Higher Grades Challenge College Application Process Josh Zalasky should be the kind of college applicant with little to worry about. The high school senior is taking three Advanced Placement courses. Outside the classroom, he’s involved in mock trial, two Jewish youth groups and has a job with a restaurant chain. He’s a National Merit semifinalist and scored in the top 3 percent of all students who take the ACT. But in the increasingly frenzied world of college admissions, even Zalasky is nervous about his prospects. He doubts he’ll get into the University of Wisconsin, a top choice. The reason: his grades. It’s not that they’re bad. It’s that so many of his classmates are so good. Zalasky’s GPA is nearly an A minus, and yet he ranks only about in the middle of his senior class of 543 at Edina High School outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. That means he will have to find other ways to stand out. "It’s extremely difficult," he said. "! spent all summer writing my essay. We even hired a private tutor to make sure that essay was the best it can be. But even with that, it’s like I’m just kind of leveling the playing field." Last year, he even considered transferring out of his highly competitive public school, to some place where his grades would look better. Grade Inflation Some call the phenomenon that Zalasky’s fighting "grade inflation"--implying the boost is undeserved. Others say students are truly earning their better marks. Regardless, it’s a trend that’s been building for years and may only be accelerating: many students are getting very good grades. So many, in fact, it is getting harder and harder for colleges to use grades as a measuring stick for applicants. Extra credit for AP courses, parental lobbying and genuine hard work by the most competitive students have combined to shatter any semblance of a Bell curve, one in which A’s are reserved only for the very best. For example, of the 47,317 applications the University of California, Los Angeles, received for this fall’s freshman class, nearly 21,000 had GPAs of 4.0 or above. That’s also making it harder for the most selective colleges--who often call grades the single most important factor in admissions--to join in a growing movement to lessen the influence of standardized tests. "We’re seeing 30, 40 valedictorians at a high school because they don’t want to create these distinctions between students," said Jess Lord, dean of admission and financial aid at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. "If we don’t have enough information, there’s a chance we’ll become more heavily reliant on test scores, and that’s a real negative to me." Standardized tests have endured a heap of bad publicity lately, with the SAT raising anger about its expanded length and recent scoring problems. A number of schools have stopped requiring test scores, to much fanfare. But lost in the developments is the fact that none of the most selective colleges have dropped the tests. In fact, a national survey shows overall reliance on test scores is higher in admissions than it was a decade ago. "It’s the only thing we have to evaluate students that will help us tell how they compare to each other," said Lee Stetson, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. Misleading Statistics Grade inflation is hard to measure, and experts’ caution numbers are often misleading because standards and scales vary so widely. Different practices of "weighting" GPAs for AP work also play havoc. Still, the trend seems to be showing itself in a variety of ways. The average high school GPA increased from 2.68 to 2.94 between 1990 and 2000, according to a federal study. Almost 23 percent of college freshmen in 2005 reported their average grade in high school was an A or better, according to a national survey by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute. In 1975, the percentage was about half that. GPAs reported by students on surveys when they take the SAT and ACT exams have also risen--and faster than their scores on those tests. That suggests their classroom grades aren’t rising just because students are getting smarter. Not surprisingly, the test-owners say grade inflation shows why testing should be kept: it gives all students an equal chance to shine. The problems associated with grade inflation aren’t limited to elite college applicants. More than 70 percent of schools and districts analyzed by an education audit company called School Match had average GPAs significantly higher than they should have been based on their standardized test scores--including the school systems in Chicago, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Denver, Colorado, San Bernardino, California, and Columbus, Ohio. That raises concerns about students graduating from those schools unprepared for college. "They get mixed in with students from more rigorous schools and they just get blown away," said School Match CEO William Bainbridge. In Georgia, high school grades rose after the state began awarding HOPE scholarships to students with a 3.0 high school GPA. But the scholarship requires students to keep a 3.0 GPA in college, too, and more than half who received the HOPE in the fall of 1998 and entered the University of Georgia system lost eligibility