that most students considered understanding spoken English to be their biggest problem on arrival. This was followed by speaking. Writing increased as a problem as students discovered difficulties in writing papers that they were now expected to hand in. Reading remained as a big problem.
Information gained helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course. Although many students have chosen to join the course with a reasonable motivation, we considered it important to note what seemed to encourage interest. Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar-based English teaching in their own country. To use the same method would be self-defeating because it might reduce motivation, especially if it has failed in the past. Therefore a different method may help because it is different.
Variety of activity was also seen as a way of maintaining or increasing motivation. Several years ago we had one timetable that operated throughout, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest about halfway through the ten weeks. This led us to a major re-think, so in the end we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students.
【小題1】What does the passage want to tell us?

A．Foreign students have more problems.

B．There are many ways to improve English.

C．Teaching should meet students’ needs.

D．English learning problems should be studied again.

【小題2】 Writing became a bigger problem when foreign students __________.

A．had to write their papers

B．became better at speaking

C．became less interested in reading

D．had fewer problems with listening

【小題3】We may infer from the last two paragraphs that_________.

A．different teaching methods should be used

B．grammar-based teaching seems to be encouraging

C．English courses are necessary for foreign students

D．teaching content should be changed halfway

Discover Nature Schools programs
Becoming Bears (Kindergarten-2 grade)
By becoming baby bears, children learn from their “parent” to survive the seasons. Kids will find safety in the spring and learn kinds of food bears eat during the summer, and then create a cave for winter hibernation(冬眠). After learning the skills needed to survive, students will go out of the cave as an independent black bear able to care for themselves. (1.5-2 hours)
Whose Clues? (3-5 grade)
Kids will discover how plants and animals use their special structures to survive. Through outdoor study of plants and animals, kids will recognize their special structures and learn how they enable species to eat, avoid their enemies and survive. Using what they have learned, kids will choose one species and tell how they survive in their living places. (3-4 hours)
Winged Wonders (3-5 grade)
Birds add color and sound to our world and play an important ecological (生態(tài)的) role. Students will learn the basics of birds, understand the role birds play in food chains and go bird watching using field guides and telescopes. Students will do hands-on activities. Students will use tools to build bird feeders, allowing them to attract birds at home.(3-4 hours)
Exploring Your Watershed (6-8 grade)
We all depend on clean water. Examining how our actions shape the waterways around us. Go on a hike to see first-hand some of the challenging water quality problems in a city. Students will test the water quality to determine the health of an ecosystem.
● Each program is taught for a class with at least 10 students.
● All programs include plenty of time outdoors. So please prepare proper clothing, sunscreen and
insect killers for children.
● To take part in a program , please email dcprograms@mdc.mo.gov.
【小題1】What can kids do at Becoming Bears?

A．Watch bears’ performances.

B．Take care of bears

C．Dress up as baby bears to learn about bears.

D．Learn how to survive a bear attack.

【小題2】Kids who are interested in plants will choose______________.

A．Winged Wonders	B．Exploring your Watershed
C．Becoming Bears	D．Whose Clues?

【小題3】According to the passage, all the four programs _____________.

A．have the same teaching hours

B．have outdoor activities

C．a(chǎn)re offered during summer holidays

D．a(chǎn)re designed for primary school students

We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming(把……按能力分班) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all，it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade！
Besides, it is rather unreal to grade pupils just according to their intellectual(智力的) ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.
In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to deal with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively in order to have the ability to become leaders. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.
Sometimes the pupils work in pairs；sometimes they work on individual tasks , and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is suitable. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work：it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.
【小題1】We can know from the passage that the author’ s attitude towards “mixed-ability teaching”  is______.

A．a(chǎn)pproving

B．disapproving

C．questioning

D．inactive

【小題2】The underlined words “held back” in Paragraph 1 probably means “______”.  

A．drawn to their studies	B．forced to study in the lower classes
C．made to remain in the same classes	D．prevented from advancing

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in the third paragraph?

A．Pupils also learn to develop their reasoning abilities.

B．Pupils also learn how to participate in teaching activities

C．Group work gives pupils the chance to learn to work together with others.

D．Group work supply pupils with the chance to learn to be good organizers.

【小題4】The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ______.

