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More students than ever before are taking a gap-year (间隔年) before going to university. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.
This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).
That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,” he said.
But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students(NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship –young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their
education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university with up to ￡15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.What do we learn about the gap year from the text?
| A．It is flexible in length. |
| B．It is a time for relaxation. |
| C．It is increasingly popular. |
| D．It is required by universities. |
According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year_________.
| A．arc better prepared for college studies |
| B．know a lot more about their future jobs |
| C．are more likely to leave university in debt |
| D．have a better chance to enter top universities |
What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?
| A．Attend additional courses. |
| B．Make plans for the new term. |
| C．Earn money for their education. |
| D．Prepare for their graduate studies. |
Why do we laugh and get amusement from so many different things，from puns (双关语) to pratfalls? Why are some things funny to some people and not to others? How is that while a successful joke can cause pleasure，a sick one can cause serious harm?
Over the centuries，various scholars have attempted to produce a universally agreed-upon theory of humor．Plato and Aristotle introduced the superiority(优越感) theory，the idea that people laugh at the misfortune of others．Their theory seems to explain teasing，but it doesn’t work well for knock-knock jokes．Sigmund Freud argued for his relief theory，the concept that humor is a way for people to release psychological tension and reveal their inner fears and desires．His theory works well for dirty jokes，less well for most puns．
The majority of humor expels today agree with the incongruity theory，the idea that humor arises when there’s a gap between what people expect to happen and what actually happens．Incongruity has a lot going for it — jokes with unexpected funny lines，for example，fit well．But scientists have found that in comedy，unexpectedness is overvalued．
With the goal of developing a new，more satisfactory explanation，I produced “the gentle violation(违背)theory”，the idea that humor arises when something seems wrong or threatening，but is actually OK or safe．A dirty joke，for example，trades on moral or social violations，but it’s only going to get a laugh if the person listening is open enough to consider the subject OK to talk about．Similarly，puns can be seen as linguistic violations that still make grammatical sense．
And while most humor theories have struggled to account for tickling (挠痒痒)，or just avoided the phenomenon altogether，my theory accounts for even this kind of laughter．Tickling involves violating someone’s physical space in a gentle way．People can’t tickle themselves — because it isn’t a violation．What is the author’s attitude towards Plato and Aristotle’s theory?
| A．Critical． | B．Approving | C．uncaring | D．Unclear |
According to Sigmund Freud’s theory，we can infer that __________ .
| A．people will laugh when they see others suffer |
| B．telling dirty jokes is a relief of one’s nervous feelings ’ |
| C．unexpectedness can explain how humor works |
| D．tickling doesn’t involve psychological tension |
According to the author，why are some things funny to some people but not to others?
| A．Because the sense of humor varies greatly from person to person． |
| B．Because people have different expectations for the same thing． |
| C．Because some people lack the sense of safety deep in their heart． |
| D．Because people’s understanding of violation is different． |
What is the author’s main purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To draw people’s attention to the research of humor． |
| B．To criticize people’s misconceptions about humor． |
| C．To explain what exactly causes people to laugh． |
| D．To prove the sense of humor can be developed． |
Coffee is a powerful beverage．On a personal level，it helps keep US awake and active．On a much broader level，it has helped shape our history and continues to shape our culture．
Coffee didn’t take off until the l400s when people figured out they could roast its seeds．By the l500s，the drink had spread to coffeehouses across the Arab world．Within another l50 years，it took Europe by storm．
“It actually had a major impact on the rise of business，” historian Mark Pendergrast says．Coffeehouses became a spot not just to enjoy a cup but to exchange ideas．The insurer Lloyd’s of London was founded hundreds of years ago in one of London’s 2,000 coffeehouses．Literature，newspapers and even the works of great composers like Bach and Beethoven were also spawned(涌现)in coffeehouses．
It is often said that after the Boston Tea Party of l773，when American colonists attacked British tea ships and threw boxes of tea into the harbor，Americans universally switched over to drinking coffee．In a letter John Adams wrote to his wife，Abigail，the Founding Father claims his love of tea but says he will have to learn to embrace coffee instead，because drinking tea had become a symbol of not loving the country．
For all the upsides coffee has brought the modern world，it also led to its fair share of downsides，too．Europeans carried coffee with them as they colonized various parts of the world，and this frequently meant they enslaved people in order to grow it．In Brazil — where slavery was legal until l888 — coffee plantations would use slash-and-burn agriculture，tearing down rain forests and planting coffee trees．Once the soil had been exhausted，growers would move on to another place．
And yet，coffee，as Pendergrast says，”had a very good impact in many ways on our civilization，even though it was，for a long time，grown by slaves．”Why did people enjoy going to coffeehouses?
