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

(1) In 1823, Thomas Jefferson wrote: "I am not fully informed of the practices at Harvard, but there is one from which we shall certainly vary, although it has been copied, I believe, by nearly every college and academy in the United States. That is, the holding the students all to one prescribed course of reading, and disallowing exclusive application to those branches only which are to qualify them for the particular vocations to which they are destined We shall, on the contrary, allow them uncontrolled choice in the lectures they shall choose to attend, and require elementary qualification only, and sufficient age." Unfortunately, there is a steady push of students into the STEM subjects so they can get high-paying jobs when they are done. (2) This is college admissions decision season—a time when many young people have traditionally looked forward to an educational experience quite different from what they had (sometimes just endured) in high school. The days of checking off boxes to prove their worthiness to some future gatekeepers would be over. In college there might be requirements, but there would also be much more freedom, much more relevance, and much more intellectual excitement. (3) But the discourse about colleges and universities today is undermining these hopeful expectations. Everywhere one looks, from government statistics on earnings after graduation to a bevy of rankings that purport to show how to monetize your choice of major, the message to students is to think of their undergraduate years as an economic investment that had better produce a substantial and quick return. (4) There are good reasons for this. One is the scourge of student indebtedness. When students graduate with mountains of debt, especially from shady institutions graduating a small percentage of those who enroll, they can fall into a vicious cycle of poor choices and ever more limited horizons. They are collateral damage in a world of rising tuition. While the wealthiest families have been benefiting from enormous tax breaks, many states have dis-invested in public universities, putting great pressure on these institutions to collect tuition dollars. Middle-class and low-income students often borrow those dollars to pay the bills. And the bills grow ever greater as colleges raise tuition in part to meet the demands of rich families for campus amenities so that their children can live in the style to which they have grown accustomed. (5) But even students without the pressure of loans are being encouraged to turn away from "college as exploration" and toward "college as training." They hear that in today's fast-paced, competitive world, one can no longer afford to try different fields that might improve one's ability to interpret cultural artifacts or analyze social dynamics. Learning through the arts, one of the most powerful ways to tap into one's capacities for innovation is often dismissed as an unaffordable luxury. (6) Parents, pundits and politicians join in the chorus warning students not to miss the economic boat. Study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, they chant, or else you will have few opportunities. Other subjects will leave you a "loser" in our not-so-brave new world of brutal change. College, they insist, should be the place where you conform and learn to swim with this tide. (7) As president of a university dedicated to broad, liberal education, I both deplore the new conformity and welcome an increased emphasis on STEM fields. I've been delighted to see mathematics and neuro-science among our fastest growing majors, have supported students from under-represented groups who are trying to thrive in STEM fields, and have started an initiative to integrate design and engineering into our liberal arts curriculum. (8) Choosing to study a STEM field should be a choice for creativity not conformity. There is nothing narrow about an authentic education in the sciences. Indeed, scientific research is a model for the American tradition of liberal education because of the creative nature of its inquiries, not just the truth-value of its results. As in other disciplines (like music and foreign languages), much basic learning is required, but science is not mere instrumental training; memorizing formulae isn't thinking like a scientist. On our campus, some of the most innovative, exploratory work is being done by students studying human-machine interactions, using computer science to manipulate moving images to tell better stories, and exploring intersections of environmental science with economics and performance art. (9) Fears of being crushed by debt or of falling off the economic ladder are pressuring students to conform, and we must find ways to counteract these pressures or we risk undermining our scientific productivity as well as our broad cultural creativity. (10) I've heard it said that students today opt for two fields of study, one for their parents and one for themselves. Examples abound of undergraduates focusing on: economics and English; math and art; biology and theater. But we make a mistake in placing too much emphasis on the bifurcation. Many students are connecting these seemingly disparate fields, not just holding them as separate interests. And they are finding that many employers want them to develop these connections further. Exploration and innovation are not fenced in by disciplines and majors. Students who develop habits of mind that allow them to develop connections that others haven't seen will be creating the opportunities of the future. (11) When Thomas Jefferson was thinking through a new, American model of higher education, it was crucial for him that students not think they already knew at the beginning of their studies where they would end up when it was time for graduation. For him, and for all those who have followed in the path of liberal education in this country, education was exploration—and you would only make important discoveries if you were open to unexpected possibilities. About a century later W.E.B. Du Bois argued that a broad education was a form of empowerment not just apprenticeship. Both men understood that the sciences, along with the humanities, arts and social sciences had vast, integrative possibilities. (12) This integrative tradition of pragmatic American liberal education must be protected. We must not over-react to fears of being left behind. Yes, ours is a merciless economy characterized by deep economic inequality, but that inequality must not be accepted as a given; the skills of citizenship acquired through liberal learning can be used to push back against it. We must cultivate this tradition of learning not only because it is has served us well for so long, but because it can vitalize our economy, lead to an engaged citizenry and create a culture characterized by connectivity and creativity.

