There was a 17% fall in the number of first year undergraduates at UK universities in the first year of higher tuition fees, official figures show.
In 2012-13 UK universities were allowed to treble their yearly fees to ￡9,000.
England saw a 12% fall in new full-time undergraduate students overall.
The government acknowledged the fall but stressed that demand for full time higher education has already "returned to record levels".
A spokesperson for Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said the figures were influenced by a higher number of students taking up places the previous year, rather than having a gap year.
"A reduction in entrants in 2012 was well documented and the numbers were affected by the significant number of students who opted not to defer their place from the year before," she said.
"Direct consequence"
The decline had not continued into the current year, she added.
"Application rates for some of the most disadvantaged young people have risen to an all time high in England and more students than ever before are being successful in securing a place at their first choice institution."
The figures, collated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa), are official confirmation of other indications that there was a fall in the number of people going to university last year.
Previously released figures had shown declines in applications and offers of places, and the admissions body Ucas also reported a fall.
小题1:What is the main idea of the passage?| A．The number of undergraduates in Uk has decreased due to the higher fees . | | B．The government says undergraduate numbers have "returned to record levels". | | C．The reduction is the direct result of the significant number of students who opted not to defer their place from the year before. | | D．Application rates for some of the most disadvantaged young people have risen to an all time high in England |
小题2:What does the underlined word “treble” in paragragh 2 mean?| A．make a change | B．cut down on | C．increase three times | D．bring down |
小题3:Which of the following is Not True according to the passage?| A．The government refused to admit the decrease. | | B．The demand for full time higher education has already "returned to record levels". | | C．More than one media reported the same result. | | D．The number of the students who are successful in applying for their first choice institution is the largest. |
小题4:What is the attitude of the spokesperson for Department for Business, Innovation and Skills?| A．contradictory | B．positive | C．negative | D．indifferent |
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小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:A
小题4:B |
文章介绍因为学费高，英国的大学生数量在减少，也提到政府对此事的态度和各方媒体的观点。
小题1:主旨题：文章的第一段是主题句：There was a 17% fall in the number of first year undergraduates at UK universities in the first year of higher tuition fees, official figures show.说明因为学费高，英国的大学生数量在减少，选A 。
小题2:猜词题：从第一段可知因为学费高，英国的大学生数量在减少，第二段说英国政府允许学费trable到9000一年，说明是增加，B是减少，C是改变，D是降低，都不符合句意，选C。
小题3:细节题：从第四段的句子：The government acknowledged the fall but stressed that demand for full time higher education has already "returned to record levels".可知政府承认数量的下降，但是强调全日制高等教育的需求已经恢复到记录的水平，所以A的表达是错的。
小题4:态度题：从第五段到第八段，引用了Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 发言人的话，从她的言语中如：more students than ever before are being successful in securing a place at their first choice institution."可知她对于这件事的态度是乐观的，选B |
核心考点
试题【There was a 17% fall in the number of first year undergraduates at UK universiti】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
Thanks to a combination of young businessmen, large numbers of university students and revitalization (新生) efforts by the local and national governments, today’s Nanjing has an of youthful exuberance (繁茂) that would have been only a few decades ago. , the city, a booming city of 6.5 million on the banks of the Yangtze River some 185 miles west of Shanghai, bears resemblance to the former capital of China that suffered the worst cruelty and violence of World War II.
Nanjing has shown a remarkable capacity for reinvention during its 2,500-year history. And in recent years, the city has moved its tragic past to become a vital engine of China’s economic growth, thanks to its position in the middle of China’s prosperous eastern seaboard. Growth has also thanks to improved ground transportation: A new bullet train linking Nanjing and Shanghai started service last year, travel time between the cities from several hours to just 75 minutes, and a Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line is to open later this year, with a stop in Nanjing. Within the city, two metro lines were built in the last few years; 15 more are planned to begin service by 2030.
Signs of Nanjing’s wealth and optimism can be seen everywhere. In the heart of the downtown Xinjiekou district, a bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen, the father of modern China, looks over a busy area.