before earning 30 credits. Next year, Georgia is taking a range of steps to tighten eligibility, including calculating GPA itself rather than relying on schools, and no longer giving extra GPA weight to vaguely labeled "honors" classes. Among those who work with students gunning for the more selective colleges, opinions differ as to why there seem to be so many straight-A students. "I think there are more pressures now than there used to be, because 20 or 30 years ago kids with a B plus average got into some of the best colleges in the country," said William Shain, dean of admissions and financial aid at Bowdoin College in Maine. "It didn’t matter if you had a 3.9 instead of a 3.95. I don’t know if it matters now either, but people are more likely to think it does." Lord, the Haverford dean, sees grade inflation as the outcome of an irrational fear among students to show any slip up--in grades or discipline. In fact, colleges like his are often more interested in students who have overcome failure and challenge than robots who have never been anything less than perfect. "There’s a protection and encouragement of self-esteem that I don’t agree with, but I think it’s a lot of what’s going on here," he said. "And the college admissions process feeds into that." Expectations Set High Back in Minnesota, Edina may join a growing number of schools that no longer officially rank students--a move that could help students like Zalasky, who says he was told by Wisconsin his class rank makes him a longshot. "They feel they’re being left behind or not getting into the schools that they’re applying to because of a particular class rank," says Edina counselor Bill Hicks. "And there is some validity with respect to some certain schools that use certain formulas." But the colleges most popular with Edina students already know how strong the school is: students’ median verbal and math SAT scores are 1170 out of 1600. Hicks isn’t willing to blame the concentration of grades at the top on spineless teachers, or on grade-grubbing by parents and students. Expectations are high, and grades are based on student mastery of the material, not a curve. Wherever teachers place the bar for an A, the students clear it. "Everyone here is like, ’if I can get a 98 why would I get a 93 ’" said Lavanya Srinivasan, who was ranked third in her Edina class last year. Far from being pushovers, she says, Edina teachers are tougher than those in a course she took at Harvard last summer. Zalasky agrees the students work hard for their high grades. "The mentality of this school is, if you’re not getting straight A’s you’re not doing well," he said. "There’s just so much pressure on us day in and day out to get straight A’s that everybody does." Hicks compares the atmosphere at Edina to the World Series expectations that always surround the superstar lineup of the New York Yankees. "If they don’t win it," he said, "then it’s failure.Georgia is taking a range of steps to tighten eligibility, including ______. A．giving extra GPA weight to vaguely labeled "honors" classesB．calculating GPA itself rather than relying on schoolsC．gunning for the more selective collegesD．requiring students to keep a 3.0 GPA in college

Last year I decided to do some volunteer work.I began to（1）______on the Internet and discovered Volunteer USA.Three months later I（2）______ myself on a plane to Phoenix，Arizona.I was（3）______ at the thought of living with loads of new people for three months.However，within fifteen minutes of（4）______，my worries had gone.Everyone was so（5）______and like-minded that it was very（6）______to feel at home. I was sent to the Coronado National Forest for my first 8-day（7）______.We had to（8）______everything we needed and walk three miles to where we worked.It may not seem like a（9）______way but in 35℃ heat and with a heavy pack，my legs were on fire. My job was to（10）______ a stairway out of rock.This（11）______climbing up and down the side of a mountain inhabited（栖息）by mountain lions，although I should say they were only heard，never（12）______. Three days later，a beautiful stairway came into being.The（13）______ of knowing that my（14）______ will be on that mountainside for years to come is massive. But on the last night we were（15）______ in a thunderstorm.I woke up at midnight to find a swimming pool in my tent.The temperature was close to（16）______.I had to spend the rest of the night trembling in the only（17）______ part of my tent. （18）______，I suffered a lot.But I know whatever I have to face in my life I was there and I（19）______.I think I am much（20）______ for having taken part in the project.（1）A.calculateB.negotiateC.advertiseD.research（2）A.imaginedB.introducedC.enjoyedD.found（3）A.annoyedB.surprisedC.scaredD.excited（4）A.arrivingB.sleepingC.thinkingD.walking（5）A.confidentB.friendlyC.energeticD.curious（6）A.funnyB.goodC.luckyD.easy（7）A.tourB.projectC.campaignD.course（8）A.dropB.makeC.carryD.buy（9）A.niceB.safeC.longD.quick（10）A.buildB.testC.cleanD.guard（11）A.helpedB.endedC.allowedD.meant（12）A.huntedB.trainedC.seenD.fed（13）A.satisfactionB.ambitionC.expectationD.intention（14）A.workB.memoryC.recordD.story（15）A.leftB.caughtC.attackedD.separated（16）A.boilingB.averageC.normalD.freezing（17）A.tidyB.dryC.newD.soft（18）A.By the wayB.Regardless of thatC.Needless to sayD.In either case（19）A.survivedB.resistedC.escapedD.recovered（20）A.smarterB.strongerC.happierD.busier