(1)Hemingway once wrote that courage is grace under pressure. But I would rather think with the 18th-century Italian dramatist, Vittorio Alfieri, that "often the test of courage is not to die but to live." For living with cancer engenders more than pressure; it begets terror. To live with it, to face up to it—that's courage. (2)Hope is our most effective "drug" in treating cancer. There is almost no cancer (at any stage)that cannot be treated. By instilling hope in a patient, we can help develop a positive, combative attitude to his disease. Illogical, unproven? Perhaps. But many doctors believe that this must become a part of cancer therapy if the therapy is to be effective. (3)I have had the joy of two beautiful and wonderful wives, the happiness of parenthood and the love of eight children. My work was constantly challenging and fulfilling. I have always loved music and books, ballet and the theater. I was addicted to fitness, tennis, golf, curling, hunting and fishing. Good food and wine graced my table. My home was a warm and happy place. (4)But when I became aware of my imminent mortality, my attitudes changed. There was real meaning to the words, "This is the first day of the rest of your life." There was a heightened awareness of each sunny day, the beauty of flowers, the song of a bird. How often do we reflect on the joy of breathing easily, of swallowing without effort and discomfort, of walking without pain, of a complete and peaceful night's sleep? (5)After I became ill, I embarked upon many things I had been putting off before. I read the books I had set aside for retirement and wrote one myself, entitled The Art of Surgery. My wife Madeleine and I took more holidays. We played tennis regularly and curled avidly; we took the boys fishing. When I review these past few years, it seems in many ways that / have lived a lifetime since I acquired cancer. On my last holiday in the Bahamas, as I walked along the beach feeling the gentle waves wash over my feet, I felt a part of the universe, even if only a minuscule one, like a grain of sand on the beach. (6)Although I had to restrict to the size of my practice, I felt closer empathy with my patients. When I walked into the Intensive Care Unit there was an awesome feeling knowing I, too, had been a patient there. It was a special satisfaction to comfort my patients with cancer, knowing that it is possible to enjoy life after the anguish of that diagnosis. It gave me a warm feeling to see the sparkle in one patient's eyes—a man with a total laryngectomy—when I asked if he would enjoy a cold beer and went to get him one. (7)If one realized that our time on this earth is but a tiny fraction of that within the cosmos, then life calculated in years may not be as important as we think. Why measure life in heartbeats? When life is so dependent on such an unreliable function as the beating of the heart, then it is fragile indeed. The only thing that one can depend upon with absolute certainty is death. (8)I believe that death may be the most important part of life. I believe that life is infinitesimally brief in relation to the immensity of eternity. I believe, because of my religious faith, that I shall "return to the Father" in an afterlife that is beyond description. I believe that though my life was short in years, it was full in experience, joy, love and accomplishment; that my own immortality will reside in the memories of my loved ones left behind, mother, brother, wife, children, dear friends. I believe that I will die with loved ones close by and, one hopes, achieve that great gift of God—death in peace, and with dignity.

她父亲决不赞成她嫁给这样一个穷人。

我们决定放慢汽车生产的速度。

我尝见许多年青的朋友，聪明用功，成绩优异，而语文程度不足以达意，甚至写一封信亦难得通顺，问其故则日其兴趣不在语文方面。又有一些位，执笔为文，斐然可诵，而视数理科目如仇讐，勉强才能及格，问其故则亦日其兴趣不在数理方面。 如果他们觉得某些科目没有趣味，便撇在一旁视如蔽履，怡然自得，振振有词，略无愧色，好像这就是发扬趣味主义。殊不知天下没有没有趣味的学问，端视吾人如何发掘其趣味，如果在良师指导之下按部就班地循序而进，一步一步地发现新天地，当然乐在其中，如果浅尝辄止，甚至躐等躁进，当然味同嚼蜡，自讨没趣。一个有中上天资的人，对于普通的基本的文理科目，都同样地有学习的能力，绝不会本能地长于此而拙于彼。只有懒惰与任性，才能使一个人自甘暴弃地在“趣味”的掩护下败退。

