Up to 60 Shanghai maths teachers are to be brought to England to raise standards, in an exchange arranged by the Department for Education.The announcement comes as a campaign is launched to raise adult maths skills.A survey of 300 adults for the numeracy campaign found that over a third thought their level of maths had held them back.An accompanying economic analysis said that a lack of maths skills cost the UK 20 billion pounds per year.
The plan to bring 60 English-speaking maths teachers from Shanghai is an attempt to learn from a city that has been the top performance in the OECD's Pisa tests.The OECD says that children of poor families in Shanghai are on average better at maths than middle class children in the UK.The Shanghai teachers, expected to arrive from the autumn, will help share their teaching methods, support pupils who are struggling and help to train other teachers.
“We have some smart maths teachers in this country but what I saw in Shanghai-and other Chinese cities-has only strengthened my belief that we can learn from them.” said education minister, Elizabeth Truss, who has recently visited Shanghai, accompanied by head teachers from England, “They have a can-do attitude to maths-and I want us to match that, and their performance,” She stressed the economic significance of raising maths standards, for individuals and the country.'As part of our long term economic plan, we are determined to drive up standards in our schools and give our young people the skills they need to succeed in the global race.Good maths qualifications have the greatest earning potential and provide the strongest protection against unemployment,” said the education minister.
1.Poor maths skills have caused serious _____ consequences in England.
A. academic B. economic
C. cultural D. political
2.What is the main factor behind Shanghai teachers’success in maths teaching?
A. Their students are from poor families
B. Their students have a talent for maths
C. They have a positive attitude to teaching
D. They teach in a highly developed city.
3.According to Elizabeth Truss, raising maths standards can be helpful in_____.
A. equipping young people with global competitiveness
B. promoting the pupils’ international test performance
C. teaching how to earn money in the global market
D. discovering one’s maths talent at an early age
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Good Maths Skills Are about Hard Work
B. Why Are English Maths Standards Left Behind?
C. Why Are Shanghai Maths Teachers Getting Popular?
D. Chinese Teachers Bring the Art of Maths to English Schools
Creative Writing Summer School
2-15 August 2015
Study at one of the world's leading universities
About the Creative Writing Summer School
This programme is for those wishing to develop their existing creative writing skills, either for eventual professional use, or out of personal interest.Workshop courses take place twice a day.In a series of plenary(全体出席的)lectures (each morning, and on some evenings), novelists, poets and writers of creative non-fiction discuss their own work and the art of writing.Plenary lectures are designed to expand students' understanding of their own creative options.Students will expected to complete daily writing tasks outside classroom hours; the resulting work will form the primary focus of the workshops.
What will I be studying?
Workshop courses focus on practical writing skills and critical reflection; there are specialist options in fiction; creative non-fiction and poetry, and writing for stage and screen, as well as a more broadly-based writing course.
Who can apply?
The programme is open to university students, literature teachers, professionals and those with other life experience; gap-year students preparing for university may also apply (students must be accompanied by a parent/ guardian if under 18 when the programme starts).Participants must also meet the language requirements specific to this programme and will be asked to provide a 300-400 word piece explaining their reasons for applying.
Who will be teaching me?
Courses are taught by a combination of published writers associated with the School of Continuing Education, Peking University and by guest subject specialists from beyond the university.
Where will I stay?
Participants can stay in the School of Continuing Education, Peking University, close to the teaching sites and city Coventry.
How do I apply?
You can download an application form or apply online.
Find out more: www.sce.pku.edu.cn
1.Participants are supposed to finish their writing tasks______.
A. in the morning B. in the evening
C. after class D. during plenary lectures
2.The writing courses_____·
A. focus on practical writing skills
B. cover various kinds of writing
C. don't include writing for stage and screen
D. are mainly about creative non-fiction
3.Applicants need to write an essay to_______.
