59. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
A) It fails more boys than girls academically.
B) It focuses more on mixed school education.
C) It fails to give boys the attention they need.
D) It places more pressure on boys than on girls.
60. According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ______.
A) teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys
B) boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted
C) boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
D) teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit
61. Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James’ report?
A) They enjoy being in charge. C) They have sharper vision.
B) They conform to stereotypes. D) They are violent and sexist.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are bated on the following passage.
It’s an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no because the boiler could go, or the roof fall off and we have no savings to save us. I say you only live once and we work hard and what’s the point if you can’t go on holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year - we just won’t go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday A YouGov poll of 2, 000 people found 22% said they were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. What’s less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession - financial pressures mean couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable. A recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples. Disputes were characterized by intense verbal ( 言语上的) aggression, tended to be repeated and not resolved and made men, more than women, extremely angry.
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal because of what it symbolizes, which may be different things to men and women. "People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it’s for." he explains. "They’ll say it’s to save to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them." He says men are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that they’ve achieved something.
"The biggest problem is that couples assume each other know what’s going on with their finances, but they don’t. There seems to be more of a taboo (禁忌) about talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you’re doing, who’s paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship, you don’t have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it."
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答：
62. What does the author say about vacationing?
A) People enjoy it all the more during a recession.
B) Few people can afford it without working hard.
C) It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
D) It is the chief cause of family disputes.
63. What does the author mean by saying "money is known ... to bring a relationship to its knees"(Line 1, Para. 2)?
A) Money is considered to be the root of all evils.
B) Some people sacrifice their dignity for money.
C) Few people can resist the temptation of money.
D) Disputes over money may rain a relationship.
64. The YouGov poll of 2, 000 people indicates that in a recession ______ .
A) conflicts between couples tend to rise
B) it is more expensive for couples to split up
C) couples show more concern for each other
D) divorce and separation rates increase
65. What does Kim Stephenson believe?
A) Money is often a symbol of a person’s status.
B) Money means a great deal to both and women.
C) Men and women spend money on different things.
D) Men and women view money in different ways.
66. The author suggests at the end of the passage that couples should ______ .
A) put their money together instead of keeping it separately
B) make efforts to reach agreement on their family budgets
C) discuss money matters to maintain a healthy relationship
D) avoid arguing about money matters to remain romantic
Part Ⅴ Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each bland there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
Employers fear they will be unable to recruit students with the skills they need as the economic recovery kicks in, a new survey 67 .
Nearly half of the organizations told researchers they were already struggling to find 68 with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). 69 even more companies expect to experience 70 of employees with STEM skills in the next three years.
The Confederation of British Industry 71 694 businesses and organizations across the public and 72 sectors, which together employ 2.4 million people.
Half are 73 they will not be able to fill graduate posts in the coming years, while a third said they would not be able to 74 enough employees with the right A-level skills.
