PASSAGE TWO

For various reasons, some college students have to pay for their tuition by student loans. Do you think it's a good way to support your college life? Read the excerpt carefully and write your response in NO LESS THAN 300 WORDS, in which you should; 1. summarize briefly the author's opinion about student loans; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks. Write your article on ANSWER SHEET FOUR. Excerpt Student loans are one of the top ways that students pay for college. It has become a fact of life in the American higher education system, but most borrowers don't understand the risks. Student loans can be a great way to fund a higher education, but they are also one of the worst types of debt for borrowers. If you're planning to borrow for college (or planning to help your students borrow for college) , you need to really understand these key fundamentals of student loan debt, and run the calculation below. This will help you make sure that student loans are good debt for you, and don't spiral into a financial nightmare for you. When Student Loans Are Good Debt Student loans are good debt when they help you improve your financial future. Remember, education is an investment, and you want to make sure that you're getting a solid return on your investment. If going to college helps you earn more, it is usually a good debt. On average, getting a college degree will see your initial earnings jump at least 25% compared to high school graduates. The gap from high school to college graduate earnings is obvious. But it goes beyond that: it's not just going to college that can boost earnings, but it's also about choosing an appropriate degree. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, engineers have the highest starting salary among college graduates, earning on average $62,062 in their first year. In contrast, humanities and social science majors have the lowest starting salary, just $37,791. That's almost a $25,000 difference between starting salaries, and it starts to paint the picture of where student loans stop being good debt. If you're going to take out student loans, the first goal should be to maximize the return on your investment. That means getting the highest salary possible for the lowest amount of student loan debt. How Student Loans Become Bad Debt Failing to keep this simple equation in mind is how student loans quickly become bad debt. Remember, a student loan is a mortgage on your future earnings. When you buy a house, the collateral for the loan is the house. When you buy a car, the collateral for the loan is the car. If you don't repay these loans, the lender simply takes the house or the car. But when you borrow with student loans, the collateral is your future earnings. If you don't repay your student loans, the government will take your future earnings. You may have seen the stories of borrowers who've had their tax refunds taken to pay their student loans, or even had their social security checks taken to repay their student loans. The bottom line is, if you don't repay your student loan debt, the government will take your earnings and repay the debt for you. The only way to prevent this situation is to avoid taking on too many student loans from the start. If the starting salary isn't going to be high enough, it's simply not worth pursuing the degree to go into debt. While that may hurt when you're 18, it will save you from decades of financial pain later in life.

Passage Three

Ubiquitous, addictive and transformative, smartphones become a necessity of our daily lives. Along with the conveniences smartphones bring us, worries about the negative effects of them have never stopped. In the following excerpt, the author gives his views on smartphones. Read the excerpt carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the author's opinion; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks. Planet of the Phones The dawn of the planet of the smartphones came in January 2007, when Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, in front of a rapt audience of Apple acolytes, brandished a slab of plastic, metal and silicon not much bigger than a Kit Kat. "This will change everything," he promised. For once there was no hyperbole. Just eight years later Apple's iPhone exemplifies the early 21st century's defining technology. Smartphones matter partly because of their ubiquity. They have become the fastest-selling gadgets in history, outstripping the growth of the simple mobile phones that preceded them. They outsell personal computers four to one. Today about half the adult population owns smartphones; by 2020, 80% will. Smartphones have also penetrated every aspect of daily life. The average American is buried in one for over two hours every day. Asked which media they would miss most, British teenagers pick mobile devices over TV sets, PCs and games consoles. Nearly 80% of smartphone-owners check messages, news or other services within 15 minutes of getting up. The bedroom is just the beginning. Smartphones are more than a convenient route online, rather as cars are more than engines on wheels and clocks are not merely a means to count the hours. Much as the car and the clock did in their time, so today the smartphone is poised to enrich lives, reshape entire industries and transform societies—and in ways that Snap-chatting teenagers cannot begin to imagine. As with all technologies blessed by smartphones, this future conjures up a host of worries. Some, such as "text neck" (hunching over a smartphone stresses the spine) are surely transient. Others, such as dependency—smartphone users exhibit "nomophobia" when they happen to find themselves empty-handed—are a measure of utility as much as addiction. After all, people also hate to be without their wheels or their watch. The greater fear is over privacy. The smartphone turns the person next to you into a potential publisher of your most private or embarrassing moments. Many app vendors, who know a great deal about you, sell data without proper disclosure; mobile-privacy policies routinely rival "Hamlet" for length. And if leaked documents are correct, GCHQ, Britain's signals-intelligence agency, has managed to hack a big vendor of SIM cards in order to be able to listen in to people's calls. If spooks in democracies are doing this sort of thing, you can be sure that those in authoritarian regimes will, too. Smartphones will give dictators unprecedented scope to spy on and corral their unwilling subjects. By their nature, seminal technologies ask hard questions of society, especially as people adapt to them. Smartphones are no different. If citizens aren't protected from prying eyes, some will suffer and others turn their backs. Societies will have to develop new norms and companies learn how to balance privacy and profit. Governments will have to define what is acceptable. But in eight short years smartphones have changed the world—and they have hardly begun. Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

Not woman held a presidential cabinet position in the United States until 1933, when Frances Perkins became secretary of labor.

