The organization representing British universities has expressed concern about the potential effect of tuition fees（学费）after figures showed a drop of more than 6% in student applications with less than a month to go before the deadline for 2013 applications.
Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) showed there were 265,784 university applications by UK-based candiates up to 17 Decemeber, 6.3% down on the parallel period in the admissions cycle the year before. While this is less than the 8.4% year-on-uear fall seen in earlier Ucas figures, released in mid-November, the coming January deadline makes it ever more likely that the total 2013 applicant figure will see a second sizeable fall following the introduction of annual fees of up to ￡9,000.
Nicola Dandridge, the chairman of Universities UK, said : “However, we must be concerned about any drops in the numbers applying to university and in particular, we must look closely at how the increase in graduate contributions in England may be affecting the decisions of promising students. However ,the December figures show a drop in numbers across the UK, suggesting that it is not only a question of tuition fees in England putting off from applying.”
A report of the Uncas figures to mid-December shows a 6.5% fall for applicants in England and 11.7% for those in Wales, with smaller drops of 3.9% for Scotland and 0.5% for Nortern Ireland. Scotiish students at home insitiutions pay on fees, while those from Nothern Ireland have fees capped to ￡3,575 for Northern Irish universities.
Dandridge added: “No one should be put off applying to university because of worries about finance.”
“It is important that no one is put off applying to university because they do not have information about the student support available to them. Most new students don’t need to pay directly. There will be more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments thatn they do now once they are in well paid jobs.”
1.A drop of more than 6% for 2013 applications is probably the effect of .
A．the increased tuition fees
B．the approaching deadline
C．the concern from applicants
D．the difficulties with applications
2.Compared with the previous year, the fall in student applications is .
A．3.9% B．6% C．6.3% D．8.4%
3.Why is the fall for application the smallest in Soctoland and Northem lreland?
A．Because they have more financial support.
B．Because the tuition is much cheaper for them.
C．Because the education is better there.
D．Because the universities are free for them.
4.Which of the following is true?
A．The application for universities is on a rise continuously.
B．The fall for applications is due to family problems.
C．The education in Scotland and Northern Ireland is worse.
D．The rise of tuition fees has an effect on applications.
5.The last paragraph tells us that .
A．everyone should apply to university
B．students may get financial supports
C．lower loan repayments is unavailable
D．most new students will not pay fees
At railway stations all across Britain next week, groups of students will gather with their backpacks to wait for the trains that will carry them home for Christmas. This is as large a movement of human beings as before, but with more contradictory traffic flows, so that trains filled with the young pass each other travelling in every direction.
At first, I went home every weekend with my washing, but then those visits became less regular. How did I let my parents know I was coming? They had no phone. Perhaps I wrote to them ("Expect me with dirty shirts this Friday afternoon"), but more likely I didn't let them know, and just turned up or didn't turn up, not understanding that my parents' dashed hopes of seeing me were a greater casualty of my carelessness than a spoiled tea.
And in all this I suspect I was typical, at least of young men. As for our fathers and mothers, none of them talked of "empty-nest syndrome", even though its implication that the principal human duty is to protect and feed the young would have suited their generation better than ours. Then, the feelings of loss went without a name. Today, it's a condition with remedies, which will make parents feel more enjoyable in their life. The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests you try to maintain regular contact with your children through "visits, phone calls, emails, texts or video chats". If you feel depressed, lean on loved ones or your mental health provider. Above all, stay positive: "Thinking about the extra time and energy you might have to devote to your marriage or personal interests after your last child leaves home might help you adapt to this major life change."
What can’t be denied, however, is that children often leave home. In modern societies, this is what they do. Christmas is the very time they can be depended on to return. For the non-religious, that may be this season’s true comfort and significance.
1.The main reason for the busy traffic across Britain next week is that .
A．young students will travel home for Christmas
B．young people will travel in every direction
C．it is a large movement of human beings
D．the traffic flows will be more contradictory
2.From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer .
A．went home every week to wash dirty clothes
B．understood his parents’ desire of seeing him
C．didn’t understand his parents’ feelings
D．went home to see his parents regularly
3.The underlined word “remedies” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .
A．reasons B．excuses C．habits D．solutions
4.From the last paragraph we know that .
A．in modern society, children should leave home
B．Christmas is likely a time for family reunion
C．the significance of Christmas is celebration
D．Christmas is not a comfort for the non-religious
5.From the passage we can infer that by writing the article the writer’s purpose is to .
A．persuade the young to show concern for their parents
B．ask the young to go home regularly
C．make the young understand their parents’ interests
D．enable the young to be more independent
Once there was a man who lied to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived - a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout: What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry: “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted - that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge.（复仇）
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really sed him because he induced（引诱）him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.”
1.From the story we know that the sweetest mango must be the one .
A．on the very top of the a tree
B．hidden in the middle of a tree
C．on the tree for the longest time
D．exposed to sunlight less often
2.What happened after he had picked a few sweet reddish mangoes?
A．He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly.
B．He was climbing down quickly but carefully.
C．He remained hanging helplessly on the tree.
D．He shouted loudly for help but no one helped.
3.How did the man feel when the sage hit him with a stone?
A．He was nervous. B．He kept silent.
C．He felt surprised. D．He was angry.
4.What do you think motivated the man to climb down?
A．Courage. B．Revenge. C．Carefulness. D．Assistance.
5.What does the story imply?
A．Anger saves one’s life. B．Wisdom does count.
C．Skill and strength count. D．Anger is the biggest enemy.
It happened at a weekend in the 1970’s. Mum gave me two tickets for a film, telling me she was too busy to go together with me with the__1.__(end)housework. She told me to keep the money if I could sell the extra ticket. I was very happy. At that time, a ticket cost only 20fen.But to me, a little girl of twelve,20fen seemed quite a lot. I reached the cinema __2.__(hurry).Holding the ticket in my hand, I began to look for a buyer. Just then a handsome young man,__ 3.__noticed me and the ticket, came towards me with a big smile, “You've got__4.__estra ticket' ""yes," I nodded" That's great .Say how much?""20fen"
"Oh,"he thought for a while and then took out a ten-yuan note__5.__his wallet.
"I'm terribly sorry,__ 6.__I've only got this note." Seeing I was confused ,he added, "Then how about waiting for a while__7._I have changed it in the cinema’s store?
"Without much thinking, I agreed .Then we went to the cinema together. He walked very fast. I could hardly keep up with__8.__.Soon he disappeared in the Men's .I stood there __9.__(puzzle).Suddenly I realized the handsome young fellow__10.__(cheat) me.
Before long I found that he'd sold the ticket to a little boy. He earned 20 fen, but lost his honor!
A good student is always equated to one who gets good grades. But is that all that a good student is? What is a 1 good student? Is he someone who is the teacher's pet? Someone who tops every test? Someone who has the smarts? A good student is all this and more, because, you see, it’s not just about books and repetitive 2 .
Being a good student takes much more than that. There are certain 3 that make him a good student. That is 4 what we shall be looking into – the qualities of a good student. There will help you 5 what a good student is and what are the qualities that one needs in order to become one.
A good student has great 6 skills. He has the ability to plan and organize not only his actions but his 7 as well, for being well organized allows a person to be prepared for all the situations that are to 8 . That could not have been 9 if he had taken up the studies at the last minute.
Knowledge is a key 10 that defines（定义） a student. Possessing knowledge that is not only limited to books but also 11 things about current affairs and other things allows him to draw from all that he possesses and use it in his studies.
There is nothing that comes without hard work and that is exactly what a good student has to possess. A 12 student is not someone who will turn away from work, or try to find 13 s to get the work done 14 or for the sake of finishing it. He is instead someone who will do his work sincerely and put in all his efforts without compromising on quality.
1. A．Specially B．nearly C．mainly D．really
2. A．Performing B．learning C．Counting D．guessing
3. A．Choices B．Activities C．Qualities D．viewpoints
4. A．simply B．merely C．completely D．exactly
5. A．Understand B．predict C．assume D．settle
6. A．Physical B．Organizational C．mental D．traditional
7. A．Thoughts B．performances C．conducts D．directions
8. A．share B．manage C．follow D．find
9. A．Valuable B．worthy C．vital D．possible
10. A．view B．role C．aspect D．effect
11. A．Includes B．concludes C．affects D．matches
12. A．good-looking B．hard-working C．cool-headed D．warm-hearted
13. A．Places B．roads C．tools D．ways
14. A．fast B．carefully C．well D．badly
15. A．roughly B．eventually C．sincerely D．carelessly
假设昨天是9月27日（周日），是世界旅游日 (World Tourism Day)，天气晴朗，你和几位同学去了趵突泉公园（the Spouting Spring Park）游玩。请根据以下内容，以日记的形式记叙你昨天的出游情况。
1. 上午乘车1小时到达目的地，游玩、唱歌、做游戏；
2. 中午发现有些游客乱扔垃圾等不文明行为,吃完午餐后决定组织一个小活动，向游客宣传文明出游、保护环境等；
3. 下午三点返回，很有意义的一天。
不文明immoral /uncivilized
注意：1. 词数：120-150;
2. 可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
One possible version:
September 28, Monday Fine
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