A summer school poster can be seen in front of a primary school in Putian, Fujian province, June 20, 2011. Many pupils sign up for extra English class during summer vacation. [Photo/CFP]
The English language part of the college entrance exam looks set to be removed from the test under radical reforms sweeping across China. In Shandong province, the English listening test will be scrapped from next year, according to reports. And the overall score for English will drop from 150 to 100 in Beijing. The change may be welcome news for some, but for many - especially those who have spent substantial time and effort learning English - it is a bitter pill to swallow. Others hope the reform in Gaokao will serve as a wake-up call for those whose only goal is to get a high score using English. Here, in our photo special, we illustrate the craze of studying English across China over the past years.