1.  Read carefully the following excerpt on the value of overseas higher education and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:
    ● summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then
    ● comment on whether overseas higher education is still worth the price.
    You should support yourself with information from the excerpt.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
   
    It can cost up to $40,000 a year to attend the best schools in America. Despite the devastating recession, the cost of attending a university has continued to rise. Public in-state tuition averages $7,000 a year while private schools average $26,000. On top of tuition, there is at least another $12,000 for room and board, books, and other expenses.
    Yayun Pan travelled half way around the world from China to study economics at Georgetown, one of the most prestigious universities in America. She says she wanted to broaden her horizons.
    "This is an international world and it's not enough for me to study only in my hometown." That's a feeling shared by Jaewoo Kim—who came here from South Korea to study international relations. "Pressure for a good education is very high back home. And Korean parents tend to be more aggressive about their children's education and a better future." He is paying nearly $50,000 this year for tuition, room, and board.
    But the devastating recession and unemployment at nearly 10 percent cast doubt on whether a college degree still worth the cost. Elyse Ashburn, senior editor, said, "So much money invested in a higher education is worth the cost. I think it matters where they go and get a degree. The reality is that different places have different values in the market place. That depends on the student and what they can afford." Prof. Stephen Rosen of Georgetown University said, "The data is overwhelming that education is more important than ever before. The financial ratio of a BA graduate versus a high school graduate has exploded in the last few decades. Put it in simpler words, overseas higher education truly is still worth the efforts."

2.  Read carefully the following excerpt on the revision of textbooks which increases the content of Chinese traditional culture and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:
    ● summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then
    ● comment on why such revision is necessary.
    You should support yourself with information from the excerpt.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
   
    Chinese language textbooks in China's primary and secondary schools have been revised to focus more on traditional culture, according to an editor.
    Starting this autumn, more than four million first and seventh graders from Hunan, Henan, Guangdong, Liaoning and other provincial-level regions will use the new textbooks.
    According to Wang Xuming, president of the Language and Culture Press, 40 percent of the content in the previous edition has been changed.
    Traditional material makes up 30 percent of the revised primary school textbooks, while it increases to about 40 percent for secondary school textbooks.
    "We did so to address the needs of parents, who want their children to learn more about traditional culture," said a senior editor surnamed Zhu in charge of the middle school textbooks.
    "Now many people cannot even understand the language in classical Chinese books, and parents compete to send their children to commercial training centers for traditional culture," she said.
    China has seen a renewed interest in traditional education. A report by the Southern Metropolitan Daily said that China has more than 3,000 Sishu, or traditional private schools, in addition to training centers teaching students classical essays.
    "Demand for private education grows when teaching of traditional culture in public schools is not enough. What's more, the poetry and essays in the new textbooks were selected not only for students to learn the language, but also to instruct them on philosophy." Zhu said.
    Primary and middle schools in China had uniform textbooks before an education reform in 2001, which allowed schools in different provinces to use different textbooks. More than ten publishers have released their own textbooks.
    This is the first revision the press has made in more than a decade. They have replaced some outdated articles.

3.  Do students learn more from classes than from other sources? This has been an intensely discussed question for years. The following are the supporters' and opponents' opinions. Read carefully the opinions from both sides and write your response in about 200 words, in which you should first summarize briefly the opinions from both sides and give your views on the issue.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

YES

NO

Teachers have the capability of explaining points in a deeper way and provide not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience about life. In the conventional teaching and learning mode, teachers and students co-exist in an environment where they can have timely interaction. This means teachers can have a more comprehensive and direct understanding of their students' strong points and shortcomings, which guarantees that students can learn more from the courses tailored to their needs. Teachers not only function as initiators who impart knowledge but also serve as supervisors or guardians. This is especially true in the case where students are less self-disciplined and inclined to go astray without the supervision and guidance from teachers.

With the advent of the Internet and other telecommunication technologies, there is a vastly growing wealth of resources available from an immense range of media outlets. The Intemet and TV are also easily accessible platforms for students in remote areas where teaching resources are not as abundant as those in more developed regions. Conducting research is an active process, which allows youngsters to focus on the smallest details rather than passively listen to a lecture in a large classroom, not to mention the extensiveness of learning methods attainable.

4.  Read carefully the following excerpt and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:
    ● summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then
    ● comment on whether delayed employment is a good thing.
    You can support yourself with information from the excerpt.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
   
    With the job market becoming increasingly competitive every year, a growing number of fresh university graduates are opting for "delayed employment".
    According to a survey released by online recruiter Zhaopin on Tuesday, about 9.8 percent of the 93,420 graduates who participated in a written survey said they would not begin working right after graduation.
    Job consultants at Zhaopin explained that there are more choices for young people born after 1995. Jobs related to personal interests have greater attraction, and they are not willing to give in and take a job they don't like.
    At the same time, they are also aware of the tension in the job market, and some have opted to delay job hunting to avoid the competition.
    According to Beijing-based education consultancy MyCos, the number of students who have opted for delayed employment—or not starting their career in six months' time—has been growing steadily since 2011.
    "Delayed employment is not that intimidating. Chinese university students have learned a lot from books but lack practice. Most of the graduates choosing to delay employment are hoping to increase their social experience," said Gut Sheng, chief executive officer of Zhaopin.
    "Some young people who are not faced with a heavy economic burden are simply staying at home, relying on parents. But in general, the majority of university graduates are willing to get a job and work toward their goals. They just want to know more about the world first," he said.

5.  Read carefully the following excerpt and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:
    ● summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then
    ● comment on whether daigou will prosper among students abroad.
    You can support yourself with information from the excerpt.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
   
    A high demand for overseas luxury goods in China has laid the ground for Chinese students studying overseas to make a small business by selling the goods to China, says an investigation from the People's Daily on Monday.
    A simple search on Taobao.com, one of the most popular online shopping sites in China, shows numerous sellers listed as daigou, in Chinese. They live across the world, mostly in Europe, North America and Asia selling products like cosmetics, garments, luxury products and milk powder.
    Another surprising platform in China for selling online is WeChat. Unlike Taobao, it is not traditionally a sales platform, but a social media platform. Already connected to friends, family members and schoolmates back home in China through WeChat, Chinese students abroad can use these connections to spread the product information.
    Liu Xiaomin (not real name) is an exchange student in Italy's Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and frequently sells products online. She said that at least 3 of her 10 classmates from China who study with her buy cosmetics and luxuries to sell back home.
    The high demand for overseas luxury goods in China has opened up an opportunity for these students, many who find they can not only add to life experience, widen social circles, but also make a side income.
    Liu Xiaomin says she easily makes a part-time job with the work, earning 2,500 yuan ($370) a month. Liu Zeming (not real name), a Chinese student in Germany, sells German pens and wants to make a career out of this business when he graduates.