A．offer advice on the proper use of the library

B．recommend pair work and group work for classroom activities

C．a(chǎn)rgue for teaching bright and not-so-bright pupils in the same class

D．tell us the importance of proper formal classroom teaching

Over 60﹪of pupils in South African schools choose English for learning and teaching, but only 7﹪of pupils speak English as their home language, a recent South Africa survey shows.
Out of the country’s 12.2 million pupils only 851,536 speak English at home, yet 7.6 million pupils choose English as their favorite language of learning and teaching. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language, spoken by over 3.1 million pupils. However, less than a third of them choose to be taught in Zulu. The same thing is true of Pedi-speaking pupils, only a third of such pupils choosing to be taught in their home language. Besides English,
Afrikaans is the only language that has more pupils choosing it as their language of instruction than it has pupils who speak it at home. In primary schools, most pupils will choose African languages. As early as grade four, many would choose English or Afrikaans in their lessons.
The rising number of English-learning pupils is mainly caused by social and cultural reasons. English is the most common spoken language in official and public life in South Africa, the survey reports. In April 2011, the leaders of higher education and training said that they would take some steps to improve the university teaching and prevent the continuing decline of African languages. They suggested that in future every South African university student could be required to learn at least one African language in order to complete their studies at school.
【小題1】 We can learn from the passage that most South African pupils__________.

A．speak English both at home and at school

B．a(chǎn)re required to learn two languages at school

C．choose English as their primary school language

D．a(chǎn)re expected to speak their native language at home.

【小題2】 It can be inferred from the passage that__________________.

A．Afrikaans is the most popular home language in South Africa

B．it’s easier for South African pupils to learn Afrikaans at school.

C．the number of South African pupils learning Afrikaans has increased

D．many South African pupils use Afrikaans at school instead of at home.

【小題3】 The underlined word “decline” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “_________”.

A．going downhill

B．spreading widely

C．growing upwards

D．developing further

【小題4】 What is the survey in the passage mainly about?

A．The use of native languages in South African families.

B．The language choice and use among South African pupils.

C．The progress in South Africa’s language teaching education

D．The spread of English at schools in South Africa.

International students studying in the UK
The UK has a long history of welcoming international students to study in its universities and colleges. In the UK last year there were over 104,000 international students. Choosing which university or college to go to was like a life-changing decision. Do as much research as possible so that you choose the right course for the right reason.
How to apply for higher education
All applications for higher education courses are made using our online application system, which is available 24 hours a day. You fill in the application form online and it does not need to be completed all at once. Please see the When to Apply page to check the dates by which we should receive your completed application.
Choosing a higher education course to study
Try to do a lot of research when deciding which courses to apply for. You will probably want to find out even more before you accept an offer of a place on a course. When you accept an offer of a place, make sure that all of your questions have been answered. Ask teachers if there is anything to prepare before the course starts. They may suggest that you look at certain books on the course reading list or that you improve your computer skills.
Other help and advice
Unistats is a website that can help you to research subjects and universities before deciding where to apply. You can compare subjects, compare universities and explore useful information about getting a job after graduation. Unistats has statistical (統(tǒng)計(jì)的) information on universities, colleges, subjects and teaching style.
Yougo is a student-only networking site where you can meet other applicants online and talk about what you hope to study and the university you hope to attend.
If you have any questions, please call us at 0044-330-333-0230.
【小題1】One who wants to get into a university in the UK________.

A．must have a good reason to study abroad

B．can make an application on the Internet

C．should create more learning programs

D．will be asked to send a plan to a teacher

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that it is a wise idea to ________.

A．learn basic computer skills in the UK when possible

B．get to know as many teachers as possible in the UK

C．do much research before choosing a college major

D．borrow certain books before going abroad to study.

【小題3】Unistats is a website that works to help students ________.

A．select the best university and subject

B．meet other teenage students online

C．study further after finishing a course

D．compare colleges at home and abroad

【小題4】What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To give information about higher education in the UK.

B．To describe the types of universities across the UK.

C．To introduce the UK education system to students.

D．To attract international students to study in the UK.

