Universities in the UK

Universities in Britain are a magnet for overseas students． There are currently over 200,000 from outside Britain studying at British universities． The largest single group is Chinese students． There are currently 50,000 in the UK． The British government expects the total number of overseas students to be around 900,000 by 2020, and also thinks that a quarter of these will be Chinese．

But why is the UK such a popular destination for university students? Well, the quality of your course is guaranteed． All courses are assessed by an independent system, so you can be assured that your course is officially approved and has wide international recognition．

The British education system is very flexible in order to provide for the needs of a modern, complex society． It is also cost-effective． Degree courses are usually shorter and more intensive than in other countries． There are lots of scholarships available． You normally need 3 A-levels, which are the exams taken by people leaving school at 18, in order to enter an undergraduate degree course． You also need an IELTS score of at least 5．5, but many universities offer foundation or access courses to prepare students for their studies．

British universities offer a personalized but independent approach． The emphasis is on creative and independent thought, which helps develop the skills you will need to compete in the global job market． Tutors not only teach but also provide support and guidance． As a result, international students have a very low drop out rate and a very high pass rate．

It is very simple to become an international student in the UK． The British “Council offers a free and impartial service to anyone who is interested in studying in the UK, and an organization called UCAS assists you in finding a course and making an effective application．

The UK is a dynamic(充满活力的) place． The countryside is beautiful, and the theatres, museums, architecture and rich history make it a fascinating place to live and study． __________．

1．By 2020, how many Chinese students are expected to study at British universities?

       A．About 50,000．   B．About 225,000．  C．About 160,000． D．About 300, 000．

2．According to the passage, the followings are the features of the UK’s education system EXCEPT __________．

       A．personalised guidance and support

       B．international recognition and official approval

       C．cheaper, longer but more effective courses

       D．foundation or access courses for the overseas students

3．Which of the following statements is NOT the reason for overseas students choosing the UK as their destination for education?

       A．Tutors not only teach but also provide support and guidance．

       B．A low pass rate guarantees the quality of graduates．

       C．The flexible education system provides various choices for students．

       D．The universities in the UK emphasize the creativity and independence of students．

4．Which of the following sentences do you think is the best closing sentence for the last paragraph?

       A．Have great fun in the UK!                    

       B．What a charming country the UK is!

       C．To pay a visit to the UK is everyone’s dream．

       D．Why not give it a go?

‘Happiness consists in the multiplicity of agreeable consciousness,’ wrote Samuel Johnson，a famous British writer and lexicographer（词典编写者）of the eighteenth century．

Today, amid the large amount of worldly temptations and material sources of modem-day enjoyment, people from all walks of life are still searching for the key to happiness．The question ‘How call we be happy? ’seems to worry everyone．Indeed, in this day and age of scientific advancement and heavenly comforts．people still do not seem able to find a definite answer to the age-old problem of finding happiness．Happiness seems to be a very difficult thing．Solon’s dictum‘ count no man happy until he is dead’ seems to present both, the poor and the rich with a continual threat causing them no end of anxiety．

In Oxford，England，a noted psychology professor, Dr Michael Argyle，has succeeded in his quest for happiness．Over the past eight years, he has been researching the mysterious antithesis（对立而）of depression，and has found convincing clues which he has embodied in his books．‘The Psychology of Happiness’，and ‘The Social Psychology of Everyday Life’．

Dr Argyle explains that happiness comprises three essential elements—first，positive emotions 1ike joy；second，the absence of negative emotions like anxiety；and lastly, the non-emotional element which means a general，more profound satisfaction with life．

“The bigger source of happiness is a happy marriage,” Dr Argyle explains．“Job satisfaction．”he continues，“is another essential ingredient of happiness．”Do you feel you are doing a useful job? Do you feel you are achieving, or stand a chance of achieving your ambitions? If you honestly  have positive answers to these questions，then eventually，you will be happy；if not，then you can still be happy by reducing your ambitions and lowering your expectations in order to achieve  happiness．’The fact is, the higher your ambitions and dreams are，the more difficult it will be for you to achieve your goals and therefore it will be harder to achieve satisfaction and happiness．

