There is no doubt that to study abroad gives you an excellent opportunity to learn things
which are very helpful in your career building. Today Canada has earned a good name in
providing quality education and safe healthy environment for its students. That is why more
than 130,000 international students enroll(登记入学) every year in famous Canadian
universities. It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience
education and its versatile(多样的) arts and culture. Canada spends a lot on education
and is ranked the highest in G-8 countries.
     To study in Canada is very cost effective. These universities are affordable compared to
other universities in the world such as in the US, New Zealand and UK where cost of
education and living is very high. According to a survey in 2006, "Canada offered the
lowest tuition fees(学费) for foreign students compared to UK and Australia."
     The low rate of crimes and the peaceful safe environment of the country also attracts
a lot of international students to Canadian universities. Canada has 92 universities and 175
community colleges and university degrees have three levels-Bachelor's, Master's and
Doctoral.
     A Bachelor's degree in Canada is for three or four years' full-time study depending on
the nature of the program you are doing. On the other hand, a Master's degree consists of
two years of study. For a Doctoral program in Canadian universities, you require a
minimum (最低/小的) of three to four or sometimes five years of research and study.
     You can also find many diploma and certification (认证) program in Canadian universities
where the time is generally one year. Some of the Canadian universities are well-regarded
worldwide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian universities are
recognized globally and promise bright future. After the completion of studies, a person
could also find great job offers in Canada itself. International students require a work permit
to work on campus.

1. We can learn from the passage that _____.

A. Canada has 92 community colleges
B. to study in Canada is cheaper than in Australia
C. Canada spends the least on education among G-8 countries
D. 130,000 Chinese students enroll in Canadian universities every year

2. How long will you spend at least in total if you want to finish your Bachelor's,
Master's and Doctoral degrees in Canada?______

A. 11 years
B. 9 years
C. 8 years
D. 7 years

3. What advantages does Canada have to attract foreign students according to the passage?
(1) Quality education. (2) Safe environment
(3)Versatile culture (4) Bright job future
(5) High scholarship(6) Low tuition fees

A. (1) (2) (4) (5) (6)
B. (1) (2) (3) (5) (6)
C. (1) (3) (4) (5) (6)
D. (1) (2) (3) (4) (6)

4. What's the best title for the passage?______

A. Canadian culture
B. The life in Canada
C. Benefits of studying abroad
D. Study in Canada--- a unique experience

     Space travel is definitely bad for astronauts' bones, reducing their bone density(密度)
after only a month of weightlessness, according to French research published on Friday.
     Laurence Vico and his fellow workers at St Etienne University called for more research
into the effects of microgravity, after their study of 15 astronauts from the Russian MIR station
showed bone loss continued throughout space flights.
     "Bone loss was especially striking in four astronauts, " the scientists reported in the Lancet
Medical Journal.
     They measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of bones in the forearm(前臂) and
lower leg of the astronauts who had spent one to six months in space.
     The BMD loss was significant in the tibia(胫骨) of the lower leg, a weight-bearing bone,
but barely changed in the radius(桡骨) of the forearm. "Our results indicate the need to
investigate not only different bones, but also different areas of the same bone since not all
sites of the skeleton (骨架) are similarly affected by space conditions, " they added.
     Without gravity the body isn't bearing any weight so there is no need for calcium (钙)
which makes bones strong, and it becomes empty into the bloodstream.
     The research team suggested in future scientists should try to determine if the loss of bone
density was only on weight-bearing bones on longer flights, also the possible recovery after
returning to Earth.