The following two excerpts are about the practice of renting boyfriends and girlfriends for the Chinese New Year. From the excerpts, you can find that there is some opposition to this practice.Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize the main ideas of both excerpts, and then 2. express your opinion towards the practice, especially whether it is a good way to solve the problems.Excerpt 1 Renting a girlfriend or boyfriend for the Chinese New Year and taking her or him to meet the parents, is a practice that reveals the dating difficulties some Chinese experience and it also indicates about some features of parent-child relationship in China. "Rent a girlfriend to take home for the new year", also translated more simply to "rent-a-date", is a hot topic in China for already a decade. This year, this practice seems to be discussed less compared to previous years, though this is not because the scope of the phenomenon has been reduced, but rather because few people are surprised by it. The term can be modified to "rent a boyfriend" instead, and "new year" could be replaced by other big holidays. This practice, as the name implies, is basically finding a date, who would be willing, for a decent salary, to accompany one to visit his parents during the holiday. The main reasons expressed when justifying this practice are located on the line between showing filial piety, making parents less worried, and avoiding their constant nagging for a change. These objectives are more intense in more "traditional" families, whereas early marriage is promoted, though evidence show that "rent-a-date" is also quite common in developed urban societies and even among the middle class. Being a single child in the modern society is quite a burden also when it comes to parents' marriage expectations.Excerpt 2 A booming market has emerged where women or men offer their services of being the perfect partner for a day. Renting a girlfriend or boyfriend for Chinese New Year has become a solution for many who don't want to face another year of annoying questions about their (non-existent) love life. While men looking for a fake girlfriend often have concerns about her trustworthiness and whether or not their parents will like her, the women offering their services also have their worries. One woman interviewed by People's Daily says that she first talks with potential clients to see what their expectations are. She makes it very clear that she will not share a bed with him, she says, as some customers have "inappropriate wishes". Renting a girlfriend for the holidays temporarily solves one problem. But since the most dreaded questions for Chinese New Year also include those on whether or not you own a car, have a house, got a raise, passed your exams, and are planning on children or are pregnant yet, we can only wonder if these kinds of Chinese New Year services will come to include more "fake it" until you make it possibilities. Rent a baby, anyone?

PASSAGE THREE

{{B}}PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION{{/B}}

AbstractsI. ABSTRACTSA. Descriptive abstract—【T1】_____ of work you completed or you are proposing【T1】______— Not a(n)【T2】_____, but a snapshot of the whole work【T2】______— Proposing: predict the paperB. Informative abstract— Also called【T3】_____ abstract【T3】______— Sometimes abstract is written before the paper is completed— Check the call for papers fora)Lengthb)【T4】_____【T4】______c)Publication arrangementC.【T5】_____ or prospectus【T5】______— Prospectus: a formal plan for the research— First part of a thesis or research project— To【T6】_____ relevant parties【T6】______D. Keeping promise— A promissory note— Some【T7】_____ from the promised topics is acceptable【T7】______II. WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE ABSTRACTA. Length— Usually【T8】_____ words【T8】______B. Contents— Rationale of the paper— Research methodology— Hypothesis—【T9】_____【T9】______— Title: informative and【T10】_____【T10】______— Body:a)don't repeat or rephrase【T11】_____ in the body of abstract【T11】______b)summarize thesis and conclusionsc)goals, approach and main findingsd)keep【T12】_____ to a minimum【T12】______C. Organization— begin with【T13】______【T13】______— identify the school of theory or【T14】_____【T14】______— conclusionD. Warning— keep technical terms and avoid overuse of【T15】_____【T15】______

