All it took was a slice of Xinjiang cake to spark heated debates online over China's policy on ethnic minorities (少數(shù)民族) .
Since Monday, qiegao (cut cake) has been a trending topic on Sina Weibo, China’s main Twitter-like microblogging service.
The cake was a reference to Xinjiang’s famed nut cake, sometimes known by its old Turkic name baklava, a popular pastry across Central Asia and the Middle East. In Xinjiang, they are sold by Uygur vendors on tricycles who are known to charge dubious prices depending on the time and season.
The ethnic flare-up started after the Yueyang police from Hunan province posted a message on their official Weibo account. It reported a dispute in Pingjiang county over an overpriced piece of nut cake between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a villager named "Ling".
Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding. The verbal dispute eventually escalated into a fight and then a mass fight. As a result, two people were injured and Xinjiang nut cakes worth about 160,000 yuan (US$25,000) were destroyed. The total damage was worth 200,000 yuan which included a broken motorcycle and injuries to people. Local police have detained Ling. The 16 Uygur sellers were dully compensated and sent back to Xinjiang.
"Yueyang police incident" quickly became one of the most popular topics on Weibo. Yueyang police removed the post shortly after. As of Tuesday night, the topic was still amassing more than 66,000 hits. 
The incident is just one of many similar cases of ethnic tensions across China, notably in Xinjiang province, where deeply entrenched social and racial frictions between the dominant ethnic Han Chinese and minority Uygur Muslims occasionally spark violence. Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists.
【小題1】Which of the following is true?

A．The dispute is between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a policeman.

B．Nut cake is a popular pastry across East Asia and the Middle East.

C．The prices of Baklava will change according to the time and season.

D．The demand of the 16 Uygur sellers were refused and they were sent back to Xinjiang.

【小題2】How much did the broken motorcycle cost？

A．160,000 yuan

B．200,000 yuan

C．40,000yuan

D．We don’t know

【小題3】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．World's most expensive baklava

B．Ethnic tensions across China

C．Pay attention to the Uygurs

D．Misunderstanding caused a fight

【小題4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．Yueyang police are afraid of the Xinjiang Uygur vendor

B．It’s not the only ethnic tension across China,

C．Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists.

D．Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding.

Unemployment in Europe has recently hit record highs. Although Denmark has been protected from economic problems thanks to its low public debt, qualified (有資格的) professionals are still finding it tough to get a job. Danish marketing firm Reputation Copenhagen has come up with a way of helping academics get noticed -- putting them on display (展示) in storefront windows.
Many highly-trained professionals, ranging from former CEOs to lawyers and tax experts, are currently finding it increasingly difficult to find proper employment on the Danish job market. Some of them have been trying for years, leaving their resumes (簡(jiǎn)歷) with dozens of companies, without ever hearing back from them, and are now at a point where they are willing to try anything, even putting themselves in display windows like goods, hoping to get noticed.
Alexander Peitersen, managing director of Reputation Copenhagen, came up with the idea of using his company's office as a storefront for the campaign (活動(dòng)), as there are many businesses nearby that might be interested in the talents on display. So he set up a small desk, put up the “an available academic is sitting here” sign and asked the unemployed to just sit in the windows like goods. It seems like a pretty desperate measure, but at least it works. According to the agency's website, three of the jobseekers in their window display got a job in a day or two.
Peitersen says he came up with the idea after realizing human resource managers get hundreds of job applications every day, which look more or less the same, and that creative thinking is required in order to increase the chances of finding employment. Apart from companies interested in qualified job-seekers, the campaign has also attracted the attention of both local and international media.
【小題1】Which of the following words can be used to describe Peitersen?

A．Independent.

B．Creative.

C．Sensitive.

D．Cautious.

【小題2】Some job-seekers are willing to put themselves in the windows to display in that ______.

A．they think it is fashionable

B．their parents ask them to

C．it’s increasingly difficult to get hired

D．they find it’s interesting

【小題3】It can be Inferred that ______.

