Recently a growing number of foreign universities, such as the University of Cambridge, are accepting China's gaokao results as one of their admission standards. Is the Chinese college entrance exam being recognized globally? Forum readers share their opinions:

Cecilia Zhang (China)

The gaokao is a really tough exam. If possible, it can be used as one of the indicators(指标) for foreign universities, in addition to other indicators, such as how well they speak the target language. The students, who perform well in the gaokao, also have the ability to successfully adapt to Western styles of education. I believe accepting the gaokao as an indicator is a win-win for Chinese students and overseas universities.

Wchao 37 (US)

In fact gaokao is perhaps much more difficult than the SAT or ACT exams. You can get a perfect score of 1600 on the SAT but not in the gaokao, partly because the SAT is a machine-scored multiple-choice exam. Do you know anyone that has ever achieved a perfect score in the gaokao?

Harry 01 (UK)

Hundreds of students from China have entered universities in the UK using their gaokao scores, which require that their knowledge of English be above a certain level This measure has benefited specific groups of students from various backgrounds in China.

Mbursian (Canada)

In order to attend a university in an English-speaking country, a student needs to have an acceptable band score on the IELTS. Most importantly, students need an acceptable knowledge of the language spoken in any country they plan to study in. Now the Chinese gaokao is closer to meeting the requirements of different countries.

I'm an 18-year-old pre-medical student, tall and good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays to my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that the attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.

Born and raised in Africa, I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I, a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying "I'm so different!"

What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering(口吃), which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I'd taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.

Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! "Wow," I whispered to myself, "this isn't a genetic(遗传的) disorder after all. It's perfectly normal." Days later, my life took another twist(转折). Searching the Internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I'm smart, I shouldn't allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.

Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host and writer—she's black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I'm practically filled with shame.

Today, I've grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there's always something fantastic about us, and what we need to do is learn to appreciate it.

We are surrounded by the news about COVID-19 and other viruses(病毒), but how much do you really know about them? Viruses that infect(传染) humans nearly always cause illness. Fortunately, just as we know a lot about how viruses harm us, so do we know how to prevent them. These facts are a good place to start. 

·Being infected without signs is possible

Some viruses, including those that cause herpes,COVID-19, and AIDS, can be spread through asymptomatic(无症状的) people and presymptomatic(症状发生前的) people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some of them may even be "super-spreaders", infecting dozens to hundreds of other people without even 、 realizing it. Take action to prevent spreading viruses even when you don't feel sick.

·Hand washing is protective

Wash your hands. This is a piece of advice given by World Health Organization(WHO). Make sure to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and dry your hands on a clean towel. Don't use air dryers in public restrooms. 

·Regular exercise is helpful

Do regular exercise. Regular exercise, which can include taking quick walks, has been shown to improve your immune system, thus reducing your possibilities of developing a cold or the flu. But don't overdo it, for example, training for a long marathon without professional guidance. 

·Herd immunity(群体免疫) is hard to achieve

You may have read that you needn't get vaccinated(疫苗) if you live in a place where most people have had the disease or the vaccine, allowing you to make use of herd immunity. But effective herd immunity requires that more than 90 percent of the population be vaccinated against a disease.