This year’s Newsweek list of the top 100 high schools shows that today those with fewer students are rising.
Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek Top School List based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22.
Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern high schools outside the cities with thousands of students. Big schools meant economic efficiency, a greater choice of courses, and better football teams. But only years later did we understand that it involved the difficulty of strengthening personal connections between teachers and students. SAT scores began dropping; on average, 30% of students did not complete high school in four years, a figure that rose to 50% in poor city neighborhoods. High schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.
Size isn’t everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable trend toward smaller schools. This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools — most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment（招生）of only 150 students per grade. About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred.
Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California, is one of those ranking No.423 — among the top 2% in the country. In 2003, Hillsdale remade itself into three “houses”. 300 students arriving ninth graders are randomly assigned to one of the houses, where they will keep the same four subject teachers for two years before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents. Along with the new structure came the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95. “Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them.” says Jeff Gilbert.
But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.
Ranking schools is always controversial. Over the years this system has been criticized for its simplicity — list of top U.S. high schools was made merely according to the percentage of students taking college-level exams. This year a group of 38 superintendents (地區(qū)教育主管) from five states wrote to voice their disapproval. “It is impossible to know which high schools are ‘the best’ in the nation,” their letter read. “Determining whether different schools do or don’t offer a high quality of education requires a look at many different measures, including students’ overall academic accomplishments, their later performance in college, and taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities.”
【小題1】What can we learn about the schools sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation?

A．They are often located in poor neighborhoods.

B．They are popular with high-achieving students.

C．They are mostly small in size.

D．Another 150 schools invested by the Foundation are planned to be set up.

【小題2】According to Jeff Gilbert, the classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could ______.

A．enjoy more help and care from the teachers

B．experience a great deal of pleasure in learning

C．maintain closer relations with parents

D．deal with the demanding biology and physics courses

【小題3】Newsweek ranks high schools according to ______.

A．their students’ academic achievement

B．the number of their students admitted to college

C．the size and number of their graduating classes

D．their college-level test participation

【小題4】What attitude does the author have towards the present trend in high school education?

A．Subjective.

B．Objective.

C．Approving.

D．Disapproving.

【小題5】 Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Providing Good Education for Baby Boomers

B．Top School List Winning National Support

C．Small Schools Rising in popularity

D．Students Meeting Higher Academic Standards

I am a psychologist. I first met Timothy, a quiet, overweight eleven-year-old boy, when his mother brought him to me to discuss his declining grades. A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that his self-esteem(自尊) and general happiness were falling right along with them. I asked about Timothy’s typical day. He awoke every morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home around four thirty each afternoon. He then had a quick snack, followed by either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor. He finished dinner at 7 pm, and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours. Quickly doing the math in my head, I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a day at a writing desk.
What if Timothy spent thirteen hours a day at a sewing machine instead of a desk? We would immediately be shocked, because that would be called children being horribly mistreated. Timothy was far from being mistreated, but the mountain of homework he faced daily resulted in a similar consequence —he was being robbed of his childhood. In fact, Timothy had no time to do anything he truly enjoyed, such as playing video games, watching movies, or playing board games with his friends.
Play, however, is a crucial part of healthy child development. It affects children’s creativity, their social skills, and even their brain development. The absence of play, physical exercise, and free­from social interaction takes a serious toll on many children. It can also cause significant health problems like childhood obesity, sleep problems and depression.
Experts in the field recommend the minutes children spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their grade level. As a fifth­grader, Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes a day of homework (instead of three times that amount). Having an extra two hours an evening to play, relax, or see a friend would soundly benefit any child’s life quality.
【小題1】What does the underlined word “them” in the first paragraph probably refer to?

A．Timothy’s parents.	B．Timothy’s grades.
C．Psychologists.	D．The students.

【小題2】What did the writer think of Timothy after learning about his typical day?

A．Timothy was very hard­working.

B．Timothy was being mistreated.

C．Timothy had a heavy burden.

D．Timothy was enjoying his childhood.

【小題3】Which of the following statements best describes the writer’s opinion?

A．Children should be allowed enough time to play.

B．Playing board games works better than playing video games.

C．The more they play, the more creative children will become.

D．The depression caused by homework makes children unwilling to play.

【小題4】According to the passage, how long should a third­grader spend a day doing homework?

A．About ten minutes.

B．No more than twenty minutes.

C．No more than thirty minutes.

D．About fifty minutes.