Ques:The increase in tuition fees has led to a "clear drop" in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn. There are 15,000 "missing" applicants  this academic year, according to the Independent Commission on Fees. Chairman Will Hutton said: "We're asking our young men and women to have more debt than any other country in the world -- it's higher than the average debt in the US. It's not clear whether those lost students this year will return next year, or if it's a storm warming of a worrying trend." But the commission's report says there does not seem to be an impact on poorer communities. The commission found there was no significant change in the application rate to the key universities, such as Oxford or Cambridge. The decline  in England has not been mirrored  in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population. Students from Scotland attending Scottish universities do not pay fees, while the Welsh Assembly says it will pay fees above PS3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions. The average tuition fee at English universities this year is PS 8,385, rising to PS 8,507 next year. UK and EU students have access to government-backed loans to pay the fees. And the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, carried out this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment  in their future. A spokeswoman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is responsible for universities, said: "Students shouldn't be forced to put off going to university for financial reasons. Most students will not have to pay in advance, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least PS 2l,000 per year." What's the students' attitude to universities in the survey? A) They will stop applying for university places this autumn. B) They feel universities takes up too much time. C) They are anxious to go to a key university. D) Most of them are willing to go to university.

Ans:D
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Ques:MOST recently, my world has been shaken by the death of a teacher at my school. He was Dr Allan Woolley and he was only 52. Suddenly he took his own life, which remains a mystery. That morning, everyone sensed that something wasn't right. During our lessons, an announcement was made that an assembly   was scheduled for morning break, which was only done in emergencies. Once morning break came, the entire school gathered in the main hall. As our headmaster marched out to announce the "momentous   news", it felt like the air around us trembled . Many students broke down in tears, and the reaction afterward was intensely powerful and unifying . The headmaster said that students were allowed to miss lessons and have a free period to _ themselves if they found the news too distressing  . Many students went outside and shared memories of Dr Woolley to control theirselves. Dr Woolley taught me chemistry two years ago, but up until his death he still taught many of my close friends. Many of my friends were so shocked that they still couldn't believe the person that they had owed   some homework to was now dead. It was heart-warming to spend time with teachers that morning and get to know more about them. _ Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A) The real cause of Dr Woolley's death is known to us. B) Many students didn't prepare themselves for the bad news so that they felt very sad. C) It takes the whole school some time to recover from the dispressing news. D) Dr Woolley's death allows students to understand teachers better.

Ans:A
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Ques:When I was walking down the street the other day, I happened to notice a small brown leather wallet, lying on the sidewalk. I picked it up and opened it to see if I could find out the owner's name. There was nothing inside it except some change and an old photograph---- a picture of a woman and a young girl about twelve years old, who looked like the woman' s daughter. I put the photograph back and took the wallet to the police station, where I handed it to the desk sergeant . Before I left, the sergeant took down my name and address in case the owner might want to write and thank me.    That evening I went to have dinner with my aunt and uncle. They had also invited a young woman so that there would be four people at the table. Her face was familiar. I was quite sure that we had not met before, but I could not remember where I had seen her. In the course of conversation, however, the young woman happened to mention that she had lost her wallet that afternoon. All at once I realized where I had seen her. She was the young girl in the photograph, although she was now much older. She was very surprised, of course, when I was able to describe her wallet to her. Then I explained that I had recognized her from the photograph I had found in the wallet. My uncle insisted  on going to the police station immediately to claim  the wallet. As the police sergeant handed it over, he said that it was an amazing coincidence that I had not only found the wallet, but also the person who had lost it. The young woman told of her loss of the wallet  _  . A) at the beginning of the dinner B) during the conversation C) as soon as she saw the writer D) after the dinner

Ans:B
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Ques:In tough economic times, school counselors   don't just wait for students to come to their offices in search of college brochures, health pamphlets or other help. These days, they are looking for at-risk kids to prevent personal or academic troubles before they arise. Nowadays, students and families need the guidance more than ever.  Counselors play a steadying role in schools as the economy weighs on families, college admission becomes even more competitive, immigration continues to reshape the population and state-testing pressures many students. They use computers to search through attendance data, grades and standardized test scores for kids who might need extra help.  Schlatter, director of guidance and counseling at Prince William County's Woodbridge Senior High School, has checked attendance records against grades and test results to start peer groups   for students who are failing classes but not skipping them. She said group counseling is another way to reach more students though it can be difficult. "Kids really do start helping and sharing with each other."  At Fairfax High School, counselors found through surveys that students who transferred   to the school after ninth grade enjoyed school significantly less than those who had been there all four years. The counseling staff set up a special program and group for new arrivals in response, said Marcy Miller, the school's director of student services. Counseling staff members also have started small study groups for students to prepare for state Standards of Learning exams, which Miller said have helped raise test scores. She said that some of the newest counselors have had some of the freshest ideas. We can learn from the passage that   _  . A) counselors don't wait for kids to come to ask for help now B) counselors are trying to help people with economic problems C) counselors have made college admission less competitive D) counselors are trying to reach more kids in need of help

Ans:
D
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