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 13-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.

5.Laura Spence was rejected by Oxford University because.

A.she was a girl of 13 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

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

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

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

第三部分    完整句子（共两节，满分25分）

（请将该部分答案写在答题卡上）

第一节  单词拼写（根据题中所给的汉语提示完整句子,每空一词）（共15小题，每小题1分，满分15分）

51．When learning English, it is quite important to develop the ability of         (交际).

52．When we are in other countries, we should respect the         (文化) there.

53．I am so         (熟悉) with him that I recognized his voice the moment I picked up the telephone.

54．         (判断) from his appearance, the manger must be over fifty.

55．She is not only beautiful, but also well         (受过教育的).

56．Please         (考虑) my suggestion whenever you feel puzzled.

57．Some villagers         (幸存) the earthquake, but were badly injured.

58．The hunter went through the forest under the         (保护) of his dog.

59．Those developed countries focus too much on their own           (好处、优势) so that the conference didn’t reach any agreement.

60．The house was     (设计) by a famous engineer who once worked as a door keeper.

61．My sister was lucky to be         (录取) to Beijing University.

62．We are now going to         (参访、会见) the Minister of Education.

63．I will keep my         (承诺、诺言) that I will never tell it to anybody.

64．Do you have any           (证据) to support you are not guilty?

65．He gave a good            (表现、表演) at the party last night.