With 224,000 students sitting in the exam, the senior high school entrance examinations kicked off in Beijing on Saturday amid scorching temperatures of up to 40 C. A Global Times reporter saw that at one of the exam centers, the Shijingshan Experimental Middle School, students entered in an orderly manner. This year, the manual security checks have been added, with students required to pass through a metal detector before entering the exam center, and electronic devices such as mobile phones are strictly prohibited. Photos: Li Hao/GT