1. French scientists did their research on Russian astronauts, because _______.

A. they only cared for the Russian astronauts
B. they were not interested in their own astronauts
C. the Russian government invited them to do their research
D. the Russian astronauts worked in space for a period of time

2. Scientists have found that _______.

A. the BMD loss may cause serious illness to astronauts
B. the BMD loss may cause some change in astronauts' bodies
C. astronauts shouldn't care about the BMD loss
D. astronauts should take some calcium before space travel

3. What cause the BMD loss to astronauts, according to this passage?

A. The food they eat in space.
B. The drinks they take in space.
C. The temperature in space.
D. The gravity in space.

4. In the third paragraph, the underlined word "striking" means ______.

A. unusual
B. simple
C. weak
D. slow

      Monkeys are very similar to us in many ways. Most have ten fingers and ten toes, and brains
much like ours. In fact, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution says that monkeys and humans share
a common ancestor. We enjoy watching them because they often act like us, and we also love to
use many expressions about monkeys in almost every language This is why many monkey expressions
are about tricky people or playful acts.
      Monkeyshine is one of these expressions to show tricks or foolish acts. The meaning is clear if
you have ever watched a group of monkeys playfully chasing each other:pulling tails, stealing food,
doing tricks.
Monkeying around with something means that you do not know what you are doing. When you feel
like doing something but have no firm idea of what to do, you are monkeying around. It is just a way
to pass the time.
      Monkey business usually means secret, maybe illegal activities You may come across a news
report that there is monkey business involved in building the new airport, with some officials getting
secret payments from builders.
     Monkey suits are common names for clothes or uniforms soldiers wear. In earlier years in many
American cities, you would find men playing musical hand organs on the street. Dancing to the music
would be the man's small monkey that was dressed in a tight-fitting, colorful jacket similar to a military
uniform. So, people began to call a military uniform a monkey suit.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about the similarities between humans and monkeys?

A. Most monkeys have ten fingers and ten toes.
B. Monkeys have the same brains as humans.
C. Monkeys often act like humans in many ways.
D. Monkeys are humans closest relatives in species.

2. According to the passage, an idle wander(徘徊)on the street can he described as        

A. monkeyshine  
B. monkeying around  
C. monkey suit
D. monkey business

3. Monkey suits are commonly used to call military uniforms because they        .

A. are created particularly for soldiers' uniforms
B. are originally designed for American soldiers
C. share typical features with military uniforms
D. make American soldiers look like monkeys

4. Most monkey expressions are            .

A. used only in western cultures    
B. used on some formal occasions
C. about tricks and naughtiness
D. about terrible funny behaviors

     Man, a land animal. But he is also closely tied to the sea. Throughout history the sea has served the
needs of man. The sea has provided man with food and a convenient way to travel to many parts of the
world. Today, nearly two-thirds of the world's population lives within 80 kilometers of the sea coast.
    In the modern technological world, the sea offers many resources to help mankind survive. Resources
on land are beginning to be used up. The sea, however, still can be hoped to supply many of man's needs.
    The list of riches of the sea yet to be developed by man's technology is big. Oil and gas explorations
have been carried out for nearly 30 years. Valuable amounts of minerals exist on the ocean floor ready
to be mined.
    Fish farming promises to be a good way to produce large quantities of food. The culture of fish and
shellfish (贝类动物) is an ancient skill practised in the past mainly by Oriental people, including people
in China.
    Besides oil and gas, the sea may offer new sources of energy. Experts believe that the warm
temperature of the ocean can be used in a way similar to the steam in a steamship. Ocean currents and
waves offer possible use as a source of energy.
    Technology is enabling man to explore ever more deeply under the sea. The development of strong,
new materials has made this possible.
The technology to harvest the sea continues to improve. Experts believe that by the year 2020 the
problems that prevent us from exploiting (开发) fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea
will be largely solved.

1. The major things that the sea offers man are _________.  

A. fish and oil                          
B. minerals and oil
C. warm temperature and ocean currents      
D. the food, energy sources, and minerals

2. We can conclude from this passage that _________.  

A. the sea resources have largely been used up
B. the sea, in the broad sense, has not yet been developed 
C. the problems preventing our using the resources of the sea have already been solved.
D. by the year 2020, the technology will be good enough to exploit all the sea resources.