A)troublesome E) competent l) assess M) dilemma B) tiresome F) concealing J) value N) promotion C) rude G) changing K) perceive O) advancement D) professional H) inherently L) dignity It's funny. We're living in this bold new world of technology.Everything is supposed to be getting simpler.Unfortunately,I've been feeling exactly the opposite. With each new26__ that is supposed to save me time,I feel like I am getting further and further behind.From myviewpoint, life today just seems to be27 _ more stressful than it used to be.At work, I have become so tense that I can hardly smile. I am having a hard time controling my temper and28__my anger. Some people think that I am being29__and avoid talking to me.My boss came in the other day and said that my behavior was becoming 30__ for him in keeping peace in the office. He recommended that I go for some31__ treatment. "I've always liked you,William,"he said, "but you need to maintain your32__ here at work. Lately, you just don't seem to be yourself."I ended up going to see a specialist in on-the-job psychological behavior. I explained my33__to him. He said that,in fact, the real problem is how I34__ my daily routine. He told me that i need to learn to35__what I can and cannot get done. He discouraged me from giving emotional emphasis to things beyond my control.His advice seems to have really helped.

Not long ago, 20,000 middle- and high-school students were surveyed (调查). 92 percent of the teenagers admitted having lied to their parents in the previous year, and 73 percent of them call themselves as "serial liars", people continually lying. Despite these admissions, 91 percent of all those people said they were "satisfied with my own character". Think how often we hear the expressions "I'll call you" or "I'm sorry, but he stepped out". And then there are professions, such as lawyers and consultants (顾问), whose members seem to specialize in shaping the truth to suit clients' (当事人) needs. Little white lies become widespread, and the reasons we give each other for telling lies are familiar. "What's wrong with that?"How often do we praise people for how well they look, or express our appreciation for gifts, when we don't really mean it? Surely, these "nice lies" are harmless and well intended, a necessary social lubricant (润滑剂). But, we should remember the words of English novelist Sir Walter Scott, who wrote, "What a tangled (错综复杂的) web we weave (编), when first we practice to deceive." Even seemingly harmless lies can have unexpected consequences. Psychological obstacles disappear; the ability to make more distinction can become dull; the liar's awareness of his chances of being caught may become dull. By itself, that kind of lie is of no great consequence.Still, the endless build-up of these lies does matter. Once they've become common enough, even the small untruths that are not meant to hurt will encourage a certain doubt and loss of trust. When trust is damaged, the community as a whole suffers; and when it is destroyed, societies collapse. Are all white lies to be avoided at all costs? The most understandable and forgivable lies are an exchange of the principle of trust for the principle of caring, like telling children about Santa Claus, or lying to someone to give him a surprise party. But a president of an institute says, "Still, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to give our friends and associates the authority to lie to us whenever they think it is for our own good."(1) (单选题)Which of the following statements is NOT true about the survey?A. Most of the school students surveyed said they had lied.B. A larger percent of the students said they had lied constantly.C. Most of the students didn't feel sorry about their lying behavior.D. Those students who had never lied were happy about their character.(2) (单选题)What does "And then there are professions, such as lawyers and consultants, whose members seem to specialize in shaping the truth to suit clients' needs" in Paragraph 1 mean?A. These professions encourage their members to tell lies.B. The members working in these professions tell nothing but lies.C. Lawyers and consultants change the truth to benefit their clients.D. Lawyers and consultants tell the truth because their clients need the truth.(3) (单选题)What is the meaning of the quotation from Sir Walter Scott "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"?A. Telling lies is the first step for a person to form a deceiving personality.B. After we lie the first time, we need to tell more lies to cover up the first one.C. If you tell lies, people around you will tell lies, too, so a web will be formed.D. Once you start to tell lies, your character will gradually become complicated.(4) (单选题)What does the author say about white lies?A. Not all white lies should be avoided.B. Nice little lies won't hurt our trust in each other.C. We should give our friends the authority to tell us little white lies.D. We should tell white lies only when giving a friend a surprise party.(5) (单选题)Which of the following best describes the author's attitude toward "nice lies" mentioned in the passage?A. Surprised.B. Relieved.C. Concerned.D. Accustomed.