| A．Because it was a fashion to drink coffee． |
| B．Because coffeehouses provided a better flavor． |
| C．Because they could stay awake and active there． |
| D．Because they could exchange ideas there． |
What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
| A．American colonists made great profits by trading in coffee． |
| B．Tea was regarded as a symbol of loving one’s country． |
| C．Coffee became very popular after the incident in Boston． |
| D．John Adams was the Founding Father of the Tea Party． |
In the fifth paragraph．the writer points out that __________ .
| A．Coffee plantation was closely connected with slavery |
| B．coffee plantation led to outdated agriculture in Brazil |
| C．slavery in Brazil had been against the law until l888 |
| D．slavery was responsible for the damage to rainforests |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
| A．Some interesting stories about coffee culture． |
| B．Important Roles that coffee played in history． |
| C．How coffee became the most popular beverage． |
| D．How coffee affected America’s independence． |
It is hard to imagine that such a small country，the size of Indiana with the population of Alaska，tucked in the Himalaya Mountains，accessible only by two airplanes，is the “Happiest Country’’ in the world and has one of the fastest growing GDP’S in the world．This country is Bhutan，“Land of the Thunder Dragon”，which is located in South Asia and is encompassed by India，China，and Nepal．
Bhutan is the last standing Buddhist Kingdom in the World and，until recently，has preserved much of their culture since the l7th century by avoiding globalization and staying isolated from the world．Internet，television，and western dress were banned from the country up until ten years ago．Over the past ten years globalization has begun to change in Bhutan，but things remain perfectly balanced．
Bhutan is the only country in the world that has a ‘GNH’，which refers to “Gross National Happiness．’’The process of measuring GNH began when Bhutan opened up to globalization．It measures people’s quality of life，and makes sure that “material and spiritual development happen together．”Bhutan has done an amazing job of finding this balance．Bhutan has continually been ranked as the happiest country in all of Asia，and the eighth Happiest Country in the world according to Business Week．In 2007，Bhutan had the second fastest growing GDP in the world，at the same time as maintaining their environment and cultural identity．
In 2008，in Bhutan’s first democratic election，28-year-old Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wang Chuck was elected president of Bhutan．He promises to “maintain a stance （立场)of protection against the worst aspects of globalization，maintaining the ‘Gross National Happiness’．”But Jigme himself is no stranger to globalization．He attended high school at Phillips Academy and university at Wheaton College and then graduated from Oxford．The underlined word “encompassed’’ in the first paragraph most probably means __________ .
| A．covered | B．surrounded |
| C．separated | D．guarded |
Why is Bhutan regarded as “the happiest country”?
| A．Because it changes its policy and begins to open up． |
| B．Because it uses “GNH” to measure its achievement． |
| C．Because it stresses both material and spiritual development． |
| D．Because it has the second fastest growing GDP in the world． |
What Can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．The election in Bhutan is far from satisfactory． |
| B．Globalization has influenced Bhutan’s religion． |
| C．Jigme’s educational background will cause distrust． |
| D．People in Bhutan will continue living a happy life． |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry's highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars．Can anyone tell me your ideas about this movie? —— GreatMartin
“12 Years a Slave is a surprisingly underwhelming movie．It is more of a string of picture about several heartless and evil white men(and women)who are just mean without the motivation of running a plantation on their minds．There is very little character development and most of the film relies on what the audience already knows and feels about slavery．” 一一GeminiJef
‘‘Never have I been stunned into an emotional silence after watching a film in the theater．I've come out of films before thinking” My god，that was unbelievable”，like when I saw The Lord of the Rings for the first time，but this film just hits you on another level entirely．You sit there after it’s over，wondering if what you’d just experienced was real．The day after．you feel the same．”一一Pauljohnson
“This movie is just an average movie about slavery．Are you kidding me，segregation movies are a dime a dozen and this movie beat out Gravity for Golden Globes? Gravity has never been done before．12 Years a Slave I watched once and will never watch again．I watched Gravity 5 times and still love it．’’一一Dominionator
“This movie was realistic and engaging at every second．Even the dramatic pauses were worthwhile and definitely not a waste of time．The script inferred and hinted at events rather than just plain saying them，and that was genius．Outstanding photography，amazing special effects and the acting is top notch．There were a few people that walked out during some scenes．What a shame!” 一一ApolsThe main purpose of GreatMartin’s writing is __________ .
