BPart B/B

Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingchart.Inyourwriting,youshould1)describethechart,and2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150words.

In spite of "endless talk of difference," American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. There is" the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference" characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into " a culture of consumption" launched by the 19th-century department stores that offered " vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite," these were stores" anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act. The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization. Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today's immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9. 8 percent of population; in 1990, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation—language, home ownership and intermarriage. The 1990 Census revealed that "a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke English 'well' or 'very well' after ten years of residence. "The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. "By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families." Hence the description of America as a "graveyard" for languages. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born Americans. Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics "have higher rates of intermarriage than do U. S. -born whites and blacks." By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians. Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet" some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation's assimilative power. " Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America's turbulent past, today's social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.

BSection I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D./B

BSection I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D./B

Britain"s private schools are one of its most successful exports. The children of the wealthy【C1】______to them, whether from China, Nigeria or Russia: the number of foreign pupils rose by 1.4% in the last year alone. 【C2】______foreign students, whether educated in British private schools or elsewhere, are decreasingly likely to go to English universities. According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, 307,200【C3】______students began their studies in the country in 2012-13, down from 312,000 two years earlier and the first【C4】______in 29 years. Student numbers from the rest of the EU fell—【C5】______a result of the increase in annual tuition【C6】______in England from ￡6,000 a year to ￡9,000. But【C7】______from India and Pakistan declined most sharply. 【C8】______the visa regime for private schools, which is extremely【C9】______(the Home Office counts private schools as favored sponsors), student visas have been tightened. Foreign students used to be allowed to work for up to two years after graduating. They now have only four months to find a job paying upwards of ￡20,600 if they want to stay in Britain. This change was【C10】______to deal with sham colleges that were【C11】______offering two-year work visas. But it seems to have put【C12】______serious students too. Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute says the government has sent unclear messages about the sort of immigration it wants to【C13】______. An emphasis on holding down net immigration discourages young Indians and Pakistanis in particular. Australia and America, which have more【C14】______entry criteria for students, are becoming more favored【C15】______. Colin Riordan, Cardiff University"s vice-chancellor, adds that Britain"s student-visa regime has become more burdensome and complicated【C16】______. As a result, Britain is losing out to other countries in the【C17】______for talent—an odd thing,【C18】______how often the prime minister bangs on about the "global race". Its unwelcoming stand will【C19】______its long-term prospects. And the【C20】______of foreign students from leading British private schools to American colleges may have another, somewhat happier, consequence: America might become rather better at cricket.

BSection II Reading Comprehension/B

Directions:Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingcharts.Inyourwriting,youshould1)describethefollowingdiagrams,and2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150words.

BSection II Reading Comprehension/B

The early retirement of experienced workers is seriously harming the U.S. economy, according to a new report from the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Currently, many older experienced workers retire at an early age. According to the recently issued statistics, 79 percent of qualified workers begin collecting retirement benefits at age 62; if that trend continues, there will be a labor shortage that will hinder the economic growth in the twenty-first century. Older Americans constitute an increasing proportion of the population, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, and the population of those over age 65 will grow by 60% between 2001 and 2020. During the same period, the group aged 18 to 44 will increase by only 4%. Keeping older skilled workers employed, even part time, would increase U.S. economic output and strengthen the tax base; but without significant policy reforms, massive early retirement among baby boomers seems more likely. Retirement at age 62 is an economically rational decision today. Social Security and Medicaid earnings limits and tax penalties subject our most experienced workers to marginal tax rates as high as 67%. Social Security formulas encourage early retirement. Although incomes usually rise with additional years of work, any pay increases after the 35-year mark result in higher social Security taxes but only small increases in benefits. Hudson Institute researchers believe that federal tax and benefit policies are at fault and reforms are urgently needed, but they disagree with the popular proposal that much older Americans will have to work because Social Security will not support them and that baby boomers are not saving enough for retirement. According to the increase in 401 (k) and Keogh retirement plans, the ongoing stock market on Wall Street, and the likelihood of large inheritances, there is evidence that baby boomers will reach age 65 with greater financial assets than previous generations. The Hudson institute advocates reforming government policies that now discourage work and savings, especially for older worker. Among the report's recommendations; Tax half of all Social Security benefits, regardless of other income; provide 8% larger benefits for each year beyond 65; and permit workers nearing retirement to negotiate compensation packages that may include a lower salary but with greater healthcare benefits. However, it may take real and fruitful planning to find the right solution to the early retirement of older experienced workers; any measures taken must be allowed to prolong the serviceability of older experienced workers.

BPart ADirections: Write a composition/letter of no less than 100 words on the following information./B