A．no companies show interest in the qualified job-seekers in the windows

B．both local and international media don't agree with the campaign

C．human resource managers have to reply to hundreds of applicants

D．to some degree the window displays help people find jobs

【小題4】What is the text mainly about?

A．Job-seekers are displayed in the windows hoping to get hired.

B．The rate of unemployment in Europe has recently become hitter.

C．It is hard for qualified professionals to get a job.

D．Denmark has avoided economic problems due to its low public debt.

China’s new term, tuhao, may be in next year’s Oxford English Dictionary. The word caught the attention of the dictionary's editing team after BBC’s recent program on influential Chinese words. “If its influence continues, it is very likely to appear on our updated list of words,” said Julie Kleeman, project manager with the editing team.
In Chinese tu means uncouth (笨拙的) and hao means rich. It has traditionally been referred to rich people who throw their weight around in China’s countryside. The word became more popular in September with the launch of Apple’s new gold-colored iPhone, which is loved by China’s rich people. The color became known as “tuhao gold.” The word is now also used by the online community to refer to people who have the cash but lack the class to go with it. Kleeman also mentioned two other Chinese words — dama and hukou — which may also make it into the dictionary.
People can have an intuitive (直觀的) grasp of the meanings if they see pinyin, Kleeman said, adding that people avoid using an English word to keep the original meaning.
“We have nearly 120 Chinese-linked words now in Oxford English Dictionary,” she said. Some of them are: Guanxi, which means “connection”; Taikonaut, a mix of taikong, meaning outer space, and astronaut.
The new words will be first uploaded on the official website before the dictionaries arrive. The online version is also renewed every three months. “It at least broke our old rules. It used to take 10 years to include a new word but now we keep the pace with the time,” according to a statement from ex-chief-editor John Simpson.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is true according to the text?

A．Dama and hukou have made it into Oxford English dictionary.

B．Some influential Chinese words appeared on one of BBC’s recent programs.

C．tuhao refers to people who have both the cash and the class.

D．John Simpson thinks that it is not good to break old rules.

【小題2】What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Give orders to others.	B．Get ready to help others.
C．Go on a diet.	D．Put on weight.

【小題3】Tuhao becomes more popular in September partly because ______.

A．it is very likely to appear in Oxford English Dictionary

B．it is often used by the online community

C．people use Chinese pinyin to keep the original meaning

D．Apple launched a new gold-colored iPhone

【小題4】The main idea of the text is that ______.

A．tuhao may end up in Oxford English Dictionary

B．sometimes pinyin makes Chinese words better understood

C．tuhao has a new meaning at the present time

D．Oxford English Dictionary Includes new words faster than before

LaMar Baylor, an American performer in the Broadway musical, spends most of his time in New York City．But since 2011, he has also spent weeks in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda．There, he teaches dance to boys who live on the street．His teaching is part of an effort by the Rebecca  Davis Dance Company．The project helps young people learn more about dance and learn how to  behave in a classroom environment．
Rebecca Davis and LaMar Baylor teach ballet to street children in Kigali, Rwanda．The  children have lost all of their families．Some have been in prison; others have sold their bodies for sex．Dance classes provide the children with structured learning and self-expression that they've never had before．
Rebecca Davis is the founder and director of the dance company．She got the idea for the project after visiting Rwanda in 2008．There she met a large number of street children who were dancing, and she thought that dance could be used to get them off the street and into a safe place．She believes that learning to dance is a step toward education．She says children can take classes in information and technology after they have learned to attend classes and follow directions．
Boys who have done best in the classes win scholarships and are sent to the Sunrise Boarding School．About 30 boys have won this kind of financial aid．
As for LaMar Baylor, he knows from his own experience how dance can lead to a better life．He is from Camden, New Jersey．Camden has sometimes been called America's poorest and most dangerous city．He now thanks dancing for saving his life．
The Rwanda program is the largest one set up by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company, and Ms．Davis has also set up dance programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Guinea．About 2,000 children in the three countries have taken part in the project since it was begun in 2010．
【小題1】The dance project aims to____．

A．give the street children parental care

B．provide scholarship for the street children

C．help the street children receive some education

D．keep the street children in good health

【小題2】What do we learn about the street children from the passage?