One billion people in the world are short of water. How can this problem be solved? One possibility that scientists are considering is pulling icebergs from either the North Pole or the South Pole to parts of the world with a water shortage (短缺). Although many questions must be answered before such a project could be tried, engineers, mathematicians and glaciologists (冰川学家) consider the iceberg as a future source of water. Saudi Arabia (沙特阿拉伯) is particularly interested in this project because it has a great water shortage. Scientists estimate that it would take 128 days to transport a large iceberg (about 1/2 miles square) to Saudi Arabia. Yet the iceberg would be completely melted by the 104th day. Therefore, insulation would be essential, but how to insulate the iceberg remains an unsolved problem.The problems in transporting an iceberg are numerous. The first problem is choosing the iceberg to pull. The icebergs that form in the North Pole are quite difficult to handle because of their shape. Only a small portion extends (延伸) above the water – most of the iceberg is below the surface, which would make it difficult to pull. South Pole icebergs, on the other hand, are flat and float like table tops; thus, they would be much easier to move.How can a 200 million-ton iceberg be moved? No ship is strong enough to pull such enormous weight through the water. Perhaps several ships could be used. Attaching ropes to an iceberg this size is also an enormous problem. Engineers think that large nails or long metal rods (杆) could be driven into the ice. What would happen if the iceberg breaks into several pieces during the pulling? How could it be pulled through stormy waters? Furthermore, once the iceberg reached its destination (目的地), very few ports would be deep enough to store it.All of these problems must be solved before icebergs can become a reasonable source of water. Yet scientists think that it will be possible to transport them in the near future. Each year, enough icebergs form to supply the whole world with fresh water for a full year. In addition, icebergs are free and non-polluting. As a solution to the world's water problems, icebergs may be a workable possibility.(1) (单选题)According to the passage, which of the following statements about using icebergs to solve water shortage is NOT true?A. There are difficult engineering problems to be solved.B. The water in most ports is too shallow for big icebergs.C. Saudi Arabia is the only country interested in the project.D. It's hard to pull an iceberg which is largely below the water surface.(2) (单选题)Which of the following is one of the difficulties to transport icebergs?A. Not enough ships.B. Terrible weather in the ocean.C. Too much salt in the ocean water.D. Too many different shapes of icebergs.(3) (单选题)Icebergs from the South Pole probably are easier to transport because ___________.A. they are easier to pull.B. they do not melt very easily.C. they are all in small portions.D. they stand above the water surface.(4) (单选题)From the passage, the word "insulation" in Paragraph 1 can be best explained as ______________.A. separating the iceberg from heat.B. taking the iceberg away from the ocean.C. protecting the iceberg from being broken.D. shortening the distance from the destination.(5) (单选题)From the passage we can infer that ________________.A. the chances of using icebergs as a source of water are very small.B. using icebergs as a source of water may cause environmental problem.C. it is just a fantasy for humans to transport icebergs to solve the water shortage.D. scientists are optimistic about the possibility of using icebergs as a water source.