3. The underlined words "Oriental people" in the fourth paragraph probably mean _________.

A. the people in Asia
B. African people
C. European people
D. American people

4. The best title for this passage is _________. 

A. Sea Food      
B. Technology for Exploiting the Sea
C. Sea Harvest    
D. Man, nature and the Sea

     This is the VOA Special English Education Report. A few weeks ago, we talked about the Test of English
as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. A listener in Cambodia named Thida asks if American colleges and
universities also accept the IELTS exam. IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It was
developed by the University of Cambridge ESOL examiners.
     Cambridge ESOL says the test measures true-to-life ability to communicate in English for education,
immigration or employment. The IELTS tests listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. It uses a mixture
of accents and spellings, including British English and American English.
     The test is used by government agencies, schools and professional organizations in one hundred and twenty
countries. And, yes, that includes the United States. Many American schools that accepted the IELTS can be
found on the Web at felts, org.
     Some schools accept both the TOEFL and the IELTS, but the graduate school at Duke University in
Durham, North Carolina, for example, says it prefers the IEITS.
     The listening and speaking parts are the same for everyone who takes the IELTS, but people have a choice
of reading and writing tests-either academic or general training.
     The listening test takes thirty minutes. There are forty questions based on a recording. The reading test takes
sixty minutes. Students answer forty questions based on three written passages.
     The writing test also takes sixty minutes. Students have to write two essays. One essay has to be at least
one hundred and fifty words long and the other at least two hundred and fifty words. The shorter one is
description of something; the longer one has to support and argument.
     The speaking test takes less than fifteen minutes. The score is based on a recorded talk between the student
and a test examiner.
     And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. If you have a general
question for our series, write to special@voanews.com. I'm Barbara Klein.

1. What does TOEFL stand for?

A. Voice of America.
B. International English Language Testing System.
C. Test of English as a Foreign Language.
D. Test of English as a Native Language.

2. The International English Language Testing System commonly takes _____ in all.

A. less than 160 minutes
B. more than 165 minutes
C. no more than 160 minutes
D. less than 165 minutes

3. According to the passage, we can infer _____.

A. IELTS is efficient and necessary if you want to go to English speaking countries
B. IELTS is completely different from TOEFL
C. every American needs to accept TOEFL
D. IEITS isn't used more widely than TOEFL

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. How can the readers write papers to the VOA programme?
B. It talks about some ways to pass TOEFL.
C. It introduces IELTS.
D. How can the readers pass two kinds of tests?

     Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for the toy
cars,  a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is
a biological basis to their preferences.
     Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90
infants aged nine months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were
stereotypically boys' toys - a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy.  The rest were girls' toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys, and could pick whichever toy
they liked. Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
     Of the youngest children (nine to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than
boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two-and
three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly
touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely
touched. There was no link between the parents' view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or
girls, and the children's choice.
     Dr Brenda Todd said: "Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be
given 'toys that go' while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these
findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There
could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects, probably through hunting instincts(本能), while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the
color of a newborn baby."

1. Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because          .

A. baby boys are much more active
B. baby girls like bright colors more
C. their parents treat them differently
D. there is a natural difference between them

2.What can we infer from Paragraph 3 ?

A. Nine-month-old baby boys don't play with dolls at all.
B. Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls.
C. The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is.
D. Parents should teach their babies to share each other's toys.

3. What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?

A. Adults purposely influence their babies preference.
B. Babies' preference isn't affected by social surroundings.
C. Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting.
D. Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted.

4.We may read this article in a         section of a newspaper.

A. science
B. health  
C. education  
D. entertainment  

     Most people around the world are "right-handed". This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists
studied works of art made at different times from 1500 B.C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these
works are right-handed so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through
history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world's population is left-handed.
     Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person's two
hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the left hand is used to find things or hold things. The right
hand is u8ed to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right
side of the brain, which makes a person's hands and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left side
of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show
that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among
artists as among people in other jobs. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead
of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain
is damaged when they are bom. However, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be
another reason why people become left-handed.
     One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene (基
因) for right-handedness, he/she may become either right-handed or left-handed according to the chance and
the people they work or live with. Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no
longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use
their right hands like other children, but today they don't have to.

