What do you do if you don’t get into your first choice of university? That’s the dilemma that faces thousands of British students every year.
Many candidates turn to Clearing, the service that helps find university places for students at the last moment. If they don’t have the marks to get into their first choice of institution, Clearing tells them about places available at other universities, though they might have to read another subject.  
But this year has seen a record number of people applying to university. This, combined with the weak economy, an uncertain job market and budget cuts at universities, means that there's been even more of a scramble for places than usual. Some sources say six students have applied for each remaining undergraduate university place.
The British university admissions service, UCAS, says up to a quarter of this year’s university applicants --- almost 190,000 people --- still don’t have a place on a degree course. That’s a rise of over 46,000 students from last year.
Faced with these figures, some British students might be thinking of an interesting alternative: studying abroad. The University of Nottingham, for example，is offering places at its campuses in Ningbo, near Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Students here can gain University of Nottingham degrees in business, accounting, engineering and English. Similarly, the University of Bolton says it has ‘unlimited’ places at its campus in the United Arab Emirates.
Given the problems getting into university, the UK’s Higher Education Minister, David Willetts, encourages students who haven't made the grade to consider alternatives to university, such as apprenticeships and studying at home.
"There are a range of options available," he says. "People are able to reapply. They should think how they can spend their year adding that bit to their CV, which would help their application --- getting practical work experience or extra skills --- anything that strengthens their chances next year."
But some experts say that rising university costs, poor long-term job prospects, and a drop in graduate recruitment mean it’s the worst time to be a university student in the UK.
【小題1】When the author says this year “there’s been more of a scramble for places” (Para. 3), he means_________________.

A．more people have applied to university

B．there is more competition between the candidates

C．there are more services that help find university places

D．more places are available

【小題2】According to UCAS, there are about ____university applicants this year.

A．190,000

B．46, 000

C．236, 000

D．760, 000

【小題3】David Willetts encourages students faced with the lack of places on a degree course _____.

A．to consider apprenticeships and studying at home

B．to study at campus outside the UK

C．to reapply next year

D．not to go to university in the UK

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT the reason that may make this year the worst time to enter university?

A．It costs more to study at university.

B．Long-term job prospects are worse.

C．Universities offer places in other countries.

D．There are fewer chances to do graduate study.

【小題5】According to the passage, what can students do if they don’t get into their first choice of university?

A．They can go to work in Clearing.

B．They can get practical work experience or skills and reapply next year.

C．They can spend the year writing a better CV.

D．They do graduate study at home.

Sam、David、Elisa、Ezra和Terry想通過(guò)選修某一門(mén)課程解決各自的問(wèn)題。閱讀下面六門(mén)選修課程的介紹（A、B、C、D、E和F），選出可以解答各自疑問(wèn)的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有一項(xiàng)是多余選項(xiàng)。

Sam: How can I develop the characters so as to make my story interesting?

David: When writing an essay, how can I make my points in a more organized manner?

Elisa: When I deliver a speech, how can I attract and hold the attention of the audience?

Ezra: How is our knowledge of the world formed in early childhood?

Terry: My English vocabulary is limited. How can I enlarge it more effectively?

A	B
Putting Ideas into Words (EL991-1A ) Here’s a challenge: what if writing could be more than just throwing words on a page? In this course, you’ll learn not only about different writing styles, but also about writing as a means of figuring out a problem and communicating your thought process to the world. This week-long workshop will explore the balance between self-expression and effective communication, offering a unique view into the world of academia (學(xué)術(shù)界). You’ll get the know-how of college writing, the rules that no student should live without. Comments will be given to students and you’ll make great progress in your writing if you take this course!	High School as a Social Laboratory: An Introduction to Sociology (SO902-3B) In this class, we’ll learn about broad sociological theories, but we’ll discuss those theories in relation to what sociologists have done before studying American high schools and youngsters. We’ll explore the issues such as gender, race, class, and violence in society at large, and the ways in which American high schools reflect those social issues. We’ll watch films and documentaries, such as “Mean Girls” and “Bowling for Columbine”, that make these connections, and you’ll write papers making these connections for yourself based on your own experiences.
C	D
Children’s Thinking (BI911-1B) This course will introduce students to children’s thinking. It will explore the ever-changing views on cognitive (認(rèn)知的), social and language development from newborns to middle childhood. Specific topics include: What do babies know about objects, numbers, categories and people? Why is language learning easier for children? What can we learn from children with developmental disorders? Through lectures, discussions, projects and in-class activities, students will gain an understanding of how scientists study children’s thinking and what their work has taught us.	Creative Writing Workshop (EL905-4A ) This course will excite young writers with many tools and approaches to the writing process in either fiction or poetry. It will inspire you to experiment with new writing techniques, such as how to describe a person, a scene, or a situation, etc. It is just for students who have a serious interest in creative writing, who are not afraid to experiment with structure, and who want to develop a daily writing practice. In the group writing classes, students will have the opportunity to explore both genres (體裁) whether enrolled in the poetry or fiction workshop.
E	F
The Secrets of Learning and Memory (BN901-3A) Individual memory abilities vary greatly. There are famous people with strong memories who can remember 5,000 playing cards in exact sequence, and others who cannot store any long-term memories, where each morning is a strange new world. And you may wonder how the brain manages to identify and sort memories into different types, then keep them from 5 seconds to a lifetime, waiting for a signal to recall them in great detail. Students completing this exciting course will gain useful knowledge of how the brain learns, remembers and forgets.	Persuasive Communication (TA905-1A) This course will introduce you to the arts of organization, style, and delivery to help make you a more confident and persuasive public speaker. You will deliver speeches to your classmates and receive detailed comments from both the teacher and one another. Lectures on developing outlines, coping with speaker anxiety, and making effective use of visual aids will help you improve your skills in public speaking. Building on these skills, the later part of the course will teach you how to prepare a persuasive message based on your individual interests and goals.