Gaokao is China's national university admission test, which places heavy emphasis on foreign language study. However, the gaokao reform targeting at foreign language has commenced to change step by step. In the following excerpt, the author states the change and the concerns. Read the excerpt carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the different opinions about the issue; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks. As to gaokao, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has proposed fundamentally changing the foreign language requirement altogether by 2017. The MOE proposal would phase out English testing altogether and shift it over to other testing authorities who are not confined to the gaokao's usual, one-and-done approach. This would give students more opportunities to take the exam, including the option of taking it more than once, and further, allow for greater regional variation to better meet local needs and abilities. Unsurprisingly, these proposed reforms have generated a hot debate among various stakeholders. Many Chinese have a love-hate attitude toward gaokao, particularly its English component. On the one hand, while imperfect, gaokao has provided most people with a meritocratic means for determining who gets access to specific advantages. On the other hand, gaokao, even with regional variation, takes a one-size-fits-all approach and thus, is too reductive, too standardized, and in turn has fostered rote-based pedagogies. Further, the make-or-break consequences frequently associated with the exam mean that students, their families and their schools face intense and often harmful pressure to over-achieve. For many, this pressure is most acutely felt when faced with the foreign language requirement. Policymakers have other concerns as well. De-emphasizing the foreign language component will likely support expanding enrollments, therefore confronting the fact that most Chinese do not actually become bilingual, despite the tremendous amount of time and resources lavished on foreign language studies. Indeed, it is practically impossible to teach a foreign language the same way other subjects are taught, and further impossible to test it the same way as well without resulting in what is sometimes called "dumb English"—the ability to engage a standardized test but not to actually speak or comprehend it when they hear it. Indeed, what's the point of spending so much if the actual return is so little? Wouldn't funds be better spent on areas where higher returns might be realized, particularly if slowing economic growth rates require increasing thriftiness? Some are worried that such reforms might limit China's access and connection to international information and studies. This includes both Chinese people and foreign universities who have benefited from the fact that most overseas students in the world today are Chinese. Conversely, some worry that overemphasizing English diminishes Chinese studies and subjects to linguistic imperialism while providing direct conduits for foreign soft power operations. Others are concerned that overstretched primary and secondary school budgets will respond by sharply curtailing foreign language study, particularly in the provinces, while the major municipalities like Shanghai and Beijing—where China's top universities are located—will continue to teach English and require it for university admission. Also, while China's meteoric rise amid reform and opening up has resulted in less pressure to be "international", and while more foreigners than ever before are studying Chinese, English remains the global language and will likely remain so for a long time to come. Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

PASSAGE TWO

Analyzing FictionI. 【T1】______【T1】______— Arrangement of events toa)【T2】_____【T2】______b)Raise the level of generalityc)【T3】_____ the meaning【T3】______— Relation of events— No relation of eventsa)Poorly writtenb)Lack of relation is the【T4】_____ of the narrative【T4】______II. Character— Explore human experience— Represent particular【T5】_____ of human nature【T5】______— Represent conflicts, values and emotions— Contrasting or parallel characters III. Setting— Concrete and general settings— Have【T6】_____ significance【T6】______— Used in contrasting and【T7】_____ ways【T7】______IV. Narrator— See things from a certain point of view— External narratora)Objective and omniscient voiceb)Keep readers in a suspenseful or【T8】_____ relation【T8】______— Narrator within the storya)Tell the story in【T9】_____【T9】______b)Reliable or unreliable—【T10】_____ character【T10】______a)Not know he or she is a characterb)Unaware of the narration or the narratorV. Figurative language— Characterize the【T11】_____ and understanding of characters【T11】______— Establish thematic and tonal continuities and significanceVI. Representation of reality— Represent different aspects of reality in different ways— Concrete narrative: adhere to【T12】_____, represent daily events【T12】______— Represent spiritual aspect through【T13】_____ etc.【T13】______VII. World-view— Read fora)【T14】_____【T14】______b)World-viewc)Ideological assumptions— Use devices intentionally to present world-view— Readers should be aware ofa)World-view presentedb)Distances and similarities between fiction world and readers' worldc)Significances of what are【T15】_____ in the narrative【T15】______to represent human experience.

