Question

The English test will be removed from China’s college entrance exam by 2020, according to the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance exam, known as the “Gaokao” has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure and change China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system.

The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would re­duce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student’s English skills and help students learn English better.

“ As far as I see, the reform doesn’t mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it will be excluded from the unified college entrance exam,” Yu said. “In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, can have different requirements of a student’s English skills under a diverse evaluation system. ”

Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn’t need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students.

The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. English will become less and less important in the stage of compulsory education.

B. It has been 30 years since English became one subject of national college entrance exam.

C. China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system is unacceptable at all.

D. The system that tests are held several times does more good than once-in-a-lifetime exam system.

2. According to the passage, Shanghai educators and parents argue that _____.

A. the new exam and admission system will make no difference

B. English shouldn’t be removed from China’s college entrance exam

C. the reform may accomplish the very opposite

D. Western educational system does not apply to China

3. What does the passage try to express in the underlined sentence?

A. Students needn’t lay a good foundation during the period of high school.

B. Whether students should study English hard may depend on their major.

C. Students can constantly strive for perfection only in their major.

D. English must be close to full mark.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A. To advise students not to devote themselves to English.

B. To call on Education Department to remove English from “Gaokao”.

C. To support the act of Ministry of Education.

D. To encourage students to do as they have planned.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.D

【解析】

试题分析:本文介绍了高考英语制度的改革内容以及对此引发的争议。教育部决定为了减轻学生压力，英语高考实行一年多考，彻底改变了一考定终身的制度。但是对此上海的家长和教育者们认为这样的改革实际上没有减轻学生负担。

1. 细节理解题。根据文章首段Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure 可知一年多考的制度可以减轻学生压力，选D。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第二段中The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would re­duce the burden of learning English、第三段中“In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference,和第四段while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students等.内容可知上海的教育者和家长们认为这种考试制度的改革不会减轻压力，相反会使压力增大，故答案选C。

3.细节理解题。在本段中Yu认为学习压力的减轻与否取决于学生所选专业对英语的要求，故答案选B。

4.主旨大意题。文章介绍了高考英语制度的改革方案以及家长和教育者对此的态度看法，文章最后提出The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years.，由此判断本文的目的是让学生按照自己的计划学习，现在的改革对近三年的学生没有影响，故答案选D。

考点：考查社会教育类短文阅读