“The gaokao,China's national college entrance exam,is winning more recognition as a way for universities overseas to evaluate Chinese students,”recruiting officers said.

    Stanley Nel,vice-president of international relations at the University of San Francisco in the United States,who is responsible for the university's admissions from China,said he had had several inquiries from US universities about how to recruit Chinese students on the basis of their gaokao scores.

    The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) have long been two musts for students from other counties,including China,to apply to study in the US.

    USF,a private university in California,started a pilot program to accept Chinese students based on their gaokao scores in 2015.The idea came from USF President Paul Fitzgerald's belief that standardized tests like the SAT are not very good predictors of how well students will do at the university."We are aware of the many criticisms that have been made of the gaokao,but it has the advantage of being what educational experts call a 'criterion-referenced' exam: It tests whether students are able to master a given body of knowledge,"he said.

    Currently,at least four higher education institutions in the US are recruiting Chinese students based on their gaokao performances.The Illinois Institute of Technology,a private institution in Chicago,started the practice first,in 2009.Outside the US,countries including Spain,Italy,Singapore,France and Australia also recognize gaokao scores.

    More than 200 students from China requested an interview with USF last year.74 of them were selected for a follow-up interview,44 received offers and 20 accepted the invitation and joined USF for the 2015 fall semester. Students admitted in this way have done "exceptionally well" in the past academic year,Nel added."The average GPA for all gaokao students is about 3.5 out of 4.For all other students—American and non-gaokao international students—American and non-gaokao international students—the average GPA is 3.2,"he said.

    Zhu Zihao gained admission in computer sciences at USF in 2015 through the program and performed well in his first academic year.He said that students who had experienced China's gaokao usually had comprehensive basic knowledge,which helps them excel in studies.

    Nel said,"students admitted through China's gaokao are not only smart but extremely conscientious（认真的）and hardworking."

    "This year we hope to recruit about 50 students in this way,and even more in years to come,"he said.

    Some people learn a second language easily. Other people have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language， such as English？{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Be patient.

    You do not have to understand everything all at once. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We can learn from our mistakes.

    Practice your English.

    For example, write in a journal every day. You will get used to writing in English, and you will feel com for table expressing your ideas in English. After several weeks, you will see that your writing is improving.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you believe that you can learn, you will learn.

    Keep a record of your language learning.

    After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it.

    It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will have more confidence in yourself.

A. Write these achievements(成就) in your journal.

B. Besides, you must speak English every day.

C. Making mistakes is an unavoidable part in your life.

D. There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.

E. Share your achievement with your parents and friends.

F. Feel confident(有自信心的) about learning English.

G. It is natural for you to make mistakes when you learn something new.

    I think a close friend is someone you get on well with, who helps you when you have problems, who gives you advice, and who always has time for you. I didn't use to have many close friends when I was at school because I was very shy, but now I have several. They are all women. I think it's difficult to have a close friend of the opposite sex（异性）.

—Marie

    I think a close friend is someone who you've known for a long time, and who you still get on with. They have similar hobbies to you so you can do things together. I've got three close friends who I was at middle school with and we often go out together （without our parents of course）. We often go camping, play football, or walk outside in the open air.

—David

    I'm not sure how to answer the question because I don't really have any close friends. I know a lot of people but mainly through work, and the social occasions（场合） when we meet are business dinners, things like that. I think if you come from a really close family, friends are a bit unnecessary. I like spending my free time with my family.

—Richard

    For me close friends are the people you spend your free time with. I go out at weekends with a group of people, and they are all my close friends. They're also people who live near me. I don't think you can have close friends at a distance because you need to be able to see each other often. But I don't think you need to be doing the same things. I mean I'm at school but none of my friends are.

—Anna

Sweet Dreams While You Sleep

    Did you sleep the day away on Friday March 21? Well, you should have done that because it was World Sleeping Day.

    This is the day of the year when people around the world care about their sleep and ask themselves questions about sleep.

    Why do we need sleep?

    Nobody as yet can give a perfect answer to this question. However, lab tests on rats have shown that lack (缺少) of sleep over about four weeks leads to a strong drop in body temperature, great weight loss and finally, death.

