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 candidates up to 17 December, 6.3% down on the parallel period in the admissions cycle the year before. While this is less than the 8.4% year-on-urea 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 Northern Ireland. Scottish students at home institutions pay on fees, while those from Northern 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 than they do now once they are in well paid jobs.”
【小题1】A drop of more than 6% for 2013 applications is probably the effect of        .

Valentine’s Day is a popular festival of love and romance. There are      legends associated with the festival along with the belief that birds began to mate from this day. Historians trace (追踪)its      to an ancient Roman festival. It is said that in ancient Rome, people      a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno—the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. On the following day, February 15th，the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated to honor the Roman God of Agriculture.

An interesting      was followed on the festival of Lupercalia to bring together young boys and girls who otherwise were strictly      . On the eve of the festival, names of young Roman girls were written on a slip of paper and placed into jars. Each young man      a girl's name from the jar and was paired with the girl during the festival. Sometimes the      lasted for a year until next year's celebration. Quite often，the couple would fall in love with each other and       marry. The custom lasted for a long time until people felt that it was un-Christian and that mates should be chosen by sight, not      .

The pairing of young boys and girls set the mood of the Valentine's Day Festival as we know today. But it was      due to the efforts and daring of a priest St Valentine that the festival got its       and clearer meaning. The story goes that Emperor Claudius II of Rome found it      to get soldiers and felt the reason why men did not join the      was that they did not wish to leave their wives and families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. St Valentine challenged Claudius's      order and secretly married couples. When his disobedience was      ，Valentine was put to death on February 14, around 270 AD. After his death Valentine was named a saint.

1.A. acceptable          B. familiar        C. various D. unrelated

2.A. possibility  B. development         C. event    D. origin

3.A. studied       B. observed       C. handled       D. discussed

4.A. movement B. celebration   C. competition  D. custom

5.A. respected  B. educated       C. separated      D. organized

6.A. spoke out  B. brought out  C. pulled out     D. drew out

7.A. pairing        B. dating        C. playing  D. celebrating

8.A. fortunately         B. occasionally  C. finally    D. surprisingly

9.A. order          B. risk        C. name    D. luck

10.A. usually     B. actually C. really    D. factually

11.A. history     B. story     C. fame     D. name

12.A. strange    B. slow      C. awful     D. tough

13.A. war  B. party     C. army     D. game

14.A. unfinished        B. unjustified     C. unrecognized        D. unconcerned

15.A. discovered       B. attacked        C. memorized   D. promised

 _____ your classmates and you will make more good friends.

A. Worry about   B. Fall in love with  C. Think about   D. Get along well with

Hiking

If you like to hike during the warm months, you’ll probably like to hike in the winter. The landscape changes completely from summer to fall to winter, and the snow can make for some really beautiful photos. Be sure to bring your camera with you to capture all the awesome scenery. Because it’s cold out, you also have the added benefit of not sweating too much through your clothes, and it’s a great excuse to grab some hot chocolate when you finish your hike.

Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is great exercise and a great way to see the winter scenery at the same time. If you’ve never done cross-country skiing before, be sure to check with an expert before trying it yourself. Knowing what to expect can keep you safe and prevent an injury.

Snowball fighting

Everyone remembers going outside, building a snow fort(城堡),and having snowball fights when they were kids. The fun doesn’t have to stop when you’re an adult! Go outside with your friends, build a fort and start throwing snowballs at each other. If you have kids, get them in on the action. Throwing snowballs is a great way to use some extra energy and can be really fun for the whole family.

Bird-watching

Lots of birds migrate during the winter months, and these quiet, cold hours can be a great time to see them like never before. Eagles, for example, migrate through central Illinois in February, and watching them fly through Starved Rock State Park is a breathtaking sight. Check your local parks to find out what birds you can see in your area and get out there to see them.

1.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Outdoor winter activities

B．Popular winter sports around the world

C．Fun winter activities for children

D．Best ways to enjoy winter scenery.

2.As for cross-country skiing, the author suggests people_______.

A．try to do it on their own

B．ask an expert for advice

C．take a camera with them

D．take a rest whenever possible

3.Which of the following does the author suggest for those with kids?

A．Hiking　　　　　　　                   B．Cross-country skiing

C．Snowball fighting　　　                  D．Bird-watching

4.What can we know about Starved Rock State Park from the passage?

A．It’s the largest natural park in Illinois.

B．It’s a good place for bird-watching.

C．It’s well-known for its strange animals.

D．It is home to a lot of birds.