壶公悬挂的一把壶里，别有天地日月。每一本书一一不论小说、戏剧、传记、游记、日记，以至散文诗词，都别有天地，别有日月星辰，而且还有生存其间的人物。我们很不必巴巴地赶赴某地，花钱买门票去看些仿造的赝品或“栩栩如生”的替身，只要翻开一页书，走入真境，遇见真人，就可以亲亲切切地观赏一番。 说什么“欲穷千里目，更上一层楼”!我们连脚底下地球的那一面都看得见，而且顷刻可到。 尽管古人把书说成“浩如烟海”，书的世界却真正的“天涯若比邻”，这话绝不唯心的比拟。世界再大也没有阻隔。佛说“三千大千世界”，可算大极了。书的境地呢，“现在界”还加上“过去界”，也带上“未来界”，实在是包罗万象，贯三界。而我们却可以足不出户，在这里随意阅历，随时拜师求救。谁说读书人目光短浅，不通人情，不关心世事呢! 这里可得到丰富的经历，可认识各时各地、多种多样的人。经常在书里“串门儿”，至少也可以脱去几分愚昧，多长几个心眼儿吧?

{{B}}SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the mini-lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening to the mini-lecture, please complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure the word(s) you fill in is (are) both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.{{/B}}

How to Prepare for a Scholarship Interview?I. Before the interview— Preparation is a must— Read as much as possible about the program and prepare for questions you want to aska)Subjectsb)Freedomc)【T1】_____【T1】______d)Professorse)Size of the departmentf)【T2】_____【T2】______g)Accommodationh)Outside classroom activities— Re-read the announcementa)Think of reasons and examples that【T3】_____【T3】______b)Don't exaggerate or【T4】_____【T4】______c)Prepare to answer some direct questionsd)【T5】_____ will increase your chances【T5】______— Find out information about the interviewa)How long it will lastb)Who are【T6】_____【T6】______c)Topics of their interestsd)Topics that will show up in the interviewe)Find some【T7】_____ in their website【T7】______f)Get in contact with previous intervieweesII. During the interview— Bring a copy of all the documents and an【T8】_____【T8】______— Dress formally—【T9】_____ when you enter and salute【T9】______— Chit-chat with the interviewers— Ask questions you have prepared— Ask for【T10】_____【T10】______— Dos and don'tsa)Don't【T11】_____the interview【T11】______b)Criticizing others will make you less【T12】_____【T12】______c)Don't engage【T13】_____ in the discussion【T13】______d)Avoid【T14】_____ in the discussion, unless it's necessary【T14】______III. After the interview— Write a "thank-you" note on the day of the interviewand in【T15】_____ paragraphs maximum【T15】______

There are around 6,000 languages in the world today. At least there were until January of 2001. Then Carlos Westez died. Westez was the last speaker of the native American language Catawba. With him passed away the language itself. The death of Westez was mourned not just by professional linguists, but more generally by advocates of cultural diversity. Writing in The Independent of London, Peter Popham warned that "when a language dies" we lose "the possibility of a unique way of perceiving and describing the world". What particularly worries people like Popham is that many other languages are likely to follow the fate of Catawba. Aore is a language native to one of the islands of the Pacific state of Vanuatu. When the island's single inhabitant dies, so will the language. Ironically, the status of Gafat, an Ethiopian language spoken by fewer than 30 people, has been made more precarious thanks to the efforts of linguists attempting to preserve it. A language researcher took two speakers out of their native land, whereupon they caught cold and died. Of the 6,000 extant languages in the world, more than 3,000 will disappear over the next century. Linguist Jean Aitcheson believes that "this massive disappearance of so many languages will be an irretrievable loss". Popham compares this loss to the "death of untold species of plants and insects" from rainforest destruction. Warning of the "impact of a homogenizing monoculture upon our way of life," he worries about the "spread of English carried by American culture, delivered by Japanese technology" and the "hegemony of a few great transnational languages: Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Hindi." Yet the whole point of a language is to enable communication. A language spoken by one person is not a language at all. It is a private conceit, like a child's secret code. Carlos Westez might well have had "a unique way of perceiving the world," but it was so unique that only he had access to it. However happy Westez might have been talking to himself, to everyone else in the world he may as well have been talking gibberish. It is, of course, enriching to learn other languages and delve into other cultures. But it is enriching not because different languages and cultures are unique, but because making contact across barriers of language and culture allows us to expand our own horizons and become more universal in our outlook. Cultural homogenization is something to be welcomed, not feared. The more universally we can communicate, the more dynamic our culture will be. It is not being parochial to believe that the more people to speak English—or Spanish, Chinese, or Hindi—the better it would be. The real chauvinists are surely those who worry about the spread of "American culture" and "Japanese technology". The idea that particular languages embody unique visions of the world derives from the romantic concept of cultural difference, a concept that underlies much of contemporary thinking about multiculturalism. "Each nation speaks in the manner it thinks," Johann Gottfried von Herder argued in the 18th century, "and thinks in the manner it speaks." For Herder the nature of a people was expressed through its Volksgeist—the unchanging spirit of a people refined through history. Language was particularly crucial to the delineation of a people, because "in it dwells its entire world of tradition, history, religion, principles of existence; its whole heart and soul." Herder's Volksgeist became transformed into racial makeup, an unchanging substance, the foundation of all physical appearance and mental potential, and the basis for division and difference within humankind. The contemporary argument for the preservation of linguistic diversity, liberally framed though it may be, draws on the same philosophy that gave rise to racial difference. "Nobody can suppose that it is not more beneficial for a Breton or a Basque to be a member of the French nationality, admitted on equal terms to all the privileges of French citizenship...than to sulk on his own rocks, the half-savage relic of past times, revolving in his own little mental orbit, without participation or interest in the general movement of the world." So wrote John Stuart Mill, more than a century ago. "The same applies," he added, "to the Welshman or the Scottish Highlander as members of the British nation. "It would have astonished him that, as we approach a new era, there are those who think that sulking on your own rock is a state worth preserving.