A．All of them can be sent to the Sunrise Boarding School．

B．It may be hard for them to adapt to classroom rules at first．

C．They only take classes in dancing．

D．Many of them have been in prison．

【小題3】What LaMar Baylor and the street children in the project have in common is that _．

A．they all benefit from dancing

B．they borrowed money from the project

C．they learn to express themselves in dance class

D．they were homeless at one time

【小題4】We can infer from the last paragraph that          -．

A．the dance project was started in Guinea

B．the Rwanda program is the first program by Rebecca Davis

C．the Rwanda program has attracted about 2,000 children

D．the dance project gains popularity and grows quickly

In today’s congratulatory phone call to the team behind NASA's Mars Curiosity rover（火星車）, President Barack Obama made sure that if the mission discovers Martians, he'll be one of the first to know.
"If in fact you do make contact with Martians, please let me know right away," Obama said during the call, "I've got a lot of things on my plate, but I expect that that will go to the top of the list. Even if they're just microbes(微生物), it will be pretty exciting."
Obama also said he was impressed by the attention that's been paid to flight director Bobak Ferdowsi, the "Mohawk Guy" whose star-spangled haircut and warmhearted behavior during Curiosity's Aug. 5 landing won him Internet fame.
"I, in the past, thought about getting a Mohawk myself," Obama joked. "But my team keeps on discouraging me. And now that he's received marriage proposals and thousands of new Twitter followers, I think I'm going to go back to my team and see if it makes sense."
The congratulatory phone call is a tradition for the White House. But it was clear that Obama particularly enjoyed congratulating the scientists and engineers behind the amazingly successful landing of NASA's newest Mars exploration.
He also said the achievement reflected the American spirit, and he gave his personal promise to protect these critical investments in science and technology.
"This is the kind of thing that inspires kids across the country," he said. "They’re telling their moms and dads they want to be part of a Mars mission, maybe even the first person to walk on Mars. And that kind of inspiration is the byproduct of work of the sort that you guys have done."
The Curiosity rover's $2.5 billion mission focuses on studying billions of years' worth of geology on Mars and determining whether the planet was ever potentially suitable for people to live in. The mission is not specifically designed to explore life, even on the range of microbes, but it could point the way for future life-exploration experiments.
【小題1】Obama phoned the team behind NASA's Mars Curiosity rover in order to _______.

A．congratulate them on finding Martians

B．praise the flight director

C．congratulate on the rover’s landing

D．encourage them to contact with Martians

【小題2】What is the main idea of Paragraph 2 ?

A．Obama is very busy now.

B．Obama longs for the finding of life on Mars.

C．Obama is interested in biology.

D．Obama wants to contact Martians.

【小題3】Which of the following about the Curiosity rover is TRUE ?

A．It costs billions of dollars.

B．It mainly aims to find life on Mars.

C．It carries the first person to Mars.

D．It proves Mars fit to live on.

【小題4】What can we learn from the passage ?

A．Bobak Ferdowsi got a Mohawk haircut to win great Internet fame.

B．Obama called on the government and companies to invest in science.

C．America’s president seldom congratulates on scientific achievements.

D．Children showed special interest in the landing of Curiosity.