Being good at something and having a passion for it are not enough．Success (1)____fundamentally on our view of ourselves and of the(2)____in our lives． When twelve-year-old John Wilson walked into his chemistry class on a rainy day in 1931，he had no (3)____of knowing that his life was to change(4)____．The class experiment that day was to (5)____how heating a container of water would bring air bubbling(冒泡)to the surface．(6)____，the container the teacher gave Wilson to heat(7)____held something more volatile(易挥发的)than water．When Wilson heated it，the container(8)____，leaving Wilson blinded in both eyes． When Wilson returned home from hospital two months later，his parents (9)____to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had (10)____their lives．But Wilson did not regard the accident as(11)____．He learned braille(盲文)quickly and continued his education at Worcester College for the Blind．There，he not only did well as a student but also became a(n)(12)____public speaker． Later，he worked in Africa，where many people suffered from(13)____for lack of proper treatment．For him，it was one thing to(14)____his own fate of being blind and quite another to allow something to continue (15)____it could be fixed so easily．This moved him to action．And tens of millions in Africa and Asia can see because of the(16)____Wilson made to preventing the (17)____． Wilson received several international (18)____for his great contributions．He lost his sight but found a(19)____．He proved that itˈs not what happens to us that(20)____ our lives—itˈs what we make of what happens．

The moment I entered our old family house during the recent holiday break, I was overwhelmed by a strong feeling of nostalgia (怀旧).My bedroom appeared exactly as I remembered it when I moved out. On the neatly ironed white bedsheets was my favorite childhood toy, a silly-looking monkey with incredibly long arms. I opened my bedside drawer. My large pack of colorful origami paper (折纸), along with half-finished paper cranes (纸鹤), was tidily kept in a box, carefully sealed up by my mom. Even the pair of old scissors I once used to cut paper flowers was kept with the set.1/31. The author had left home to pursue dreams and ambitions as well as to seek independence.A. True.B. False.C. Not given.

({B)}Background Information({/B)} Recruitment refers to the process of screening, and selecting qualified people for a job at an organization or firm, or for a vacancy in a volunteer-based organization or community group. While generalist managers or administrators can undertake some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations and companies often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies. External recruitment is the process of attracting and selecting employees from outside the organization. The recruitment industry has four main types of agencies: employment agencies, recruitment websites and job search engines, "headhunters" for executive and professional recruitment, and inhouse recruitment. The stages in recruitment include sourcing candidates by advertising or other methods, and screening and selecting potential candidates using tests or interviews. Agency types The recruitment industry has four main types of agencies. Their recruiters aim to channel candidates into the hiring organizations application process. As a general rule, the agencies are paid by the companies, not by the candidates. Traditional Agency Also known as employment agencies, recruitment agencies have historically had a physical location. A candidate visits a local branch for a short interview and an assessment before being taken onto the agency’s books. Recruitment consultants then work to match their pool of candidates to their clients’ open positions. Suitable candidates are short-listed and put forward for an interview with potential employers on a temporary("temp")or permanent("perm")basis. Headhunters A "headhunter" is industry term for a third-party recruiter who seeks out candidates, often when normal recruitment efforts have failed. Headhunters are generally considered more aggressive than in-house recruiters or may have preexisting industry experience and contacts. In-House Recruitment Larger employers tend to undertake their own in-house recruitment, using their human resources department. In addition to coordinating with the agencies mentioned above, in-house recruiters may advertise job vacancies on their own websites, coordinate internal employee referrals, work with external associations, trade groups and/or focus on campus graduate recruitment. Passive Candidate Research Firms/Sourcing Firms These firms provide competitive passive candidate intelligence to support company’s recruiting efforts. Normally they will generate varying degrees of candidate information from those people currently engaged in the position a company is looking to fill. These firms usually charge a per hour fee or by candidate lead. ({B)}Google Recruitment Drive({/B)} One of the founding fathers of the Internet will tour the UK to recruit engineers for Google. Vint