1. After studying works of art made at different times in history,the scientists found _____.

A. the art began from 1500 B.C.
B. the works of art ended in the 1950s
C. most people shown in the works of art are right-handed
D. most people shown in the works of art are left-handed

2. What is the left hand for most people used to do?

A. It's used to find or hold things.
B. It's used to work with things.
C. It's used to make a person's eyes and hands work together.
D. It's the centre for thinking and doing problems.

3. According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed.
B. Left-handedness is cleverer than right-handedness.
C. Today children are made to use their right hands only.
D. Scientists think there is no reason why people become left-handed.

4. The best title for this passage is _____.

A. Scientists' New Inventions
B. Left-handed People
C. Which Hand
D. Different Brains, Different Hands

A. A good teacher acts in class
B. Acting: repetition of fixed words and movements
C. Teaching: a student-centered creative process
D. Similarities between teaching and acting
E. ( = AB) Differences between teaching and acting
F. ( = AC) A good teacher, not necessarily a good actor

       1   To be a good teacher, you need some of the gifts of a good actor: you must be able to hold the
attention and interest of your audience; you must be a clear speaker, with a good, strong, pleasing voice
which is fully under your control; and you must be a- ble to act what you are teaching, In order to make
its meaning clear.
         2   Watch a good teacher, and you will see that he does not sit unmoved before his class: he stands
the whole time he is teaching; he walks about, using his arms, his hands and fingers to help him in his
explanations, and his face to express feeling. Listen to him, and you will hear the loudness, the quality and
the musical note if his voice always changing according to what he is talking a- bout. 
       3   The fact that a good teacher has some of the gifts of a good actor doesn't mean that he will indeed
be able to act well in the stage, for there are very important differences between the teacher's work and the
actor's. The actor has to speak words which he has learnt by heart; he has to repeat exactly the same words
each time he plays a certain part, even his movements and the ways in which he uses his voice are usually
fixed beforehand. What he has to do is to make all these carefully learnt words and actions seem natural on
the stage. 
        4     A good teacher works in quite a different way. His audience takes an active part in his play: they
ask questions, they obey orders, and if they don't understand something, they say so, the teacher therefore
has to suit his act to the needs of his audience. He cannot learn his part by heart, but must invent it as he
goes along. 
       5    As a good teacher presently, you must take your au- dience as your friends, take care of them, help
them and give them enough freedom and space. I have known many teachers who were fine actors in class
 but were unable to take part in a stage play be- cause their brains wouldn't keep discipline: they could not
keep strictly to what another had written.

     People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial
expressions - and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why .
     Rachael Jack , University of Glasgow researcher , said that rather than scanning evenly(均匀的)
across a face as Westerners do , Easterners fix their attention on the eyes .
     " We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions ,
" Jack said . " Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure , while Easterners favor the
eyes and neglect (忽略) the mouth ."
     According to Jack and her colleagues , the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is
more complex than previously believed . As a result , facial expressions that had been considered
universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations .
     The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the
eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of
expressive faces and put them into categories : happy , sad , surprised , fearful , disgusted , angry , or
neutral . They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular
eye movement strategies .
     It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more
errors than Westerners did . " The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a
reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions , " Jack said . " Our data suggest that whereas
Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion , Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less ."
     In short , the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion . From here
on , examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of
human emotion . Otherwise , when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures , Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation .

1. The discovery shows that Westerners        .

A. pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth
B. consider facial expressions universally reliable
C. observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways
D. have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions

2. What were the people asked to do in the study ?

A. To make a face at each other            
B. To get their faces impressive
C. To classify some face pictures          
D. To observe the researchers' faces

3. What does the underlined word " they " in Paragraph 6 refer to ?

A. The participants in the study
B. The researchers of the study
C. The errors made during the study
D. The data collected from the study

4. In comparison with Westerners , Easterners are likely to      .

A. do translation more successfully
B. study the mouth more frequently
C. examine the eyes more attentively
D. read facial expressions more correctly

5. What can be the best title for the passage ?

A. The Eye as the Window to the Soul
B. Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions
C. Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills
D. How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding