题目内容

A company has just launched what it calls “the world’s first free standardized English test” recently. Anyone can take the test for free. The new exam is called the EFSET, which is short for Education First Standardized English Test. The company, Education First, is known by the letters EF.

It is estimated that there are two billion English language learners worldwide. Many of them are interested in attending an American college or university. To do so, foreign students need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language — better known as TOEFL. However, many foreigners are not wealthy enough to take the TOEFL. In addition, test-takers often have to travel overnight to reach an official testing site. The World Bank says an average Cambodian worker earns only about $1,000 per year. Approximately the cost of taking the TOEFL is 17.5 percent of the average worker’s yearly wage.

It is not just individuals who find the test pricey. Some governments also find it prohibitive. What’s more, not everyone needs official results from the TOEFL or IELTS — the International English Language Testing System. In the future, it’s likely that the government may use the EFSET to test millions of employees and students.

Experts believe that the EFSET meets the highest value in language testing. It uses special computer software that makes the questions easier or harder, depending on one’s performance. The EFSET measures all the English learners’ levels while the IELTS and TOEFL only measure learners’ levels from moderate (中等的) to advanced. The EFSET is unique in the sense that it gives free online access to anyone interested in measuring their English level.

There is a 50-minute and a two-hour version of the test, which its developers are calling the EFSET Plus. Both versions test only reading and listening skills. It’s hopeful that speaking and writing skills will be tested in the future. The IELTS and the TOEFL still use humans to rate the speaking and writing sections. It’s a huge deal for students who are in areas where they can’t get to the TOEFL or the IELTS. However, it is too early to know whether the EFSET results are acceptable for colleges and universities in America.

1.Why do many foreign students take the TOEFL?

A. To learn English well.

B. To be admitted to key universities.

C. To receive further education in America.

D. To find good jobs and earn much money.

2.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A. Only wealthy people can take the TOEFL.

B. The cost of taking the TOEFL is very high.

C. There are many official testing sites for the TOEFL around the world.

D. Few of the students in Cambodia can afford to take the TOEFL.

3. What can we learn about the EFSET?

A. It is similar to the TOEFL and the IELTS.

B. Everybody with different English levels can take it for free.

C. It tests the skills of reading, listening, writing and speaking.

D. American universities accept the EFSET results for admission.

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. How to get ready for the EFSET

B. Different ways to test English learners in the world

C. The new software developed by Education First

D. The free EFSET— an online test for English learners

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阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no ________ left. When she heard her daddy say to her ________ mother, “Only a miracle(奇迹) can save him now”, the little girl went to her bedroom and took out her piggy bank. She ________ all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Then she ________ her way six blocks to the local drugstore.

“And what do you want?” asked the chemist.

“It’s ________ my little brother,” the girl answered back. “He’s really sick and I want to get a ________. His name is Andrew and he has something ________ growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him.”

“We don’t ________ miracles here, child. I’m sorry,” the chemist said, smiling ________ at the little girl.

In the shop was a ________ customer. He bent down and asked the little girl, “What kind of miracle does your brother ________?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “He’s really sick and mommy says he needs a(n) ________. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought my ________.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man.

“One dollar and eleven cents, ________ I can try and get some more,” she answered quietly.

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents-the ________ price of a miracle for your little brother. ________ me to where you live. I want to see your brother and ________ your parents.”

That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon(外科医生). The operation was completed ________ and before long Andrew was ________ again.

The little girl was happy. She knew exactly how much the miracle ________ ... one dollar and eleven cents ... plus the faith of a little child.

1.A. timeB. medicineC. moneyD. food

2.A. tearfulB. hopefulC. helpfulD. regretful

3.A. emptiedB. pulledC. putD. poured

4.A. followedB. madeC. feltD. found

5.A. withB. aboutC. forD. from

6.A. drinkB. doctorC. tabletD. miracle

7.A. badB. smallC. extraD. new

8.A. displayB. offerC. sellD. store

9.A. calmlyB. sadlyC. strangelyD. coldly

10.A. well-dressedB. kind-hearted

C. well-behavedD. good-looking

11.A. haveB. needC. makeD. like

12.A. companionB. surgeonC. protectionD. operation

13.A. savingsB. wishesC. ideasD. worries

14.A. becauseB. soC. thoughD. but

15.A. sameB. exactC. properD. reasonable

16.A. BringB. SendC. TakeD. Drive

17.A. helpB. encourageC. persuadeD. meet

18.A. surprisinglyB. secretlyC. successfullyD. separately

19.A. happyB. wellC. strongD. fat

20.A. meantB. coveredC. measuredD. cost

If you want to become a fluent English speaker, you should take some advice: there are four skills in learning English. They are listening, speaking, reading and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.

Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentences, the meaning of the unfamiliar words, etc.

There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammar—or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.

As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs(输入) in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.

For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening, you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably(更好地) taking some notes.

If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically(自动地),and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.

1.According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?

A.Reading and listening.B.Reading and writing.

C.Writing and speaking.D.Speaking and listening.

2.To improve your reading, when you read you should ________.

A.look up all the new words in the dictionary

B.think about what you are reading actively

C.spend more time studying grammar

D.copy as many words and sentences as possible

3.The underlined words “come across” in paragraph 3 probably be replaced by ________.

A.meet by accidentB.discoverC.find on purposeD.look for

4.The author seems to agree with the view that ________.

A.everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day

B.you needn’t practice listening if you keep in reading every day

C.being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening

D.you should take notes of whatever you are hearing

Because, like most of you, I began college in my teens, but after a year, I was offered my dream job at Universal Studios, so I dropped out.

Well, I left college because I knew exactly what I wanted to do and some of you know, too — but some of you don’t. Or maybe you thought you knew but are now questioning that choice. Maybe you’re sitting there trying to find out how to tell your parents that you want to be a doctor and not a writer.

I told my parents if my movie career didn’t go well, I’d re-enroll(重新报名上学). It went all right. But finally, I returned for one big reason.

Most people go to college for an education, and some go for their parents, but I went for my kids. I’m the father of seven, and I kept insisting on the importance of going to college, but I hadn’t walked the walk. So, in my fifties, I re-enrolled at Cal State-Long Beach, and I earned my degree.

Well, what you choose to do next is what we call in the movies the ‘character-defining(角色定义) moment’.

Life is one strong, long string of character-defining moments. And I was lucky that at 18 I knew what I exactly wanted to do. But I didn’t know who I was. How could I? And how could any of us? Because for the first 25 years of our lives, we are trained to listen to voices that are not our own. Parents and professors fill our heads with wisdom and information, and then employers and tutors take their place and explain how this world really works.

And I want to be clear that your intuition(直觉) is different from your conscience. Here’s the difference: Your conscience shouts, ‘here’s what you should do,’ while your intuition whispers, ‘here’s what you could do.’ Listen to that voice that tells you what you could do. Nothing will define your character more than that.

Sticking to your character requires a lot of courage. And to be courageous, you’re going to need a lot of support. And if you’re lucky, you have parents like mine. I consider my mom my lucky charm.

But look, if your family’s not always available, there’s backup. Do you remember that movie? It’s a Wonderful Life? There’s an actor’s line in it: No man is a failure who has friends.” And I hope you hold on to the friendships you’re made here at Harvard. And among your friends, I hope you find someone you want to share your life with.

1.In the writer’s opinion, why can’t we define ourselves before 25 years old?

A. Because we are not old enough.

B. Because we are used to listening to others’ voices.

C. Because our parents and professors ask us to listen to the voices of our employers.

D. Because we can’t find suitable jobs.

2.According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. The writer completed his college study in his teens.

B. The writer’s movie career didn’t go all right so he returned to college.

C. It was not until he was 25 years old that the writer knew what he exactly wanted to do.

D. The writer suggests we should listen to our intuition.

3.What do the last two paragraphs mainly tell us?

A. It takes much courage to insist on your character.

B. It’s important to find a boyfriend or a girlfriend at Harvard.

C. There are some supporters who should be valued in our life.

D. The movie It’s a Wonderful Life is worth watching.

4.The passage is most likely to be ________.

A. a speechB. a reportC. a film reviewD. an advertisement

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