Topic: Leaving it late

Like thousands of other students, Wang Xia turned up outside Zhonghua High School in Nanjing for the national college entrance exam (gaokao) on Tuesday - the only difference is, he's 82 years old. The pensioner has sat, and failed, the test for the last 11 years running.

It's never too old to learn, but there are many ways of learning. Why should he try to learn at college? This man's behavior doesn't deserve our admiration. He has taken the examination so many times, yet still hasn't made it. That leads me to think he simply just wants to be famous.

"OYOUYOUO" ON SINA; FOLLOWERS: 66

Fan Jin (a fictional Chinese character famed for his repeated failure in imperial exams) has been a laughing stock for several hundred years. This old man is instead has been established as a role model by the media. Will Fan see this as fair?

"XIAODAO" ON QQ; FOLLOWERS: 61

What's he for? To encourage successors? One thing for sure is that he has added to the trouble for examination organizers who have to keep an eye on him in case of a health emergency. - "WANNIANLAOSHI" ON SINA; FOLLOWERS: 1

Topic: Falling numbers

Just 9.3 million students registered to sit the gaokao this year, 240,000 less than in 2010. The number has fallen every year since reaching a 10.5-million peak in 2008, with the trend expected to continue until 2020.

With the development of vocational education, some middle school graduates now choose to take that route instead of high school. The growing popularity of blue-collar jobs also leads many who are less qualified for further academic study to choose that path. Moreover, as Chinese people get richer, many send their children to colleges abroad.

"MIMILA" ON QQ; FOLLOWERS: 63

The number of exam-takers has been decreasing continuously for three years. It could be a sign that China has fewer young people, while the society is getting older.

"ZHOUPENGAN" ON QQ; FOLLOWERS: 153

That's good. Many students can go to better universities with lower scores. Also, some less qualified colleges will be eliminated from the competition. This is good for the healthy development of higher education.

"YEJINTIANMING" ON QQ; FOLLOWERS: 52

Topic: Ethics of selling

Several cities, including Beijing, have launched plans to crack down on advertisements for luxury goods and real estate that extol messages of materialism and wealth worship. The move may curb hostility toward the rich, experts say.

On one hand, a large number of people can't afford a decent apartment; on the other, these advertisements promote luxurious living. These ads not only lead to unhealthy consumption trends, but also magnify the sense of unfairness felt by disadvantaged groups. - "YANTAIXINLANGLEJU" ON SINA; FOLLOWERS: 4,563

No matter how elegant or aristocratic the house is, living in it does not make you a king. Biguiyuan (a real estate agency) has applied a different marketing method and declared it will "build houses common citizens can afford".

"DAKUAIXIAOYE" ON SINA; FOLLOWERS: 1,071

Commercial organizations pursue profits, so there's no point blaming companies that build houses for the rich. Besides, ads are designed to fit the market; they promote luxurious living because society shows such a tendency.

"DIANHUISHENSHUI" ON SINA; FOLLOWERS: 122

(China Daily 06/09/2011)