There is perhaps no more symbol of the city’s transformation than the Zifeng Tower, a 1,480-foot skyscraper that opened its doors last May. offices, restaurants and an InterContinental hotel, the tower is the second-tallest building in China and billed as the seventh-tallest in the world.
Underlying all this development is a large Chinese and student population — there are several major universities, plus a branch of Johns Hopkins’s international studies school. In fact, art and music in all sorts of places.
On a larger , local government officials and private investors are pushing the city as a rising center for contemporary art and architecture, hoping to attract from the neon-bathed streets of its neighbor Shanghai.
| 小题1: | | A．advance | B．affection | C．air | D．ability |
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| 小题2: | | A．unforgettable | B．unthinkable | C．unbearable | D．unnecessary |
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| 小题3: | | A．Actually | B．Regretfully | C．Hopefully | D．Consequently |
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| 小题4: | | A．close | B．slight | C．much | D．little |
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| 小题5: | | A．Because | B．But | C．As | D．Since |
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| 小题7: | | A．in addition | B．in all | C．in part | D．in fact |
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| 小题8: | | A．started | B．enlarged | C．existed | D．accelerated |
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| 小题9: | | A．removing | B．cutting | C．dividing | D．lowering |
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| 小题10: | | A．scheduled | B．invented | C．desired | D．meant |
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| 小题11: | | A．attractive | B．well-received | C．newfound | D．discovered |
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| 小题12: | | A．thought | B．treated | C．considered | D．elected |
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| 小题14: | | A．remote | B．regional | C．rural | D．commercial |
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| 小题15: | | A．universal | B．visible | C．traditional | D．political |
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| 小题16: | | A．Keeping | B．Consisting | C．Opening | D．Housing |
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| 小题17: | | A．British | B．western | C．American | D．foreign |
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| 小题18: | | A．spring up | B．stand up | C．set up | D．keep up |
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| 小题19: | | A．extent | B．degree | C．scale | D．level |
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| 小题20: | | A．businessmen | B．students | C．tourists | D．painters |
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Three-point-four billion riders on New York City subways and buses a year. This amazing number equals one-third of all mass transit trips in the United States. Ridership is at its highest in almost 60 years in almost every American city.
A commuter advocacy group, “Straphangers Campaign,” attributes it to younger Americans, said Gene Russianoff.
“Millenials（千禧一代）, those people born around the turn of the past century are much less car-oriented," he said. "They are urban. They like not owning cars, they like less responsibility and there are a lot of them."
In addition to millenials, many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly. In 2012 across America, people took 10.7 billion trips.
“When we talk about insurance rates going up, price of automobiles going up, then people are waking up and realizing: wait, here’s this huge asset(优点)that has been underutilized," said Richard Rudolph, chairman of the Rail Users Network. "Why not take advantage of this particular opportunity. It certainly makes more sense to get people out of automobiles into subways and into commuter and passenger railroads.”
New York is not standing still -- as passenger demand requires several major expansion projects. A new $4.5 billion subway line on New York’s Second Avenue -- which was recently excavated underneath businesses and apartment houses -- will take an overload of passengers off of other subway lines. Its first phase completion is scheduled in 2016.
People who work in New York’s financial district will soon be using a new transit subway transfer center. Almost all lines converge in lower Manhattan and the new center will give riders an easier way to get around the city and into New Jersey.
And, probably the most controversial and costly project is a $7 billion tunnel connection from Long Island into Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal. Trains from there will have access to New York’s midtown business district.
Andrew Albert, a board member of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, said there were many other reasons the public was riding in increasing numbers.
“The system has gotten a lot more dependable. We have new cars. We have countdown clocks to tell you when the next train is coming. We have expanded facilities in places," he said.
New York’s 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, transit system costs a $1.5 billion a year to maintain. It is one of the world’s oldest, with its first subway line having opened in 1904.