A. introduce themselves
B. show their writing skills
C. state their language learning experiences
D. explain why they want to attend the programme
高中生活已经过去一半，在这过去的一年半里，你在获取知识的同时，你的身体，兴趣爱好，学习生活习惯等等都有了一定的改变吧！请你以How I Change为题，写一篇短文，告诉我们你的变化好吗？字数在100词左右。
温馨提示：
1.短文中请勿使用真实姓名或班级名称。
2.参考词汇:hobby, habit, used to, enjoy oneself
3.短文开头已经为你写好（字数不计入总数），请你接着往下写。
How I Change
Mylife has changed a lot in the past three years. ______________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线（___），并在该词下面写出修改的词。
注意:1.每处错误及修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Alice,
I have just got a good news to tell you. I win a national prize for painting last week. My father was so pleasing that he suggested I went to England for a holiday. I’d like to staying there for half a month, visiting place of interest or practicing my English as well. We’ve been often dreamed of talking face to face with you. I imagine you’ll be at vacation by that time. Perhaps we could go out to do some sightseeing together.
Best,
Lily
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（一个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
When we talked about NBA, many people will think of Yao Ming. There is no doubt that Yao Ming is a Chinese hero. On October 16, 2013, Yao Ming announcedhe1.open the NBA Yao School. This was really2.（excite）news!
3.（look）at the name of the school, many people would think that the school is going to train NBA4.（talent）. But the truth is not like5.they expected. The NBA Yao School provides after-school basketball training and health programs. Its students include boys and girls over 16 years old 6. are very good at playing basketball. The school aims 7.（teach） the importance of teamwork, leadership(领导素养) and communication in a fun basketball environment.
Yao is quite glad to be a part of the school, because it has always been his dream to8.（positive）influence young people’s life through sports.
Now, basketball fans in China are looking forward to getting basket
ball training, and the NBA Yao School is a great choice. In the school, students have chances to meet NBA stars. The stars can offer 9.（suggest）on how10.（play） basketball well.
The day before Mother’s Day this year, police received a call from Doris, a heavy-hearted wife. Her husband Melvyn, who suffers Alzheimer's disease, had gone_______from the Little Rock, Arkansas home.
Police found Melvyn two blocks from their home, unable to tell officers where he _______．However, as to where he was going, he wasn’t _______ he was buying his _______ flowers for Mother's Day, as he had every year since she gave birth to their first child．
Melvyn’s condition has been slowly _______ since he was diagnosed with the disease three years ago. His wife has become her husband’s carer, watching _______ as the cruel disease _______her husband’s memories and personality away from him．
Officers intended to take the elderly man straight home—but Melvyn was having _______ of that.” He was pretty _______.” Officer Troy told CBS, “he wasn’t going home ____________ he got those flowers.” So the officers decided to lend him a ____________, secretly stopping in at a local supermarket and helping him ____________ a bunch of beautiful cream-colored roses．“I didn't have a __________；we had to get those flowers, ” Officer Troy says. The ____________ officers even secretly slipped the cashier some extra cash when Melvyn couldn’t ____________ the bill.
Doris was ____________ when she saw her husband of 60 years walking up their front stairs in the company of the police officers, but her relief turned to ____________when he presented her with the flowers．
“As he came up those steps, and I saw those roses and the smile on his face, I was touched ____________, “Dons told CBS, “I just said, thank you, thank you, because I saw his ____________.”
“It’s special, because even though his mind doesn’t remember everything, his heart ____________.”
1.A. crazy B. hungry C. missing D. wrong
2.A. goes B. shops C. works D. 1ives
3.A. excited B. disappointed C. confused D. amazed
4.A. mother B. wife C. daughter D. niece
5.A. worsening B. improving C. changing D. moving
6.A. aimlessly B. fearlessly C. carelessly D. helplessly
7.A. opens B. steals C. betters D. keeps
8.A. both B. all C. none D. neither
9.A. cruel B. brave C. proud D. stubborn
10.A. when B. until C. if D. though
11.A. car B. flower C. hand D. phone
12.A. select B. grow C. preserve D. decorate
13.A. customer B. chance C. choice D. partner
14.A. serious B. strong C. rude D. kind
15.A. cover B. buy C. find D. deliver
16.A. tired B. relieved C. puzzled D. astonished
17.A. sorrow B. loss C. anger D. joy
18.A. inside B. outside C. slightly D. hardly
19.A. present B. condition C. heart D. smile
20.A. sinks B. beats C. remembers D. ignores