| A．to give a brief introduction of the movie |
| B．to share his own opinions with others |
| C．to invite answers to his question |
| D．to explain why he asks the question |
The underlined word “stunned’’ in the third paragraph probably means __________ .
| A．puzzled | B．shocked | C．disappointed | D．concerned |
Among the four speakers，who made positive comments on the movie?
| A．GeminiJef and Pauljohnson | B．Pauljohnson and Dominionator |
| C．GeminiJef and Dominionator | D．Pauljohnson and Apols |
Which of the following best states Pauljotmson’s ideas about l2 Years a Slave?
| A．It leaves little room for character development． |
| B．It reaches the height of The Lord of the Rings． |
| C．It doesn’t deserve such high praise． |
| D．It amazes the audience with its special effects． |
In December of l 992．I was a happy husband and father of two young children．A month later，I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia(急性白血病)．
After two years of chemo(化疗)that helped control the disease，my body was weak and lifeless．I felt as if I were a puppet who needed help to lift his arms or hold up his head．
I began to run．After six months my strength had come back．On one of my runs，one where I felt I could run forever，I decided I was going to try to run a marathon．
After telling my Dad about my plan，he told me of a program that trains people to run a marathon，while raising funds for Leukemia research at the same time．So that summer，through the Leukemia Society’s Team in Training program，I started to train for the Marine Corps Marathon．During mile after mile of uncertainty，the day finally came to run the marathon．
On October 27，1996，at 8 A．M．，along with l9,000 other brave souls I started on a 26.2-mile journey that I will never forget．
I first saw my wife Patty at the six-mile mark . She seemed happy that I was still looking as if I knew what I was doing，and having a good time doing it．At Mile l7，my mind was going back to those two horrible years that tried to bring my family and me down．I saw her again．The concern in her face told me she knew I was starting to struggle．I felt as if we were thinking the same，nine more miles and these last few years will be behind us．
That thought alone pulled me forward．Mile 22，23，slowing but going，24，25，then there it was．The Iwo Jima War Memorial．I have seen nothing so grand and inspiring in my life．Three hours and forty-one minutes after I started，I crossed what I think has to be the most fitting finish line in all of road racing!
That night the Leukemia Society gave me a pin at a post-race party that simply says，“Leukemia 26.2”．
If God wills，my cancer may once again take away my hair and my strength，maybe even my life．But it can never take away my pin，or the fact that I am a marathoner .The writer decided to run a marathon because __________ .
| A．he wanted to raise money for Leukemia research |
| B．he believed he was able to take the challenge |
| C．he hoped to recover his strength through training |
| D．his dad knew about the race and made the suggestion |
Which statement is RIGHT about the writer?
| A．He has always been dreaming of becoming a marathoner． |
| B．The training he took that summer well prepared him for the race． |
| C．Those running in the race were mostly Leukemia patients like him . |
| D．His wife was with him during the marathon to give him support． |
Why does the writer think the finish line is the most fitting?
| A．Because running a marathon is the most suitable sport for him． |
| B．Because the memorial is the most powerful construction he has seen． |
| C．Because he considers it a victory over his disease to finish the race． |
| D．Because 26.2 miles is the most reasonable distance for road racing． |
Which of the following can best describe the writer?
| A．Optimistic and outspoken | B．Strong-willed and determined |
| C．Generous and easy-going | D．Brave and warm-hearted |
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