小题1:Who is more likely to use public transmit?
A.People living in suburb B.American young people
B.People living in the countryside D.American old people.
小题2:What does the underlined word in the 5th paragragh “underutilized” mean?| A．Not be put forward | B．not be noticed | | C．not be made full use of | D．not be thought of |
小题3:What does the underlined sentence in the 6th paragragh “New York is not standing still” mean?| A．New York is taking action to expand public transmit. | | B．New York will encourage more people to use public transmit. | | C．New York will make public transmit faster. | | D．New York is waking up and realizing the importance of public transmit. |
小题4:Which is Not the reason why the public is riding subways and buses in increasing numbers.| A．Public transport facilities are better than before. | | B．Many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly. | | C．The system has gotten a lot more dependable. | | D．It is more convenient to ride city subways and buses. |
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In the Harry Potter films, Hermione Granger is better than her male friends and is considered the brightest pupil in her grade. Isn’t it often the same in schools of our real world? A great many boys fall behind their female classmates.
“It’s surprising but true that most of the top students have been girls since primary school. Girls are class leaders, club presidents and the top ones in exams,” said Wang Feixuan, 15, who studies at a Chengdu school. By any measure, Wang herself is a high-achiever. She is a top student, a team leader in her school’s sports club and a winner in national English and IT competitions.
But why do so many girls outperform their male peers（同辈）?
In Sun Yunxiao’s latest book Save Our Boys, he points out that the education system is “more suited to girls, who are good at memorizing and like to sit quietly and read.” Yet he also says that girls have to do so much more when they compete with males for honors, top universities and later good jobs. They can feel great pressure（压力）nearly every day.
This seems to be the same in most countries in the world. Young women in the United States are also reported to feel the same pressure to be perfect.
“Let’s look at what we ask of our teenage girls,” says an American professor Stephen Hinshaw in an interview.
He thinks that it’s no longer enough that a girl does well in school and is a caring friend. On the TV, on the Internet, and everywhere, girls see images of impossible perfection（完美）.
Today’s young women must be good learners, good athletes, and fill their after-school lives with other activities. But they’re also asked to have the styles and looks of popular stars. “Be pretty, sweet and nice. Be athletic, competitive and get straight. Be impossibly perfect.” Stephen Hinshaw sums up.
小题1:The passage suggests that________.| A．our society asks far too much of teenage girls | | B．teenage girls shouldn’t be so perfect at school | | C．boys are always lazy ones rather than girls | | D．American girls have less pressure than Chinese girls |
小题2:According to the passage, it is true that .| A．boys are less smart than girls throughout school life | | B．boys usually don’t have so much pressure as girls do | | C．girls are all fond of the Chinese education system | | D．girls are better at school because boys don’t work hard |
小题3:The underlined word outperform means_________.| A．mistake | B．misunderstand | C．ignore | D．defeat |
小题4:What’s the best title for the passage_________?| A．Impossibly Perfect Is Possible. | B．Why Are Girls So Perfect? | | C．Perfect? Pressure Every Day! | D．Perfect: Boys or Girls? |
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San Francisco，unofficially regarded as one of the homeless capitals of the US，counts nearly 6,500 homeless people, with 4,300 living on the street．
Among the many problems that the homeless face is little or no access to showers．San Francisco only has about 16 to 20 shower stations to accommodate them．But Doniece Sandoval has made it her task to change that．
“Homelessness is something you can’t really miss，”the 51-year-old woman said．She started Lava Mae，a sort of showers on wheels, a new project that aims to turn old city buses into shower stations for the homeless．
“One day I passed a woman in the street and she was very dirty and basically crying，and I heard her say that she would never be clean．But I was wondering what her opportunities were to actually get clean,” Sandoval said．
Sandoval was inspired to start Lava Mae. The project has already been welcomed with open arms in the city．The Transportation Agency has donated one bus for the cause and is willing to donate three more if the project succeeds．Sandoval hopes the first bus will be able to hit the road in May this year．The Public Commission has also agreed to let the buses plug into fire hydrants(消防龙头)around the city if Lava Mae pays for the water．
One of Lava Mae’s biggest supporters is Bevan Dufty, the director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement under the mayor of San Francisco．“For people who are unhoused，access to showers is very difficult．Shower buses are something that could potentially be deployed (部署)in response to an emergency，so it is relevant to all San Franciscans," Dufty said．“Doniece has done an incredible job as a citizen who cares about helping the poor．We are very excited to see Lava Mae become real soon．”
Each bus will have two shower stations and Sandoval expects that by 2015，they’ll be able to provide 2000 showers a week．
小题1:What problem does San Francisco face according to the text?