Lately, Bolivia has outlawed (宣布……為非法) the use of animals in circus (馬戲團(tuán)) performances, and officials in the South American nation aren’t doing it in a silly way! They say all Bolivian circuses must stop using animals.
Some people welcome the law. They say animals should not be forced to work and that circus creatures are caged in tight spaces when they travel. However, other people say that many of the four legged performers are cared for by animal experts. Plus, they point out, circus animals entertain millions of fans.
Should animals perform in circuses? Student reporters Michael and Emily have done some work on the issue.
Yes, I think animals should be allowed in circus acts. Most circus trainers love and respect the animals they work with and treat them well. Certain rules and regulations also help to ensure that the animals are treated humanely, or with kindness. Millions of people love circus animals. They look forward to seeing elephants and tigers perform. Many of the animals are exotic (奇特的), so people might not get the chance to see them anywhere else. “Circus animals shouldn’t be banned,” says Parker, a sixth grader from Oregon City, “One of the main reasons people go to the circus is to see animals they don’t see every day and to see them do cool tricks.”
Animals should not perform in circuses. When animals are in circuses, they are forced to learn new behaviors in order to entertain humans. Those behaviors may go against their natural instincts (本性). For example, bears  hibernate  in the winter, but bears in a circus have to perform and can’t hibernate as their bodies tell them to. Also, circus animals have to travel all the time in cages. All that traveling may cause them to become confused or upset because their environment keeps changing. “When animals are removed from their habitat and held in cages ... it changes their behaviors,” points out Anne Northam, a teacher from Friendswood, Texas.  “They are no longer selfsufficient (自給自足的).”
【小題1】Which of the following can be a reason why people support the law?

A．Animals in circuses are given more respect and care.

B．Animals in circuses bring a lot of fun for people.

C．Animals in circuses can’t live their life naturally.

D．Animals in circuses are protected by many regulations.

【小題2】What’s Anne’s attitude towards the new law?

A．She welcomes it.

B．She is against it.

C．She thinks it acceptable.

D．She thinks it useless.

【小題3】Which would be the best title for the text?

A．Enjoy more fun in circuses

B．More respect and kindness to animals

C．Circuses in Bolivia Open or Closed

D．Animals belong in circuses Yes or No

【小題4】The underlined word “hibernate” in the last paragraph probably means __________.

A．sleep

B．look for food

C．move from one place to another

D．perform

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（申請(qǐng)人） 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（下降） in England has not been mirrored（再現(xiàn)） 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 ￡3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions.
The average tuition fee at English universities this year is ￡ 8,385, rising to ￡ 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（投資） 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 ￡ 2l,000 per year.”
【小題1】From the first paragraph, we know that        .

A．the rising tuition fees have a great effect on English students

B．many English students are missing the final examinations

C．the lost English students will find their way back

D．it’s a trend that English students are dropping out of school

【小題2】 Why is there still a drop of applicants though fees have not been raised?

A．Because the students live in poor communities.

B．Because education is free for Scottish students.

C．Because there are less young students in the area.

D．Because Welsh students will pay fees above￡3,465.

【小題3】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.

【小題4】The spokeswoman in the last paragraph advises students to        .

A．put off going to university

B．pay for the fees in advance

C．reduce the anxiety about the rising fees

D．pay back their loan soon aller graduation

British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression “couch potato” to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable’s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term “couch slouch”, with protests being outside Parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press.
Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 planters and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
“We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you,” she said on Monday.
“The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary’s fault but we want to use another term instead of “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.”
The OED says that “couch potato” began as American slang, meaning “a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes.”
The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians (飲食學(xué)家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.
Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods.
“Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy (美味). Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said “dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses.”
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words in 20 volumes.
But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries,” he added.
The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.
【小題1】British potato farmers wanted to _________.

A．a(chǎn)dvertise their produces

B．call for a higher price for their potatoes

C．remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary

D．let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives

【小題2】The farmers think that _________.

A．potatoes have had a bad image

B．Potatoes are good for people by nature

C．potatoes sometimes do harm to people

D．it’s the dictionary’s fault to use the expression “couch potato”

【小題3】John Simpson thinks that _________.

A．the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary

B．dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses

C．little-used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries

D．it is impossible for them to take the expression out of the dictionary

【小題4】What is wrong with the expression “couch potato” according to the farmers in this passage?

A．It is connected with unfavorable meaning.

B．Potato should be used in the expression.

C．It is borrowed from America English.

D．It refers to a kind of person.