Dr Argyle offers other avenues people can take to find real happiness．Music, games or sports，a drink with a friend，a simple gathering at tea，lunch or dinner with loved ones, or simply thinking of nice things, call give a person happiness, if only for a few hours．Surprisingly, television programmers, especially soap operas offers nothing but a bit of pleasurable moments． Often, television viewers are so carried away emotionally that they feel depressed or emotionally tired. Non-soap programmers，on the other hand，bore many viewers or sometimes deepen their misery．Dr Argyle further explains that wealth and worldly success do contribute to happiness．But in the ultimate analysis, Dr Argyle says, it is the person’s temperament（性情）that makes him happy or unhappy．“There are in our midst people who are naturally happy, and there are the sad ones．”

Happiness is indeed mysterious．As one wise mall put it, ‘Few are those who have never had the chance to achieve happiness，but fewer those who have never taken that chance．’

1．The writer quotes Solon’s dictum in paragraph 2 to prove that            ．

A．happiness is everyone’s business            B．the dead are happier than the living

C．man is generally hard．                          D．happiness is not easy to find

2．Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an ingredient of happiness?

A．Happy marriage．                              B．Entertainment．

C．High ambitions．                                 D．Wealth and power．

3．The writer believes that television programmers             ．

A．do more harm than good                                                                                    B．offer only limited enjoyment

C．should be avoided altogether by viewers                               

D．are a genuine source of enjoyment

4．Dr argyle believes that              ．

A．the temperament of a person is largely affected by his working environment

B．there are people who are by nature happy or unhappy

C．there are people who blame others for their low self-esteem

D．most people often feel depressed because they worry about what other people think of them．

5．In the last paragraph，the writer implies that           ．

A．happiness is false

B．people may not know it but they are, in fact ,happy

C．people should not bother seeking happiness

D．most people have been happy at least once in their life

 “Happiness consists in the multiplicity of agreeable consciousness,” wrote Samuel Johnson, a famous British writer and lexicographer（词典编写者）of the eighteenth century.

Today, amid the large amount of worldly temptations and material sources of modem-day enjoyment, people from all walks of life are still searching for the key to happiness. The question “How can we be happy?” seems to worry everyone. Indeed, in this day and age of scientific advancement and heavenly comforts, people still do not seem able to find a definite answer to the age-old problem of finding happiness. Happiness seems to be a very difficult thing. Solon’s dictum “Count no man happy until he is dead” seems to present both the poor and the rich with a continual threat causing them no end of anxiety.

In Oxford, England, a noted psychology professor, Dr Michael Argyle, has succeeded in his quest for happiness. Over the past eight years, he has been researching the mysterious antithesis（对立面）of depression, and has found convincing clues which he has embodied in his books.

"The Psychology of Happiness”, and “The Social Psychology of Everyday Life”.

Dr Argyle explains that happiness comprises three essential elements ― first, positive emotions like joy; second, the absence of negative emotions like anxiety, and lastly, the non-emotional element which means a general, more profound satisfaction with life.

“The bigger source of happiness is a happy marriage,” Dr Argyle explains. “Job satisfaction.” he continues, “is another essential ingredient of happiness.” Do you feel you are doing a useful job? Do you feel you are achieving, or stand a chance of achieving your ambitions?

If you honestly have positive answers to these questions, then eventually, you will be happy; if not, then you can still be happy by reducing your ambitions and lowering your expectations in order to achieve happiness. The fact is, the higher your ambitions and dreams are, the more difficult it will be for you to achieve your goals and therefore it will be harder to achieve satisfaction and happiness.

Dr Argyle offers other avenues people can take to find real happiness. Music, games or sports, a drink with a friend, a simple gathering at tea, lunch or dinner with loved ones, or simply thinking of nice things, call give a person happiness, if only for a few hours. Surprisingly, television programs, especially soap operas offers nothing but a bit of pleasurable moments. Often, television viewers are so carried away emotionally that they feel depressed or emotionally tired. Non-soap programmers, on the other hand, bore many viewers or sometimes deepen their misery. Dr Argyle further explains that wealth and worldly success do contribute to happiness. But in the ultimate analysis, Dr Argyle says, it is the person's temperament（性情）that makes him happy or unhappy. "There are in our midst people who are naturally happy, and there are the sad ones.”

Happiness is indeed mysterious. As one wise man put it, “Few are those who have never had the chance to achieve happiness, but fewer those who have never taken that chance.”