BSection III Writing/B

While we've known for some time about the many long-term benefits of exercise, new research shows aerobic exercise also may have considerable effects on aging and brain health in the short term. A new study says exercise can help older adults improve their memory and overall cognitive health as they【C1】______. Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth studied a group of 37 adults ages 57 to 75【C2】______inactive lifestyles. They were【C3】______two groups, one control group and one physically active group. The fitness group spent one hour a day, three times a week, either bicycling or jogging【C4】______the course of 12 weeks. Each participant was【C5】______before, after and halfway through the study on their overall brain【C6】______and the fitness level of heart and blood vessel. At all three checkpoints, the group that was physically active was found to have higher blood flow in the brain and also improved memory. Researchers【C7】______this to increased blood flow in certain regions of the brain concerning memory. "Science has shown that aging【C8】______mental efficiency and memory decline is the number one cognitive【C9】______of older adults," lead author Sandra Bond Chapman said in a statement. "This research shows the【C10】______benefit of aerobic exercise on a person's memory and demonstrates that aerobic exercise can reduce both the biological and cognitive【C11】______of aging." There are hundreds of benefits of exercise at any age【C12】______. for older adults, the affects are especially astonishing. Another study in 2006 showed that exercise not only improved brain performance but【C13】______increased brain volume in older adults. Researchers say the best part about the【C14】______findings is that aerobic exercise is low-cost and accessible to anyone,【C15】______is packed with benefits. Exercise can help lower blood pressure, help【C16】______your hormone levels, and even shorten hot flashes. But to【C17】______maximum benefits from an exercise regime, Chapman says it's important to also get plenty of mental stimulation. "To think we can【C18】______and improve the basic structure of the【C19】______brain through aerobic exercise and complex thinking should【C20】______us to challenge our thinking and get moving at any age," Chapman said.

BPart BDirections: Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following information./B

BPart CDirections: Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese./B

Suppose your younger sister is going to the United States for further education. Write an affidavit of support for her to 1) state that you will financially support her, and 2) give the evidence of your financial resources. You should write about 100 words. Do not use your own name. Use "Li Ming" instead. Do not write your address.

Big companies swallow little ones every day. So the【C1】______on March 25th by Yahoo (annual revenue, $5 billion) of Summly, a British start-up (annual revenue, zero), for a reported $30m would normally【C2】______merely a shrug of the shoulders and some muttering about the【C3】______economics of the internet. The deal is worth noting,【C4】______, for two reasons. One is that Summly's founder, Nick d'Aloisio, is only 17: this summer he will be sitting his【C5】______like other teenagers. He invented an iPhone app to【C6】______articles in 300-400 characters, ideal for the smartphone-user wondering what he should【C7】______reading. Li Ka-shing, a Hong Kong telecoms tycoon, invested money in the【C8】______, having got wind of an early version of the app after tech blogs wrote about it, Mr d'Aloisio says. Famous actors, artists and entrepreneurs have also【C9】______in, taking the sum outsiders invested in Summly to $1.5m. Mr d'Aloisio says that he remained the largest shareholder. The second reason is that Summly is just the latest of half a dozen start-ups【C10】______by Yahoo in as many months. The internet company has also bought Stamped, Alike and Jybe, which built apps for personalized recommendations of,【C11】______other things, books, food and music; OnTheAir, a video-chat company; and Snip.it, which created an app for managing and sharing articles. Marissa Mayer, Yahoo's boss since July, says she is【C12】______make the company a stronger force on smartphones and tablets. Yahoo was born on the desktop, but【C13】______Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook, points out Thomas Husson of Forrester, a research firm, it【C14】______a mobile platform, such as an operating system or social network, through which to provide its【C15】______. Yahoo, says Mr Husson, "will have to go through the【C16】______platforms to maximize reach". On mobile devices, thinks Mr Husson, personalized content will be especially【C17】______. The companies bought by Yahoo have all been trying to provide【C18】______that. Ms Mayer, who has also improved Yahoo's news and e-mail apps in recent months, has neither time nor money to【C19】______. Had she waited until Mr d'Aloisio left school, it might have been too【C20】______.

BPart ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D./B

To master the violin takes 10,000 hours of practice. Put in that time and【C1】______will follow. This, at least, is what many music teachers tell their pupils. Psychologists are more【C2】______. Some agree practice truly is the thing that【C3】______experts from beginners, but others suspect genes play a role, too, and that【C4】______the right genetic make-up even 20,000 hours of practice would be pointless. A study just published in Psychological Science, by Miriam Mosing of the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden, suggests that the skeptics are【C5】______. Practicing music without the right genes to【C6】______that practice up is【C7】______useless. Dr Mosing drew her【C8】______in a time-honored way—by studying twins. She and her colleagues【C9】______1,211 pairs of identical twins (who share all their genes) and 1,358 pairs of fraternal twins (who share half). They asked each participant【C10】______he or she played a musical instrument or actively【C11】______singing. Those who did were asked to【C12】______how many hours a week they had practiced at different ages. From this Dr Mosing was able to calculate a【C13】______for each individual's lifetime practice. Anyone who did not play an instrument or sing got no point. Next, Dr Mosing tested her volunteers' musical a-bilities. Expert musicians are exceptionally good at【C14】______differences in pitch, melody and rhythm. She therefore expected to find that if someone had put in【C15】______practice time his musical ability would be as high as an expert's. But that was not true. In fact, there appeared to be no【C16】______between practice and musical ability of the sort she was measuring. A twin who practiced more than his genetically identical co-twin did not appear to have better musical abilities as a result. In one case the difference between two such twins was 20,228 hours of practice,【C17】______the pair's measured musical abilities were found to be the same. That is not to say practice has no【C18】______. Playing an instrument and singing are physical skills, and do take a long time to【C19】______. And Dr Mosing has shown that musical ability has a big genetic【C20】______.

In this section, you are asked to write an essay based on the following information. Make comments and express your own opinion. You should write at least 150 words. 一些人认为高校应该提供更多关于流行音乐、电影、广告和电视节目等课程，因为当代文化比以前的艺术和文学与学生关系更加紧密。你的观点是什么?