averyimportantexaminthelivesofSouthKoreanstudents.

Althoughthelong,coldwinterhasalreadystartedinSouthKorea,theannual(一年一度的)national

examshavemadetheatmosphereveryheated.

Morethan675,000SouthKoreanhighschoolgraduates(毕业生)tookthecollegeentranceexamlast

Wednesday.TheyusuallytakeexamsinKorean,maths,sociology(社会学),historyandforeignlanguages.

Officiallythereisonecollegeplaceforevery1.33students.Butbecauseallthestudentswanttogoto

thetopuniversitiesinthecountry,thecompetitioncanreachoneplacefor10students.Thestudentswant

toattendthesecollegesforboththeirfamousnamesandbetterjobopportunities.

Becausestudentsfacefiercecompetition,theyhavetostudyveryhardtorealizetheirdreams.Park

Seungsaidheandhisclassmatesoftengotoschoolbefore7:30am.Afterschoolhasfinishedat6:30pm,

mostofthemgotothelibrarytocontinuetheirstudyinsteadofreturninghome.Sincemanylibrariesin

SouthKoreaareopen24hoursaday,theyoftenstaylongintothenight.ManyoftheSenior3students

onlysleepforthreetofourhoursaday.

"Ifeelalotofpressure,butIhavetostudyveryhardinordertomakemydreamcometrue.Thisismy

lifetimegoalanditwillbeaturningpointinmylifewhichcoulddecidemyfuture,"Parksaid.

TheexamdayisaveryseriousdayforthewholeofSouthKorea.Vehiclesarenotallowedwithina200-

metreradius(范围)ofallthetestsitestomakesurethestudentshavequietsurroundings.Tooting(吹奏)

ofhornsisforbidden,evenairplanesareorderedtoavoidlandingandtake-offnearthetestsitesduring

listeningcomprehensiontesthours.

StudentsaretoldtheirscoresinDecemberbeforetheyapplyforcollege.Thisisfollowedbyface-to-face

oraltests(口试).TherearepublicandprivateuniversitiesinSouthKorea.Manyprivateuniversitiesarewe