More than half a million South Korean students in their final year of high school recently took the university entrance examination. Many people consider success on this test the first step toward a good life. But South Korean students say they feel stressed from the pressure.

Seventeen-year-old student Lee Jee-woo is not ready yet to take the test. But he has a strong opinion about it. He says, “This test can determine the rest of your life.”

South Korean high school students spend years studying for the university entrance examination. People say good scores guarantee entrance to a top university and the possibility of a high-paying job. Some say good test results even improve chances for a good marriage in the future.

Jasper Kim is a professor at Seoul’s Ewha Women’s University. “I think you’ll see similar things in China and to a lesser degree in Japan. It became the end all, be all, the standardized test, what you got on it. What it created was a system of teaching to the test. So everyone was prepared, in terms of, getting to the right answer ... and not knowing why that is the right answer.” Professor Kim says this system of learning by memorization produces a lot of stressed students. A recent government study found that South Korean children are the least happy compared to children in 29 other developed countries. Many South Koreans blame educational pressure for this unhappiness.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has promised to reform her country’s educational system. She urges the system to increase creative thinking and reduce student tension. But Jasper Kim does not feel sure that reforms by the top government alone will solve the problem. He says, “The bureaucrats, they can say all they want. But it really starts at home.”

Still, getting South Korean parents to ease the pressure on their children might not be so easy. Shin Jeong-yeon says she would like not to put so much pressure on her daughter. But, she says there is a lot of competition, so it is impossible for parents not to do so. 

本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写，禁止复制和任何商业用途，版权所有，侵权必究！

1.What is mainly discussed in the passage?

A University entrance examination took place in South Korea.

B University entrance examination is considered important to one’s good life.

C South Korean students get stressed from university entrance examination.

D Standardized questions make up the university entrance examination.

解析：选C。C 主旨大意题。根据文章第1段（主题段）最后一句But South Korean students say they feel stressed from the pressure可知，本文的主要内容是关于韩国高中生参加高考有很大压力的报道和分析。

2.What can be the benefits of a successful university entrance examination?

A Top university, highly paid job, good marriage.

B Relaxation, competition, highly paid job.

C Top university, competition, good marriage.

D Top university, good marriage, promising future.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章第3段People say good scores guarantee entrance to a top university and the possibility of a high-paying job. Some say good test results even improve chances for a good marriage in the future可知，如果高考成绩优异的话，就有可能考上重点大学、获得一份高薪工作、增加了未来美好婚姻的可能性。

3.What brought about stress to the students?

A Standardized test.

B Good marriage.

C Creative thinking.

D System of learning.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第4段Professor Kim says this system of learning by memorization produces a lot of stressed students可知，学生的压力主要来自死记硬背的学习方式，故选D。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A It is the top government that can reduce the pressure of the students.

B Parents play an important role in making the students feel stressed.

C It is not easy to stop the bureaucrats from adding pressure to the students.

D There is a lot of competition among parents to make their children stressed.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段so it is impossible for parents not to do so可知，学生家长们支持孩子们参加高考，他们在孩子们面临的高考压力中起到了很重要的作用。

5.Why does the author write this passage?

A To show his support to South Korean students to fight for a good future.

B To give advice to South Korean students attending university entrance examination.

C To urge the South Korean government to take steps in educational reform.

D To make an analysis of the students’ pressure from university entrance examination.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。通读全文可知，作者介绍了韩国高考的情况，对高中毕业生面临的高考压力做了深入分析，发现韩国学生的高考压力有社会因素，也有家庭因素。故选D。