Human remains of ancient settlements will be reburied and lost to science under a law that threatens research into the history of humans in Britain, a group of leading archaeologists(考古學(xué)家) says. In a letter addressed to the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, 40 archaeologists write of their “deep and widespread concern” about the issue. It centers on the law introduced by the Ministry of Justice in 2008 which requires all human remains unearthed in England and Wales to be reburied within two years, regardless of their age. The decision means scientists have too little time to study bones and other human remains of national and cultural significance.
“Your current requirement that all archaeologically unearthed human remains should be reburied, whether after a standard period of two years or further special extension, is contrary to basic principles of archaeological and scientific research and of museum practice,” they write.
The law applies to any pieces of bone uncovered at around 400 dig sites, including the remains of 60 or so bodies found at Stonehenge in 2008 that date back to 3,000 BC. Archaeologists have been granted a temporary extension to give them more time, but eventually the bones will have to be returned to the ground.
The arrangements may result in the waste of future discoveries at sites such as Happisburgh in Norfolk, where digging is continuing after the discovery of stone tools made by early humans 950,000 years ago. If human remains were found at Happisburgh, they would be the oldest in northern Europe and the first indication of what this species was. Under the current practice of the law those remains would have to be reburied and effectively destroyed.
Before 2008, guidelines allowed for the proper preservation and study of bones of sufficient age and historical interest, while the Burial Act 1857 applied to more recent remains. The Ministry of Justice assured archaeologists two years ago that the law was temporary, but has so far failed to revise it.
Mike Parker Pearson, an archaeologist at Sheffield University, said: “Archaeologists have been extremely patient because we were led to believe the ministry was sorting out this problem, but we feel that we cannot wait any longer.”
The ministry has no guidelines on where or how remains should be reburied, or on what records should be kept.
【小題1】According to the passage, scientists are unhappy with the law mainly because _______.

A．it is only a temporary measure on the human remains

B．it is unreasonable and thus destructive to scientific research

C．it was introduced by the government without their knowledge

D．it is vague about where and how to rebury human remains

【小題2】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Temporary extension of two years will guarantee scientists enough time.

B．Human remains of the oldest species were dug out at Happisburgh.

C．Human remains will have to be reburied despite the extension of time.

D．Scientists have been warned that the law can hardly be changed.

【小題3】What can be inferred about the British law governing human remains?

A．The Ministry of Justice did not intend it to protect human remains.

B．The Burial Act 1857 only applied to remains uncovered before 1857.

C．The law on human remains hasn’t changed in recent decades.

D．The Ministry of Justice has not done enough about the law.

【小題4】Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．New discoveries should be reburied, the government demands.

B．Research time should be extended, scientists require.

C．Law on human remains needs thorough discussion, authorities say.

D．Law could bury ancient secrets for ever, archaeologists warn.

The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time.
Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station’s competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered for a particular “experiment” organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England. Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio. They took a lie detector （測(cè)謊儀）test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges included an astrologer（占卜家）who declared that they were suited.
The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine’s mother looked anxious through-out the wedding and Mr. Cordell’s parents are reported to be less than delighted.
Organizations, including the marriage guidance service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one expert put it, “we have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously. Marriage should always be about love.”
The couples are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment in the centre of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last?
【小題1】How did the couple’s parents react to the wedding?

A．The bride’s mother shared their joy.

B．The bridegroom’s parents were not that joyful.

C．The bridegroom’s parents were quite delighted.

D．The bride’s father felt uncomfortable about the wedding.

【小題2】Some experts believe that ________.

A．marriage without the couple’s meeting each other first ends up in divorce.

B．most young people take marriage seriously except this couple.

C．taking a lie detector test can not solve all the marriage problems.

D．young people nowadays are too careless about marriage.

【小題3】One of the prizes for the couple is ________.

A．to use an apartment free for some time.

B．to spend their honeymoon wherever they like.

C．to have a wedding dress free.

D．to own an American sports car.

【小題4】Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．A Wedding Based on love.	B．Two Strangers and a Wedding.
C．A Short--lived Marriage.	D．A Well--Matched Couple.