A．The city has the most homeless people in the USA．
B．There are no shower stations for the homeless in the city．
C．It’s hard for homeless people in the city to take showers．
D．Few citizens in the city care about the homeless．
小题2:What does the underlined word ""them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．City problems． | B．Shower stations． | C．Old buses． | D．The homeless． |
小题3:Which of the following best describes Doniece Sandoval?| A．Brave and independent． | B．Caring and responsible． | | C．Honest and determined． | D．Friendly and humorous． |
小题4:What can we learn from Dufty’s words?| A．All San Franciscans are excited to use Lava Mae． | | B．Emergencies in San Francisco will be prevented by Lava Mae． | | C．Dufty thinks highly of Doniece"s way of helping the poor． | | D．The mayor of San Francisco will support Doniece financially． |
小题5:What can be a suitable title for the text?| A．A newly invented way of shower | | B．Showers on Wheels for the Homeless | | C．The health problem of the homeless | | D．Lave Mae-a new name for old city buses |
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阅读下面短文, 从短文后所给各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白的最佳选项。
The Voice of America began during the World WarⅡ. When Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international , American officials believed they should the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events. The first VOA news report began with words in . “The may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.
After the World WarⅡended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s had to be changed, the Soviet Union became enemy of America．They wanted to Soviet listeners. Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.
In the early years VOA began adding something new to its broadcast that was “ Music USA”. Another new idea came along in 1959．VOA knew that many listeners did not know English to completely understand its English broadcast. So VOA a simpler kind of English, uses about 1,500 words and is spoken of course, it is special English.
In the of most VOA listeners, the most program is the news report. News from around the world into the VOA news rooms in Washington 24 hours a day. It comes from VOA reporters in cities and also from other like BBC．VOA writers and editors use these materials to news reports, which are being broadcast in 43 languages.
| 小题1: | | A．business | B．culture | C． support | D．information |
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| 小题2: | | A．reply | B．answer | C．join | D．interrupt |
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| 小题3: | | A．same | B．short | C．English | D．German |
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| 小题4: | | A．news | B．problems | C．effects | D．opinions |
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| 小题5: | | A．stations | B．news | C．announcers | D．officials |
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| 小题6: | | A．home | B．position | C．purpose | D．results |
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| 小题7: | | A．if | B．supposing | C．considering | D．in order that |
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| 小题8: | | A．reach | B．satisfy | C．attack | D．support |
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| 小题9: | | A．known | B．reported | C．called | D．printed |
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| 小题10: | | A．American | B．British | C．standard | D．enough |
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| 小题11: | | A．normal | B．fast | C．good | D．exact |
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| 小题12: | | A．invented | B．discovered | C．taught | D．stopped |
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| 小题14: | | A．slowly | B．rapidly | C．normally | D．loudly |
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| 小题15: | | A．pleasure | B．course | C．opinion | D．advice |
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| 小题16: | | A．difficult | B．important | C．various | D．common |
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| 小题17: | | A．flies | B．sends | C．delivers | D．pasts |
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| 小题18: | | A．all | B．major | C．American | D．news |
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| 小题19: | | A．broadcasts | B．forms | C．newspapers | D．countries |
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| 小题20: | | A．broadcast | B．announce | C．translate | D．prepare |
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