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PASSAGE FOUR

PASSAGE ONE

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The social development is asking more from both parents who have to take full-time jobs. This brings us the issue of "Latchkey Children". The following is an excerpt about this phenomenon. Read the excerpt carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the excerpt; 2. give your comment. Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks. Latchkey Children—Knock, Knock, Is Anybody Home? In the United States the cost of living has been steadily rising for the past few decades. Partly because of financial need, and partly because of career choices for personal fulfillment, mothers have been leaving the traditional role of full-time homemaker. Increasingly they have been taking salaried jobs outside of the home. Making such a significant role change affects the entire family, especially the children. Some consequences are obvious. For example, dinnertime is at a later hour. The emotional impact, on the other hand, can be more subtle. Mothers leave home in the morning, feeling guilty because they will not be home when their children return from school. They suppress their guilt since they believe that their working will benefit everyone in the long run. The income will enable the family to save for college tuition, take an extended vacation, buy a new car, and so on. The emotional impact on the children can be significant. It is quite common for children to feel hurt and resentful. After all, they are alone several hours, and they feel that their mothers should "be there" for them. They might need assistance with their homework or want to share the day's activities. All too often, however, the mothers arrive home exhausted and face the immediate task of preparing dinner. Their priority is making the evening meal for the family, not engaging in relaxed conversation. Latchkey children range in age from six to thirteen. On a daily basis they return from school and unlock the door to their home with the key hanging around their necks. They are now on their own, alone, in quiet, empty rooms. For some youngsters, it is a productive period of private time, while for others it is a frightening, lonely void. For reasons of safety, many parents forbid their children to go out to play or to have visitors at home. The youngsters, therefore, feel isolated. Latchkey children who were interviewed reported diverse reactions. Some latchkey children said being on their own for a few hours each day fostered a sense of independence and responsibility. They felt loved and trusted, and this feeling encouraged them to be self-confident. Some children stated that they used their unsupervised free time to perfect their athletic skills, such as playing basketball. Others read books or practiced musical instrument. These children looked upon their free time after school as an opportunity for personal development. It led to positive, productive, and valuable experiences. Conversely, many latchkey children expressed much bitterness, resentment, and anger for being made to live in this fashion. Many claimed that too much responsibility was placed on them at an early age; it was an overwhelming burden. They were little people who really wanted to be protected, encouraged, and cared for through attention from their mothers. Coming home to an empty house, they were disappointed, lonely, and often frightened. They felt abandoned by their mothers. Many children turned on the television for the whole afternoon day after day, in order to diminish feelings of isolation; furthermore, the voices were comforting. Frequently, they would doze off. Because of either economic necessity or strong determination for personal fulfillment, or both, the phenomenon of latchkey children is widespread in our society. Whatever the reason, it is a compelling situation with which families must cope. The question to ask is not whether or not mothers should work full-time. Given the reality of the situation, the question to ask is; how can an optimum plan be worked out to deal effectively with the situation? Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

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Xiamen University, one of the leading universities in China, began to ban tour groups from entering its campus. However, individual tourists are still allowed to enter the campus after registration. In order to prevent the large crowds of tourists from affecting their campus environment and teaching order, other universities have already taken similar measures. From the following two excerpts, you can find such move seems to have received both applause and criticism. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize the opinions from both sides, and then 2. express your opinion towards such move, especially whether tourists should be banned from campuses.Excerpt 1 It's better for universities to moderately open their tourism resources than to ban tourists outright. Campus tourism has pros and cons, and so how to balance tourism and academic work is key. Here, we stress moderation. Tourists should be allowed on campuses but campus resources must not be over occupied by tourist groups. If schools can properly make money from tourism to supplement their daily expenses, it's a win-win game. If university tours develop into a good project, students can have more opportunities to make money and even start their own businesses. Tourists will surely spend money on campus tours. Besides, students can also serve as tour guides to present schools' culture and history to the visitors. Tourism is in nature an economic activity. Universities can charge fees for campus tours, and this to some extent helps to improve the school's economic situation. Universities' fame and influence will be further expanded once campus tours are well developed. This is probably what all universities and colleges hope to see. With the expansion of college recruitment, the competition among universities is increasingly fierce. Thus, making themselves known and appreciated by more people will be very important for universities.Meanwhile, as a kind of public education resource, apart from educating students, universities also have certain social responsibilities. By opening to tourists, universities can help ordinary people pick up some scientific and cultural knowledge. Particularly, universities' resources are unused in holidays. At that time, it's a good idea to develop these prestigious universities into education bases, receiving visiting groups and tourist groups.Excerpt 2 Nowadays, some travel agencies list prestigious universities as tourist sites. University students and teachers are greatly disturbed. Take Wuhan University in central China's Hubei Province for example—the university is famous for its spring cherry blossoms and thus, when the flowers blossom, the campus always becomes overcrowded. Then the school decided to charge ticket fees, saying that the income would help the university to strengthen the management. This practice is unwise. To what extent can a 10-yuan ticket prevent people from entering the campus? How does the university spend their ticket income? Compared with Wuhan University, what Xiamen University has done is much more acceptable. Tour groups are banned from entering the campus, but individuals are still permitted to enter. If you want to feel the unique atmosphere of this beautiful university, you can go by yourself, instead of joining any tourist groups. Thus, students' normal life will not be interrupted and the school doesn't need to worry about how to keep the campus in order. Universities are not scenic spots, but places of learning. A peaceful environment for teaching and academic work is the basic requirement. Visitors are free to appreciate the beauty of this university, but the precondition is that they should not disturb those who are studying and teaching there.