10.The underlined word “others” in Paragraph 3 may include.

A. traffic accidents　　　 B. floods　　　　　　　　 C. pollution　　　　　　 D. diseases

9.A student of history is most likely to take　 listed above.

A. the fourth book　　　 B. the third book　　　　 C. the second book　　　 D. the first book

8.According to Education Minister Wick’s words, we know he .

A. thought there was something wrong with procedures of admissions to their institutes

B. took the side of Oxford University

C. considered giving up children from comprehensive schools　 D. didn’t tell the truth to the BBC

C

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7.What’s the meaning of “a fair crack of the whip” in the last paragraph?

A. A good chance.　　　 B. Warning.　　　 C. Rejection.　　　　　 D. Admission

6.If Laura Spence was from such a school as Eton,.

A. she would be admitted to Oxford　　 B. she would be accepted by Harvard

C. she could cause long-running problems about elitism in British education

D. she wouldn’t be an excellent doctor

5.Laura Spence was rejected by Oxford University because.

A. she was a girl of 18 years old　　 B. she lacked confidence and she couldn’t think by herself

C. she didn’t win excellent grades

D. she was a shy girl from a comprehensive school in the poorer, less populous north

4.According to the passage, Madonna wrote the book The English Roses in order to 　　　　.

A. provide children with fun　　　　　　　　　　　 B. teach children some life lessons

C. teach children how to become famous　　　　　　 D. share her success with children

B

London--Laura Spence has excellent grades, a place at Harvard University and a US $25,000 a year scholarship. The British Government says that is scandal(丑闻).

Not because the 18-year-old girl is going to Harvard, but because she was rejected by Oxford University. Her case makes people talk about the long-running problems about elitism(精英主义) in British education.

“I think it’s a scandal if a child has to go to Harvard rather than getting into Oxford, don’t you?” Education Secretary David Blunkett said on May 26th in an interview on BBC radio.

British Treasury chief Gordon Brown said in a speech on May 25th it was “an absolute scandal”, a girl with those grades was turned down by Oxford’s Magdalen College. He noted that Spence comes from Monkseaton in northeastern England, where people sometimes complain they get fewer chances than people living in the richer, more populous south.

Oxford and Cambridge University now take the majority of their students-53 percent-from publicly funded schools. Elite(精英)private schools such as Eton and Harrow account for the other 47 percent, even though they serve only 7 percent of secondary students.

A BBC reporter had seen notes of Spence’s interview at Magdalen. “As with other comprehensive school pupils, she’s low in confidence and difficult to draw out of herself in spite of being able to think on her feet,” the BBC quoted the notes as saying. Still, the notes concluded that Spence “will be an excellent doctor.”

“It appears as if some of our institutions have admissions procedures which may be because of absurd prejudices against children from comprehensive schools…are not giving these children a fair crack of the whip”, Education Minister Wicks told the BBC.

3.When Madonna said writing children’s books was more satisfying than being a movie star,she meant that 　　　　.

A. she was more satisfied with her writing children’s books

B. she was more satisfied as a movie star　　　 C. being a movie star was not really successful

D. she was not a Material Girl any more

2.According to the idea of Madonna, the underlined phrase “life-giving force” in Paragraph 5 refers to　　　 .

A. The English Roses.　　　 B. God　　　 C. Mr Peabody’s Apples.　 D. her life

1.How many books does Madonna’s series of tales include?

A. At least 3.　　　　 B. 4.　　　 C. At least 2.　　　　　　 D. 6.