    How much sleep?

    Different people need different amounts of sleep. Eight hours a night is considered the average amount of sleep. For teenagers, the least number of sleeping hours advised by doctors are 10 hours for primary school students, nine for junior highs and eight for senior highs.

    Some people seem to get along just well with very little sleep at night. Leading American scientist Thomas Edison, for example thought of sleep to be a waste of time. He did, however take naps (打盹) during the day. On the other hand, Albert Einstein, another great scientist, said he needed at least ten hours sleep a night.

    How can we sleep well?

    Here are some of the most popular tips for a good night's sleep:

    Listen to your body clock, not your alarm clock (闹钟).

    Use your bed only to sleep.

    Get up and go to bed at the same time (also on weekends).

    Exercise in the morning and in the early afternoon. Don't exercise in the evening.

    Stop looking at that clock while you can't sleep! And don't worry.

    Avoid alcohol (酒精), caffeine (咖啡因) and smoking before going to bed.

    Keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.

    One of the easiest and most pleasing ways to express your creativity (创造力) is by drawing. In addition, drawing can calm you down in many ways. It can help keep you away from negative thoughts and clear your mind. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Draw something that makes you comfortable. Content (内容) does not matter as much as the meaning you connect with whatever you choose to draw. If you find mountains or trees relaxing to be around, try your hand at drawing. You can also draw things like pets or buildings. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, draw a dog's head on a pig's body with a horse's legs and tail.

    Just draw. Experiment on drawing with different color patterns (色型) and emotions. Believe it or not, drawing can help realize physical relaxation by lowering your blood pressure. Color your drawing with bright, exciting colors. Draw patterns. Start with changes of circles, as they're easier to draw. Simply cover a page in a pattern. Keep your subjects smile. Whether you are drawing mountains, humans, or animals, add a face with a smile. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Go somewhere where you feel calm. Choose some quiet places. Turn off your phone, and avoid areas with television or computers. Some private (私人的) places are best, as your drawing will not be forbidden by the presence of others, and you will be less likely to be bothered. Get outside. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Drawing outside can also give you ideas of things to draw.

    Have fun. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't worry about the final product. And don't judge your artistic abilities. Lose yourself in the experience of creation! Sitting down to draw for just a few minutes can brighten your feelings. You'll feel energetic and may feel even more open­minded for the rest of the day.

A. Let yourself enjoy the process.

B. Listen to music when you draw.

C. Simply being outside will calm you down.

D. Sure, it's silly but you'll probably smile back.

E. Hang up your work somewhere it will catch your eye.

F. You can even try combinations of different animal parts.

G. And the enjoyment of drawing can help keep your stresses away.

Super communicators are people who are consistently able to create real connections with others just by listening and talking.The following are four habits of super communicators.

They  know  what  kind  of  conversation  they're  having.Super  communicators  are  usually  able  to  respond accordingly.If you're having  a practical  conversation,your  friend  might  ask  you  to  help make hard  decisions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If your friend is just expressing his feelings,you just need to be a good listener.

They prove they're listening.There are plenty of ways to appear like you're listening,like making eye contact or nodding.To do that,experts suggest a technique called "cycle for understanding".Ask a question and listen to the response.Repeat  what  they  just  told  you.Ask  your  conversation  partner  if  you  got  what  they  said  correct.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

They ask a lot of the right questions.Research shows that highly effective communicators tend to ask 10 to 20 times as many questions as everyone else.They may simply be follow-up questions like"What happened next?" Super communicators also ask questions that get people to open up.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They ask about people's values or experiences and create an opportunity for emotional connection.   {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The goal of a discussion isn't to impress someone,convince someone or wait for their turn to speak. It's to genuinely comprehend someone else's point of view and share their own views accordingly.The right response creates an atmosphere of trust and openness that both parties can benefit from. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A.They  aim  to  understand.

B.Experts call them"deep questions"

C.They are persuasive communicators.

D.The decisions should be easy to carry out.

E.This practice sounds simple but is powerful.

F.Then you should be ready to give good advice.

G.And that is actually the most magical thing that can happen.