Next autumn, studying for a degree in Britain will become more expensive, and the results are already clear. This week, figures from UCAS(the Universities and College Admissions service)show a 15-percent downturn in applications(申請) from this time last year. With fees having reached ￡9,000 a year, some students are beginning to consider other ways of getting higher education—including distance learning, which allows them to get a degree while still living, and earning money, at home.

That is important, because fees are only part of the picture. The National Union of Students says that UK students pay an average of ￡4,900 a year for basics such as rent, food, books, equipment, field trips and the like. If those costs can be reduced, the burden of fees will be lessened. Therefore, many people are thinking not only about what and where to study, but how—that is, whether they have to be on campus to get a degree.

Distance learning is best suited to certain subjects and to ultra-motivated(極有主動性的)student, according to Carrie-Anne Rice of Resource Development International(RDI).“The advantage is that the fee system is more flexible(靈活的), and you can have full-time work while studying, Rice says.”“You graduate three years ahead of possible competitors(競爭對手)— with the same degree, but with three years of work experience and without the debt.”

“I left school and went straight into work. But at the age of 23, I changed career and soon realized I needed a degree to advance. Because of lack of money ad time, full-time university wasn’t a good choice, but I discovered that distance learning was financially flexible and enabled me to work and gain skills from my workplace without affecting the quality of my life,” Andy Cain, a distance learning student says.

Although distance learning has many advantages, a campus-based university experience remains the dream of most school-leavers. There is no question that “being there” is not only fun, but rich in shared experience, pooled knowledge, and—perhaps most importantly—friendships that will go on long after the degrees have been awarded.

1.The number of students applying to universities    compared to this time last year.

A．has increased greatly                    B．has decreased

C．hasn’t shown any change                D．has become zero

2.Students who study on campus spend      each year, on average.

A．￡9,000          B．￡4,900           C．￡13,900          D．￡4,100

3.Which of the following is NOT the benefit of distance learning?

A．Lower debt levels                       B．A head start on the job market.

C．Valuable friendships                     D．A flexible fee system.

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The change in fees has had no effect on school-leavers.

B．Distance learning has the same advantages as campus-based learning.

C．Distance learning is so attractive that nobody wants to go to university any more.

D．Distance learning doesn’t suit all subjects or all students.

It suddenly occurred to Anne that money couldn't ____ all that Bob had suffered in the past five years.

1.The above posts center on a blog passage written by ______.

A. Wendy         B. Julie                                C. Anne                               D. Nancy

2. Nancy and Anne share the opinion that______.

A. work can bring joy to people                           B. creativity may help reduce depression

C. beauty is the most important in life              D. different people handle things differently

3.Which of the following about Julie is NOT true?

A. Julie is the CEO of a company.                        B. Julie was once attracted to artwork.

C. Julie has never been attacked publicly.                 D. Julie was honest about her past experiences.

The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance (香氣). From air fresheners to scented (有香味的) candles, we live in a world of scent.

Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies (過敏), headaches and asthma (哮喘) .

One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called “contact” allergy—where perfumes and scented products cause eczema (濕疹) when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy.

“Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy,” says Dr. Baron. “You don’t react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you.”

People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable (易受影響). “The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes,” says Dr. Baron. “But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy.” You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. “Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products –soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder—contain fragrances,” says Dr. Baron.

And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose’s nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact.

“Fragrance suggest cleanliness – yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture,” says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. “We often use them to mask one problem – as with air fresheners – but create a greater one – adding poisonous chemicals to the air.”

1.What is the text mainly about?

A．The world trend of using fragrance.

B．The benefits of using non-fragranced products.

C．The health problems caused by fragrance

D．The ways of removing allergy.

2.According to Dr. Baron,            .

A．our bodies have an immediate reaction to fragrance.

B．seven in ten have suffered fragrance allergy.

C．fragrance can affect people who don’t have allergy

D．people can avoid contacting with fragrance easily

3.Which of the following questions does the text NOT answer?

A．Which products contain fragrance?

B．What’s the influence of fragrance in the air?

C．What are the air fresheners made up of?

D．How are headaches caused by fragrance?

4.The following paragraph might discuss           .

A．the asthma caused by strong scents.

B．people’s efforts to protect fresh air.

C．the methods of curing eczema

D．the bad effects of air fresheners.

Most people have heard of Shakespeare and probably know something of the plays that he wrote.However，not everybody knows much about the life of this remarkable man，except perhaps that he was born in the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon and that he married a woman called Anne Hathaway.We know nothing of his school life.We do not know，for example，how long it lasted，but we presume(推測)that he attended the local grammar school，where the principal subject taught was Latin.

Nothing certain is known of what he did between the time he left school and his departure(出發(fā))for London.According to a local legend，he was beaten and even put in prison for stealing rabbits and deer from the estate of neighbouring landowner，Sir Thomas Lucy.It is said that because of this he was forced to run away from his native place.A different legend says that he was apprenticed(做學(xué)徒)to a Stratford butcher, but did not like the life and for this reason decided to leave Stratford.

Whatever caused him to leave the town of his birth，the world could be grateful that he did so.What is certain is that he set his foot on the road to fame when he arrived in London.It is said that at first he was without money or friends there，but that he earned a little by taking care of the horses of the gentleman who attended the plays at the theatre.They stopped and spoke to him.They found his conversations so brilliant(有才氣的)that finally he was invited to join their company.

1．In the early life of Shakespeare，he ______.

A．a(chǎn)ttended a public school              B．lived in London

C．studied Latin                       D．was put in prison for stealing cattle

2．Why was he forced to leave his native place according to this passage?

A．Because he didn’t want to go to school.

B．Because he left for London to become famous.

C．Because he had stolen deer and was beaten.

D．No one knows for certain.

3．What is the reason why the world could be grateful?

A．He wrote many world-famous plays.           B．He was an actor.

C．He lived a hard life.                         D．He liked to travel all over the world.

4．“In time，as he became a familiar figure”“in time” means ______.

A．on time           B．sometime            C．some time later      D．some time

5.The best title is ______.

A．The Early Life of Shakespeare               B．Shakespeare’s Life in London

C．Shakespeare’s Role in Performance          D．Shakespeare’s Later Life