阅读理解。
The terrible college entrance exam is not only a big challenge for Chinese high school students, but also
a very important exam in the lives of South Korean students.
Although the long, cold winter has already started in South Korea, the annual (一年一度的) national
exams have made the atmosphere very heated.
More than 675,000 South Korean high school graduates (毕业生) took the college entrance exam last
Wednesday. They usually take exams in Korean, maths, sociology (社会学), history and foreign languages.
Officially there is one college place for every 1.33 students. But because all the students want to go to
the top universities in the country, the competition can reach one place for 10 students. The students want
to attend these colleges for both their famous names and better job opportunities.
Because students face fierce competition, they have to study very hard to realize their dreams. Park
Seung said he and his classmates often go to school before 7:30 am. After school has finished at 6:30 pm,
most of them go to the library to continue their study instead of returning home. Since many libraries in
South Korea are open 24 hours a day, they often stay long into the night. Many of the Senior 3 students
only sleep for three to four hours a day.
"I feel a lot of pressure,but I have to study very hard in order to make my dream come true. This is my
lifetime goal and it will be a turning point in my life which could decide my future," Park said.
The exam day is a very serious day for the whole of South Korea. Vehicles are not allowed within a 200-
metre radius (范围) of all the test sites to make sure the students have quiet surroundings. Tooting (吹奏)
of horns is forbidden, even airplanes are ordered to avoid landing and take-off near the test sites during
listening comprehension test hours.
Students are told their scores in December before they apply for college. This is followed by face-to-face
oral tests (口试). There are public and private universities in South Korea. Many private universities are well-
known, but their fees can be 18, 000 yuan each term. This has made a lot of students think again.
1. In South Korean _____. [ ]
A. there is only one college
B. there is only one top college
C. there are only top universities
D. there are a number of colleges
2. We can infer that there are almost _____ college places for high school graduates. [ ]
A. 675, 000
B. 507, 520
C. 500, 000
D. 600, 000
3. Airplanes are not permitted to land near the test sites _____. [ ]
A. when the test begins
B. when the test is going on
C. during some period of the test
D. during the tests
4. Before students are allowed to colleges _____. [ ]
A. they will be interviewed
B. they will ask questions of colleges
C. they will not be tested any more
D. first they will pay all the education fee at all
