An increase in students applying to study economics at university is being attributed to the global economic crisis awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works.

Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.

Professor John Beath, the president of the society, and a leading lecturer at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures—which are open to students from all departments—were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.

“There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn’t traditionally done.” He added.

University applications rose 7% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people’s renewed interest in careers in the public sector, which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.

A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.

Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said: “It’s possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that’s financially wiser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty.”

1.Professor John Beath’s lectures are              .

A．given in a traditional way

B．open to both students and their parents

C．connected with the present situation

D．warmly received by economics

2.Incomes in the public sector are more attractive because of their              .

A．greater stability                         B．higher pay

C．fewer applications                       D．better reputation

3.In the opinion of most parents              .

A．economics should be the focus of school teaching

B．more students should be admitted to universities

C．children should solve financial problems themselves

D．the teaching of financial matters should be strengthened

4.According to Hocking, the global economic crisis might make the youngsters          .

A．have access to better equipment           B．wiser in money management

C．confident about their future careers         D．get jobs in Child Trust Funds

5.What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Universities have received more applications.

B．College students benefit a lot from economic uncertainty.

C．Economics is attracting an increasing numbers students.

D．Parents are concerned with children’s subject selection.

Most parents and teachers would get angry when they hear that teenagers listen to their iPods while preparing for exams. But pupils who listen to music when doing their homework may be, in fact, working hard.

????????????? Thirty three schools have downloaded specially written pop and rock songs for their 10,000 pupils who are studying for GCSE (初级毕业证书). The professionally recorded music, based on texts in English literature, teaches teenagers about themes in the GCSE curriculum (课程). Two young men set up “Revise”, the company that produced the songs, and worked with teachers to make sure the lyrics (歌词) reflected the curriculum. Some of the songs were written by Geraint Brown, a director, and they are performed by professional singers and musicians.

????????????? Songs for the GCSE science and maths lessons are also being developed in 36 schools. They have also started using the program, called, “LearnThruMusic”.

????????????? Dave Matthews, the head of Hawthorn High School in the South Wales valleys, said the program aimed at helping teenagers who are unwilling to study. He said, “There are lots of pupils who don’t have a high level of home support. It’s almost cool to say you have no need to find a support and we have got to change that. With this, they don’t have to be sitting at their desk at home. They can be outside, walking around or even listening to it on the bus, which is very convenient for them.” Everyone has a phone, MP3 or CD player, and they’re more likely to listen to these than pick up a book. “I think everyone would agree that music had an important influence on us when growing up. Both boys and girls are very good at remembering the words and dancing to the music in the charts. There’s no one thing that will successfully engage (使…产生兴趣) every child, and some of them will make little or no use of this. But the fact that they don’t have to do any extra work makes this a very good deal for a kid,” Dave Matthews added.

1.The pop and rock songs used in 36 schools ________.

A. were written for the students to relax themselves

B. made most parents and teachers angry

C. were specially written for hardworking students

D. were closely related to the curriculum

2.Which benefit of the program is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. It saves students much extra work.

B. It offers different ways of learning.

C. It makes remembering easier.

D. It improves family support to kids.

3.Which of the following can be inferred in the passage?

A. The program is not expected to have equal effect on every student.

B. Some students used the song as an excuse for not reading textbooks.

C. It’s more difficult to create songs for science and maths lessons.

D. Students involved in the program needn’t go to school every day.

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A. Special-written Songs — A Reason Why Students Should Listen to IPods.

B. Special-written Songs — A New Way to Learn the Curriculum.

C. Special-written Songs — A Substitution for Textbooks.

D. Special-written Songs — Mothers’ New Concern.

A mum saved her daughter’s life with her newly learned first aid skills. Sonya Hall, 33, of Denny Avenue, Lancaster, had only just attended one first aid class the day before when she found herself needing to use the skills on her three year old daughter Tilly.

Sonya, who also has son Emmen, six, attended the first aid course at Lune Park Children’s Centre in Lancaster. Then she was faced with every parent’s worst nightmare when Tilly went blue in the face and stopped breathing. But thanks to her newly acquired skills, Sonya saved Tilly’s life.

Sonya said: “Tilly was playing with her brother and they were fighting over a toy. Emmen won the fight. Tilly fell backwards and her head was hit. She was face down and shaking and at first I thought she was upset. But then I saw she was blue in the face and had stopped breathing. I reacted without thinking and immediately started using the first aid skills I had learned the day before which were so fresh in my mind. I began doing mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions (胸外按压). It probably took about a minute before Tilly started breathing again, but to me it felt like a lifetime.”

