Further education is officially described as the"post-secondary stage of education, comprising all vocational and non-vocational provision made for young people who have left school, or for adults". Further education thus embraces the vast range of university, technical, commercial, and art education and the wide field of adult education. It is this sector of education, which is concerned with education beyond the normal school-leaving ages of 16 or 18, that has experienced the most astonishing growth in the number of students. In the 19th century the dominance of Oxford and Cambridge was challenged by the rise of the civic universities, such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham. Following the lead of the 18th century German universities and responding to a public demand for increased opportunity for higher education, Britain's new civic universities quickly acquired recognition--not only in technological fields but also in the fine and liberal arts. Many new post-school technical colleges were founded in the early 20th century. The Fisher Act of 1918 empowered the local authorities to levy a rate (tax) to finance such colleges. The universities, on the other hand, received funds from the central government through the University Grants Committee, established in 1911 and recognized in 1920, after World War I. A new type of technical college was established in the 1960s--the polytechnic, which provides mainly technological courses of university level as well as courses of a general kind in the arts and sciences. Polytechnics are chartered to award degrees validated by a Council for National Academic Awards. Thus, the third level in the United Kingdom is made up of colleges of further education, technical colleges, polytechnics, and universities. The colleges offer full-time and part-time courses beyond compulsory-school level. Polytechnics and universities are mainly responsible for degrees and research. The innovative Open University, with its flexible admission policy and study arrangements, opened in... Post-school technical colleges _ . A) were completely free of charge B) were usually financed by local taxes C) depended mainly on students' tuition D) received funds from the central government
B
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth's surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth's crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted ---- although scientists are working on it! Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs. The intensity of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can't be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Wenchuan Earthquake, which hit Sichuan Province in 2008, was magnitude 7.8. Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking. According to the passage, when the earthquake happened, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco _ . A) was riding a bicycle B) was just climbing the stairs C) heard a low rumbling noise D) felt like riding a bicycle
D
Q: SAN FRANCISCO -- In the western U.S., Hawaii and elsewhere across the globe, moon watchers were treated on Saturday to a rare celestial phenomenon: a total lunar eclipse . For about 50 minutes starting at 6:06 a.m. PST, the moon was completely blocked by the Earth's shadow. With only some indirect sunlight able to reach it after passing through the Earth's atmosphere, the moon took on a reddish weak light. Since the atmosphere scatters blue light, only red light strikes the moon, giving it a dark red color1. Dally Sam, who runs a public relations firm in Hawaii, said it had been cloudy and rainy, but the weather cleared just in time for the eclipse. Around 3 a.m., he awoke, as he usually does, and remembered to step outside the house in time to catch the beginning of the eclipse about a half hour later. No one else in the neighborhood was up then. "It was turning that dark red color1," Sayre, aged 47, said, "I'd better get a camera. To be able to see it just right outside our house was really cool." At the local observatory in Los Angeles, some 300 people, many holding coffee cups in the cold morning air, sat with blankets and chairs on the observatory's great grass land. "It's really a celestial festival out here," John Peter, aged 39, told the Los Angeles Times as he set up his camera. Lying on a slope north of downtown near the Hollywood sign, the place offers clear views of the sky. Observatory officials reminded the crowd when the eclipse began and big applause burst when the celestial event ended. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon goes through the long shadow cast by the Earth and is blocked from the sunlight that brightens it. ks5u When a total lunar eclipse occurs, _ . A) the moon looks blue B) the light will hurt our eyes C) nothing of the moon can be seen except some dark red light around its place D) another planet comes between the earth and the moon
A: C
(Question)
I stopped at a grocery store the other day because I was about to go on a long drive and I wanted to buy my favorite beverage for the trip. It wasn't the store I normally go to, just one I passed along the way. As I walked up to the entrance, I noticed a man and a boy who was about 10 or 12 years old standing at the front of the store. Customers walked past, as the man handed them half-sheets of white paper. I walked up to them with curiosity, wondering what cause they were representing. As I got closer, I saw that they had two carts starting to fill with groceries. I said hello and the man greeted me and handed me one of the pieces of paper, explaining that they were collecting donations for the local food pantry. On the paper was a simple list of food items: peanut butter, noodles, pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables. It also included a short story about the boy and his efforts to collect food donations since the age of 8. I was really touched that someone so young would be so interested in helping others. I told him it was an awesome idea and that he should be proud of himself. He smiled. Then, I went inside to get my drink. Unfortunately, the store didn't have it in stock. But, I wasn't upset, because by then I felt I had another mission. I went through the store, picking things from the list, then brought them back out to the boy and put them in the cart. I also gave the man the white sheet of paper back to reuse for another customer. They thanked me and offered me a treat (candy, I think) but I said to pass it on to someone else. As I walked back to my car, the boy's well-intentioned spirit stuck with me. How inspiring to encounter a young boy with a resolve to do good deeds, and the courage to act on it. It made my day! We can infer from the description of the author that the boy is _ . A) noble-minded B) hard-working C) well-educated D) open-minded
(Answer)
A