                                 

Students in America have to get required credits (學(xué)分) in order to graduate. The average workload at my school, Hotchkiss, is five courses. But at a school full of overachievers (成績(jī)超過(guò)預(yù)料的學(xué)生), it’s very common to see people taking six or more classes.   

I am currently taking six and half classes, including Advanced Placement (AP) Physics, Senior English, AP art, piano (with music history and theory), chorus, US history and AP economics. AP is the more advanced level of courses. It's usually equivalent to first year college courses.   

By taking the AP exams in May every year, high school students in America get credits for college. In the US, most science classes are designed for one year. For example, we are covering the same amount of material in my AP physics class as we did in three years in China. The difference is that here, we get a broad education without studying the subjects in depth. Because of the fast speed, students are expected to study more independently.   

Teachers won’t go through everything in class. But if you want to have an in-depth study of a subject, you could design your own independent study with an instructor.   

As part of our graduation requirements, every student not only has to take US history for one year but also has to write a research paper on a certain topic. Thus, during the whole winter term, my close friends became the library and five thick books on the historic meeting between US President Richard Nixon and Chairman Mao in 1972．My research paper turned out to be 13 pages long and I made a lot of note cards in the process of researching. We took classes on how to write scholarly essays, how to narrow down a topic, how to find sources and how to cite (引證) properly.

In America, academic honesty is considered incredibly important. Paraphrasing (改述) a scholarly work without proper citation (引用) is regarded as academic dishonesty and may get you into trouble with the school’s discipline committee.

1．What does the underlined word “equivalent” in the second paragraph mean?

       A．near                    B．equal                  C．opposite               D．certain

2．Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?

       A．American high school students spend only a year’s time studying physics as we do in

China.

       B．In American high schools, students are expected to study more by themselves.

       C．In American high schools teachers will explain everything clearly to students.

       D．In America, when it comes to a research paper, proper citation is not important.

3．From the passage we can infer that the author is a (an) ______ student.

       A．diligent                B．lazy                    C．excellent             D．clever

4．In the passage, the author mainly tells us about ______.

       A．the differences between American school life and Chinese school life.

       B．courses in American high schools

       C．graduation requirements for American high school students

       D．American school workload

How to Become a Top Student

Successful students use different techniques to study, which brings them more success.    71     Here are the four techniques almost all top-performing students use.

They are regular. Almost all successful students study regularly, because they know “what you give is what you get”. If you put in regular hours of studying, then you will learn more and get better grades.    72    This will help you to study regularly.

They have clear goals. All top-performing students have definite, specific goals.    73     They motivate you and drive you to study more. But make sure that you do not get carried away. Set realistic goals which can challenge you, but do not seem impossible or too difficult to achieve.

They study without strain (壓力). Successful students study a lot. But they study without putting strain on themselves. Most students make the mistake of studying too hard or studying continuously for a long time.    74    Studying should be done in a balanced manner. Take a break for a few minutes, after studying for 30 or 45 minutes. Relax, walk around your room or house, or drink some water and return to studying. Such short breaks will refresh your brain and you will learn more.

   75    Studying is not something you do just because your parents ask you to do it. It’s actually very important for you. Studying gives you knowledge and skills that will remain with you for the rest of your life. It gives you the ability to get a job and earn money. And successful students recognize the value of studying well. 

A. This creates tension and actually slows down learning and memory.

B. But to score A grade in English, you should make well-planned efforts.

C. Set aside some hours, each day or each week, for studying. 

D. Having such goals gives you a purpose to study better.

E. Learn their techniques, and you will also join their rank.

F. They finish their homework on time.

G. They give importance to study.

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。

How to Become a Top Student

Successful students use different techniques to study, which brings them more success.    1.     Here are the four techniques almost all top-performing students use.

They are regular. Almost all successful students study regularly, because they know “what you give is what you get”. If you put in regular hours of studying, then you will learn more and get better grades.    2.    This will help you to study regularly.

They have clear goals. All top-performing students have definite, specific goals.    3.     They motivate you and drive you to study more. But make sure that you do not get carried away. Set realistic goals which can challenge you, but do not seem impossible or too difficult to achieve.

They study without strain (壓力). Successful students study a lot. But they study without putting strain on themselves. Most students make the mistake of studying too hard or studying continuously for a long time.    4.    Studying should be done in a balanced manner. Take a break for a few minutes, after studying for 30 or 45 minutes. Relax, walk around your room or house, or drink some water and return to studying. Such short breaks will refresh your brain and you will learn more.

   5.    Studying is not something you do just because your parents ask you to do it. It’s actually very important for you. Studying gives you knowledge and skills that will remain with you for the rest of your life. It gives you the ability to get a job and earn money. And successful students recognize the value of studying well. 

A. This creates tension and actually slows down learning and memory.

B. But to score A grade in English, you should make well-planned efforts.

C. Set aside some hours, each day or each week, for studying. 

D. Having such goals gives you a purpose to study better.

E. Learn their techniques, and you will also join their rank.

F. They finish their homework on time.

G. They give importance to study.