Cerf will be visiting universities around the country in support of Google’s recruitment drive. Cerf was hired by Google in September as an Internet evangelist. Google admitted that it was having difficulties recruiting developers and would be targeting students and engineers. "We are actively recruiting engineers in London for our new RD centre," Google told ZDNet UK. "Vint Cerf is here in London to support that drive and will be visiting a number of universities to stimulate interest among students. Engineering is at the very heart of what we do at Google―we use innovative technology to help solve complex problems," it continued. "The great paradox of the digital world is that as more and more information comes online, the harder it becomes for people to find what they want. By using the best engineering talent available Google ensures that users can find the most relevant information, and communicate it to their family, friends and colleagues," Google added. Google’s London-based European RD centre opened in November 2005. The GooglePlex hosts an engineering office, and functions as a strategic centre where the company can develops new ideas. It is also helping Google in its expansion into Europe. Omid Kordestani, vice-president of business development and sales for Google, told ZDNet UK in November that Google was keen to expand its global reach. "Thirty percent of our revenues come from outside the US. My aim is to get it to the same level as our usage, which is 50," Kordestani said. Kordestani added that Google was particularly interested in benefiting from the UK’s wireless expertise, describing it as "light years ahead of the US". Google told ZDNet UK it would also be recruiting wireless experts. Cerf is known as an Internet founding father for his role in developing packet switching networks and TCP/IP. ******** Google recruiting secret Well, I have heard time and time again, and experienced myself, that getting a job at Google is a long, slow, frustratingly mysterious process that takes weeks, if not months, in most cases. Typically, you’ll submit a résumé for a position, get called two months later for an entirely different position, get a phone screen, then two weeks later get another phone screen, or maybe an on-site, but they’re still not sure, so you’ll get another interview, and each time there’s a week or two delay until the recruiters and hiring managers can complete their meetings, and before they can send you a job offer, your case will be reviewed by Larry① and Sergey.② They are very very careful to hire only the very best and brightest. I think it was Marc Anderson who said that if you start hiring sucky people, they will go and hire more sucky people, and ultimately they will all conspire to destroy your organization. Back at Tellme, we were told to only ever hire people we thought were smarter than ourselves, but that seemed problematic, given that a lot of the first few employees were from MIT. But there is a shortcut to the Googleplex, if you follow the Official Google Blog. The secret Replace your cover letter with a "love note" explaining how, unlike everyone else, you actually worship Google so much that you have a Google T-shirt. Then, go surfing in Mexico. Then, when you return you’ll immediately get a phone screen, followed the next day by an on-site interview, followed the next day by a job offer. I would like to think that Trisha Weir got hired because she was exceptionally skilled. Google’s ideal employees are smart people who are sufficiently insecure that they will work hard to prove themselves. It seems that Trisha knows her stuff, and she was willing to demonstrate fanatical loyalty up front, and maybe they really needed to fill that position immediately. To be fair, I once scored a job the same way. I was really impressed with the customer service at EnterAct, an ISP in Chicago in the mid 1990s. I wrote in saying that they rocked and that I’d love to help and learn, and asked if they’d hire me as a summer intern. Got the job. And while EnterAct was a lot less picky about who they hired than Google, there’s a good expression to bear in mind: Find work that you love so much that you’d do it for free. And do it well enough that someone will pay you anyway. The secret is love. Or, at least love notes. Or, especially if you’re looking at Google, getting a T-shirt ahead of time so that you’ll look like a good "culture fit" at the on-site.(When I visited, it seemed that about 1/3 of Google employees were wearing Google T-shirts.)Notes ①Larry: Google 创始人之一，现任产品总裁 ②Sergey: Google 创始人之一，现任技术总裁({B)}Exercises({/B)}Which of the following is true according to the passage A．The recruitment industry has five main types of agencies.B．The stages in recruitment include sourcing candidates by interviews.C．The agencies are paid by the candidates, instead of the companies.D．The recruiters aim to direct candidates towards the hiring organizations application process.

1、Germany will_thrift and reforms to boost competitiveness . A discourage B preach C boast D lavish