51. The writer quotes Solon’s dictum in paragraph 2 to prove that ________.

A. happiness is everyone's business            B. the dead are happier than the living

C. man is generally hard.                     D. happiness is not easy to find

52. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an ingredient of happiness?

A. Happy marriage.                         B. Entertainment.

C. High ambitions.                          D. Wealth and power.

53. The writer believes that television programs_______.

A. do more harm than good                 B. offer only limited enjoyment

C. should be avoided altogether by viewers     D. are a genuine source of enjoyment

54. Dr argyle believes that ________.

A. the temperament of a person is largely affected by his working

B. there are people who are by nature happy or unhappy

C. there are people who blame others for their low self-esteem

D. most people often feel depressed because they worry about them.

55. In the last paragraph, the writer implies that ________.

A. happiness is false                           B. people may not know it but they are, in fact, happy

C. people should not bother seeking happiness

D. most people have been happy at least once in their life

E
Sweet potatoes are fat-free, high in fiber and full of the vitamins that research suggests reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases. To stay healthy, we must eat more fruits and vegetables, and sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene(胡萝卜素) and other carotenoids(which the body turns into vitamin A). According to a study of the diets of almost 90,000 nurses, eating about one cup a day of fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids can cut your risk of stroke in half and reduce your risk of heart disease by 22 percent. Other research suggests beta carotene protects against breast, lung and stomach cancers.
Beta carotene is the most famous member of the carotenoids family. In face, a medium-sized sweet potato contains nearly 12mg of beta carotene(anti-aging experts usually suggest 6 to 11 mg per day). Sweet potatoes are also a low-fat source of vitamin E. Research has linked high E diets with a lower risk of heart disease. This vitamin pill in an orange jacket also packs a vitamin C punchit which has more C than apricots (a kind of fruit). Research suggests that vitamin C protects against ailments (小疾) ranging from cataracts(an eye disease) to cancer. In addition, a UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) study linked high vitamin C diets with a longer life. Recent studies have showed that antioxidant Vitamins C, E and beta carotene fight a fierce battle against free radicals (自由基），which cause cell damage and lead to various illness. Therefore, to keep fit, eat more sweet potatoes.
72. According to the text, there exists a lot of ______in sweet potatoes.
A. fiber, beta carotene, other carotenoids, Vitamin E and C
B. beta carotene, other carotenoids, fiber, Vitamin A and E
C. Vitamin A, beta carotene, fiber, Vitamin E and C
D. beta carotene, other carotenoids, Vitamin A and E
73. This text as a whole suggests that eating sweet potatoes can help______.
A. cut your risk of stroke and heart disease
B. protect against breast, lung and stomach cancers
C. protect against ailments ranging from cataracts to cancers
D. you stay healthy and reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases
74. “ This vitamin pill in an orange jacket” in the passage refers to______.
A. sweet potato     B. vitamin C pill
C. vitamin E pill    D. beta carotene
75. The best title of this passage might be______.
A. On sweet potatoes             B. The vitamin superstar
C. Beta carotene and vitamins      D. Diet and disease

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a   36   over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always   37  . Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was strict. I’ve always been glad about that.

It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t money for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big   38   for the kids was the fun of Christmas shopping.

They planned weeks ahead of time, asking each other what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for presents to share by all five of us.

The big   39   arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and   40   them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would   41   back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.

Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits   42   my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually quiet. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies---fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything   43   we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door,   44   to be angry again. This is what she told me.

“I was looking   45   thinking of what to buy, and I stopped to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and   46   the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”

I never felt so   47   as I did that day.

36. A. roof                   B. hat                  C. sky                   D. star

37. A. little                    B. less                 C. enough              D. more

38. A. improvement       B. problem           C. surprise             D. excitement

39. A. day                    B. chance            C. cheque              D. tree

40. A. forced                B. reminded         C. invited               D. begged

41. A. draw                  B. stay                 C. move                       D. meet

42. A. including             B. besides            C. except               D. as well as

43. A. since                  B. after                C. while                 D. until

44. A. waiting               B. ready               C. hoping               D. afraid

45. A. out                     B. over                C. forward             D. around

46. A. made                  B. searched          C. bought              D. fetched

47. A. angry                 B. rich                 C. patient               D. bitter