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. 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.
1.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.
2.According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year_________.
A. are 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
3. 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
Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes (骗局).
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. Though we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.
1.What is the reason why Johann Beringer was fooled?
A. His fellow scientists wanted to make fun of him.
B. His workmates are eager to become famous too.
C. These scientists made a mistake because of carelessness.
D. His colleagues was jealous of him and did so to destroy his fame.
2.The excited scientists thought that this Piltdown man ________.
A. was in fact a complex hoax
B. was a great scientific invention
C. contributed to the theory of evolution
D. had the skull like that of an ape
3.What does the underlined phrase “with a grain of salt” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Happily. B. Generally.
C. Doubtfully. D. Completely.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Hebrew is probably a kind of language.
B. Truths of science will never be out of time.
C. People believe scientists because they are persuasive.
D. We are advised to believe famous scientists.
Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even
the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories.
Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. 
Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change.
Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine’s pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children.
Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture.
As historical and artistic documents, photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish(发表) them in books and on the Internet.
1.The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to .
A. beauties B. photos
C. goods D. events
2.The photos of the small children by Hine show us that photos .
A. are also works of art
B. are popular ways of reporting news
C. often shock the public
D. can serve as a force for social change
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. News with pictures is encouraging
B. Photos help people improve.
C. News photos mean history in a sense.
D. People prefer reading news with pictures.
4.The text is mainly about .
A. telling the story through pictures
B. decorating the walls of homes
C. publishing historical papers
D. expressing feeling through pictures
Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say,“Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.
1.Armstrong was called Pops because he .
A. looked like a musician
B. was a musician of much influence
C. showed an interest in music
D. traveled to play modern music
2.The third paragraph is developed .
A. by space B. by examples
C. by time D. by comparison
3.Which statement about Armstrong is true?
A. His tale begins in New Orleans.
B. He was born before jazz was invented.
C. His music was popular with his listeners.
D. He learned popular music at a boy’s home.
4.Which would be the best title for the text?
A. The Invention of the Jazz Music
B. The Father of the Jazz Style
C. The Making of a Musician
D. The Spread of Popular Music
假定你是阳光中学的高二学生，你校将为高一新生举办主题为“What to learn in senior high school?” 的英语沙龙活动，特邀请你结合自身经历谈谈自己的体会。请根据以下提纲准备一份英语发言稿。
1. 学会学习：方法，习惯等 注意：1. 词数120左右
2. 学会做人：真诚，友善等 2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 其他方面：考生自拟。 3. 发言稿开头给出，不计入总词数。
Good morning, everyone！It’s my honor to be here to share with you my opinions on what to learn in senior high school.
短文改错
假段定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(
)，并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处
起）不计分。
Of all my teachers , Mr. Hu is the one who impress me most. Though he is 54, he looks very young for his age. And he is one of the most popular teacher in our school.
Compare with other teachers, Mr. Hu pays more attention to her way of teaching. He tries various ways to make his classes lively and interesting. In his opinion, we should not only know what we lack of, but also understand why.
Therefore, instead of give us answers immediate, he encourages us to think by ourselves every time when he puts forward questions. With his assistance, we have learned how to analyze and solve problems. How a wonderful world he leads us to！He is such learned person that we all admire him very much.