Over the past decade, DINK (Double Incomes No Kids) has been a life style pursued by an increasing amount of westerners and has influenced people in China in recent years. But for the majority of people, it's still hard to accept the concept of a DINK family. The following two excerpts are about different views towards DINKs. Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly both excerpts and then 2. express your opinion towards DINKs, especially whether Chinese young couples should be discouraged to be DINKs.Excerpt 1 The "childfree by choice" lifestyle has a funny nickname—DINKs. It stands for "dual income, no kids." The name and the lifestyle may be gaining more and more popularity now. Laura Portz started the DINK lifestyle when she married her husband, Austen, three years ago. "We're first time homebuyers for a couple of years now." says Laura, Besides their home, they've also been able to make some more fun purchases, since they're not spending money on kids. Another DINK couple, Shannon Tervo and Jason Weiss, do enjoy opportunities to have dinner together, just the two of them, and go on trips to concerts and music festivals. "You don't have to make arrangements for anyone, but yourselves." says Jason. More and more couples are choosing to wait to have children, or not have them at all. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this year, 47.6 percent of women ages 15 to 44 had no kids. That is the highest percentage since the Bureau started keeping track in 1976. "The biggest difference between DINKs and couples with kids is finances and time," says Crystal D'Orazio, a licensed marriage and family therapist. She sees all kinds of couples; plus, she and her husband have three kids. "I definitely feel the stress," says D'Orazio. "Couples that have kids, often it costs more money. They don't have as much time together." "There's so much to do. There's so much activity life and groups and organizations and things for DINKs to get involved in." says D'Orazio.Excerpt 2 Shanghai, after witnessing consecutive negative population growth in the past 11 years, now discourages young couples to become DINK (double income no kid) families. The metropolis has stopped granting rewards to couples who choose not to have children, revealed Xia Yi, deputy director of Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission. In the past 11 years, Shanghai saw a consecutive negative increase of population. Last year, the number of net births among the city's permanent residents was 57,000, but the number of deaths stood at 100,700, meaning a natural growth rate of -3.24 per thousand. Officials said the average size of families in Shanghai is also shrinking. In 1949, the average family had 4.9 people, but the size dropped to 3.1 in 1990 and 2.8 in recent years. Xia explained that many couples choose not to have children because of rising costs to bring up children and their concerns of potential unemployment. Young parents, especially young women who received better education, declined to bear children or bear children at their prime child-bearing age, lest their promising future be spoiled by the birth of the babies. However, Xia pointed out, few children could cause problems in the future, as aging society has become a problem in the city. "The society could hardly develop in a healthy way without multiplying."