After getting Tilly breathing again, Sonya called an ambulance and the doctors came. Since then, Tilly has been diagnosed (诊断) with Reflex Anoxic Seizure (反射缺氧发作). Sonya said: “The seizure can happen when there’s any unexpected pain, fear or fright. It is just so lucky that the day before it happened, I had been practising first aid.”

The Empowering Parents First Aid course is run by Lancashire Adult Learning. Sonya said: “I am just so glad I did the course and learnt the first aid skills. I always feared I would not know what to do in a crisis situation, but luckily I had the knowledge and skills to deal with it.” 

1.What happened to Tilly?

2.When Sonya found Tilly’s shaking, she thought her daughter must ______.

3.When Sonya goes to the first aid class next time, she will feel ______.

4.What would be the best title for the text?  

“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school . Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” ----- a document (文件) stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores (杂务). Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.) After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled, ” admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press (also part of the bargain), stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.” Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs (叹气), “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----- until Bob signed the contract, whereupon she decided to relax and enjoy it. Although Peters had consulted (咨询) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria (食堂), his meals were sometimes a disaster.

“I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner. As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-----I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”

Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely(日常地) sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative (暂定的) title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.

1.The couple signed the contract because _______.

A．Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself

B．Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest

C．they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks

D．Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book

2.It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.

A．pay a certain amount of money

B．do all the housework for years

C．say sorry to his wife

D．admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Bob managed to keep the kids’ clothes clean.

B．Bob tried to cook good meals for his children.

C．Bob frequently took the kids out to eat because he was too busy at work.

D．Bob taught the kids to make their beds every day.

4.Which of the following can best end the news story?

A．“My experience of being a mother.”

B．“I’m proud of you all, my dear!”

C．“Wait till your mother gets home!”

D．“Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

Roberta appeared on the stage. She took a deep breath and began to 16 .  Now she was Portia, a strong –willed 17  in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The theater was filled with people. She was speaking with a power she had never before experienced, the words flowing 18 form her.

19, Roberta had never acted in her life before the audition （选拔试演）. She 20 being in front of other people. She was very 21 at school. She had never thought she was good enough at anything to 22 much attention. She stayed mostly to herself, making 23 friends. She had excellent grades, 24 she always thought that something was missing.

Two weeks before the audition, Robertsa’s mother had heard about it and 25 her to join in.

“I can’t think of anyone else better suited to 26 the part. Remember all the plays you used to act our for us?”

Her mother wouldn’t let the 27 drop. “You’re just a little scared (害怕) . Everyone gets scared. You know you 28 do it. The trick is to look past the 29 to find the love of what you’re doing. ’’

So Roberta had made an appointment (预约) with the head of the Drama Club. She had read the play and found herself excited by the 30 of speaking such rich words. In secret she practiced Portia’s part, 31 the lines by repeating them over and over. It wasn’t hard; she 32 every minute of it. Every time she spoke the words, she had a new 33 of the lines, as if Shakespeare had written Portia on many levels.

On the day of the audition, she 34 two of  Portia’s famous speeches for the auditors. When she had finished, the head of the Drama Club announced the 35 was hers. 

16. A. sing                          B. dance              C. speak                             D. report

17. A. member             B. actress             C. player                            D. character

18. A. weakly               B. rapidly                    C. smoothly                  D. slowly

19. A. At first               B. In fact                     C. After all                         D. In all

20. A. hated                        B. enjoyed                   C. appreciated                     D. regretted

21. A. honest                B. shy                  C. polite                             D. patient  

22. A. avoid                 B. focus                       C. pay                         D. attract

23. A. few                          B. a few                      C. several                           D. many

24. A. or                             B. so                   C. for                          D. but

25. A. forced               B. requested                  C. encouraged              D. reminded

26. A. accept                B. play                        C. offer                       D. learn

27. A. role                   B. matter                     C. interest                   D. grade

28. A. can                           B. must                       C. may                        D. should

29. A. anger                B. pain                        C. sadness                    D. fear

30. A. purpose              B. way                        C. idea.                              D. importance

31. A. memorizing        B. organizing                C. checking                 D. improving

32. A. disliked             B. loved                      C. expected                         D. bore

33. A. consideration      B. description               C. selection                  D. understanding

34. A. practiced            B. planned           C. performed               D. delivered  

35. A. part                          B. play                 C. speech                            D. position