A resignation letter by a middle school teacher who wrote, "the world is so big that I want to have a look", has fueled online debate. If you had a decent job, would you quit it to travel? Why or why not? The following are opinions from different sides. Read the excerpts carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should: 1. summarize briefly the different opinions; 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.Christine (China) I must confess I love to travel a lot, but it's going to be insane if I quit my job just to travel. When I am back from having fun I am afraid there will be no work to do. Still, it's a difficult decision and each one of us has to weigh it.Joji (the US) I love to travel and have been to many European countries. I am now concentrating on local travel here in the US. I have many co-workers who have never ventured out of the US, even to Canada! I tell them not to wait until retirement as it might be too late. They tell me that they are tied down because of all the debts and mortgage. I say if there's a will, there's a way.Cory (Portugal) I find it really brave to let it all go and one day decide: Yep, that's it. I'm quitting my job and I'm going to travel around the world. It's quite a cultural thing as well. For instance, I've seen a couple of colleagues doing that here in the UK, whereas I don't know anyone in Portugal who would ever do that. We plan for the future, to save for the time when we grow older or to save for our kids. So unless you are rich, we would struggle to follow our dreams. But I do agree that life is too short, and I have no clue what happens tomorrow, so I'm trying to slow down in terms of work and travel here and there.Linda (China) I've recently been thinking about quitting my job and traveling around the world for a year. And then, who knows what after that? Even though I love the company I work for, my passion is traveling (among other things) and experiencing new things!Cnee (China) I've thought about quitting my job and traveling around the world to learn more about myself and what I want to do with my life. But my mom believes that it is a bad idea because she thinks that I work for a great company and I should just stick to it and wait for a promotion. Currently, I am not married and have no kids. I still live with my mom and I am in my 20s. I feel like it's a good time to travel. But I am also told that it is a good time to build my career.Emma (Canada) I spent four months traveling through South America, followed by four months in Southeast Asia. I'm home for a few weeks until the next leg of the journey. Whether I know what's round the corner, how my career will end up, what future employers will think, one thing is for sure: I don't regret the decision at all. The type of experience you get is so unique and will shape your ideas and perspectives on how you see yourself and the world. It influences the path you choose to take in a way that cements your happiness. Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

Training to become a barrister or solicitor is a competitive and expensive business. The legal profession has made efforts to become more accessible to aspiring lawyers from all backgrounds and to increase the diversity of its members, but the financial cost remains an enormous barrier for many. Faced with paying university tuition fees, the ridiculously expensive costs of the professional training courses and then funding themselves through a training contract or pupillage, many find themselves starting their working life with enormous debts. That's the scary part, but don't be discouraged. Bursaries, scholarships and grants that do not have to be repaid are available to students during undergraduate law degrees through to the graduate diploma in law and professional training courses and training contracts or pupillage. Unfortunately, finding where that help comes from, can be a challenge and a bit time-consuming. Here's a guide to what's on offer at the different stages of your journey into the law that might help make it a bit less bumpy. Most universities now charge the maximum ￡9,000 a year tuition fees for students on their undergraduate law degrees. While that fee may seem daunting, remember that you do not have to pay it upfront and you will not have to start paying back tuition fee loans until the April after you graduate and are earning at least ￡21,000 a year. Most universities and colleges offer bursaries and scholarships to help students with their tuition fees, accommodation, maintenance and other expenses. They will, this year spend ￡290m on bursaries and reduced tuition fees for poorer students—a fact criticised this week by the government's social mobility advisor Alan Milburn. He suggested that the money should instead be targeted at helping children from less well off families stay in school. Anyway, for the moment the bursaries and grants remain Some are made available to first year students either on the basis of their academic achievements at school or financial need, while others are given to reward students for performance during their degree. Details of available funding, criteria, application processes and deadlines can be found on the websites of the individual universities and colleges. It is worth checking both the awards provided by the university, which are open to all students, as well as those provided by the law school or faculty, offered only to students studying a law degree. To get you started, here are a couple that caught my eye: Among some of the undergraduate awards available at University College London are the Freshfields Scholarships. International law firm Freshfields provides two awards of ￡10,000 per year of study, for law students from less privileged backgrounds. Recipients also benefit from eight weeks a year of paid work experience at the firm and an award under the college's bursary scheme to provide additional support of up to ￡3,500. The awards are designed to assist candidates who aspire to be City lawyers and who have little or no family history of higher education and would become first generation graduates. Queen Mary University London offers scholarships and bursaries to around 50% of its undergraduate body. Among them are a number of ￡1,000 bursaries awarded on the basis of a student's academic record before joining, as well as second and final year bursaries recognising students' success while at university. Students from families on a low income—up to ￡25,000 a year—can apply for bursaries from their universities to help cover tuition and maintenance fees, under the National Scholarship Programme. A list of participating universities and colleges can be downloaded from the Directgov website. The site also has details of tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and maintenance grants for living expenses. You should apply in the spring of the year that your course starts. Competition is fierce and students are advised to apply as early as possible. If you have children or dependant adults you may be able to apply for additional grants to cover childcare. Those in full-time higher education with children under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs, can apply for a childcare grant of up to ￡148. 75 a week for one child and ￡255 for two or more children. Students with disabilities may also be able to benefit from the Disabled Students' Allowances.

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Passage Three

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She touched him on his head with a smile and said, "My boy, why not play what you know well?"

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台风过后，由于措施得力，损失已减少到最低程度。