The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not IQ,a generally bad predictor of success.Instead,it's purposeful practice.Top performers spend more hours practising their craft.If you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop,you'd take a girl who
possessed a slightly above average language ability.It wouldn't have to be a big talent,just enough so that
she might gain some sense of distinction.Then you would want her to meet,say,a novelist,who
coincidentally shared some similar qualities.Maybe the writer was from the same town,had the same family background,or,shared the same birthday.
     This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self.It would give her some idea of a fascinating
circle she might someday join.It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12,giving her a
strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success.Armed with this ambition,she would
read novels and life stories of writers without end.This would give her a primary knowledge of her field.
She'd be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
     Then she would practice writing.Her practice would be slow,painstaking and error focused.By
practicing in this way,she delays the automatizing process.Her mind wants to turn conscious,newly learned skills into unconscious,automatically performed skills.By practicing slowly,by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating,she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance.Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback,viewing her performance from the outside,
correcting the smallest errors,pushing her to take on tougher challenges.By now she is redoing
problems-how do I get characters into a room-dozens and dozens of times.She is establishing habits of
thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
     The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius.It's the ability to develop a purposeful,laborious and boring practice routine.The latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement.But it underlines a fact that is often neglected.Public discussion is affected by genetics and
what we're "hard-wired" to do.And it's true that genes play a role in our capabilities.But the brain is also
very plastic.We construct ourselves through behaviour.

1.The passage mainly deals with_____.

A. the function of IQ in cultivating a writer
B. the relationship between genius and success
C. the decisive factor in making a genius
D. the way of gaining some sense of distinction

2.By reading novels and writers' stories,the girl could       .

A. come to understand the inner structure of writing
B. join a fascinating circle of writers someday
C. share with a novelist her likes and dislikes
D. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security

3.In the girl's long painstaking training process,      .

A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success
B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance
C. she acquires the magic of some great achievements
D. she comes to realize she is "hard-wired" to write

4.What can be concluded from the passage? 

A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one's success.
B. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.
C. As to the growth of a genius,IQ doesn't matter,but just his/her efforts.
D. What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.

     Chinese parents are being urged to pay more attention to their children's nutrition, after a study
revealed that unscientific ways of feeding babies and a lack of trace elements are the two biggest threats
to youngsters'health. Experts drew these conclusions from a two year study into the nutrition and health
situation of children under six in ten cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. 
     Started in 2003 by the China National Children's Center, the survey includes 8043 children, equally
divided between the sexes. It shows 37 percent of surveyed children have baby food earlier than the
recommended age of four to six months old, with another 35percent taking it later, which in return brings
about a nutrition difference as these children grow up.  "Our children above four to six months old fall
behind foreign children in terms of their physical well?being," said Zhao Shunyi, head of the center.  She
called on Chinese parents to pay more attention to their children's nutrition after they stop breast feeding
at six months old.      
     Trace elements
     The survey also shows more than half of the children above six months old are deficient in five trace
elements which are crucial to their physical development-magnesium, copper, calcium, iron and zinc. 
"Lack of zinc will lead to low level of intelligence," said Dou Xiaowei, vice director of the National Center
for Child Nutrition Quality Supervision and Testing. "Parents had better choose baby food with plentiful
trace elements, especially calcium, iron and zinc."
     Zhao said, "The center is urging the government to strengthen child food production management by
revising related  laws.  Child food producers should be advised to market products with rich trace
elements."  

 

     It could not have been easy to see the tiny swimmer, but a group of scientists claimed to have discovered
the world's tiniest fish. The little creature was found recently in an Indonesian swamp (沼泽).
     For now, the fish is known as Paedocypris progenetica. It has a transparent, or see-through, body. Its head
doesn't have a skeleton (骨架), leaving its brain vulnerable (脆弱的) to its surroundings. The fish, which is
female (雌性的), can grow to be only 7.9 millimeters or (0.31 inches) long, about the size of a large mosquito
(蚊子).
     Maurice Kottelat, a fish expert from Sweden, led the team of researchers that made the discovery. Kottelat
and his team reported their discovery in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, a British scientific journal.
     "You don't wake up in the morning and think today we will find the smallest fish in the world," said Kottelat
in an interview. He and his team were most excited by the possibility of having discovered the world's smallest
vertebrate. "What's important is finding a complete backbone in a body so small," said Kottelat. All fish, reptiles
(爬行动物), birds, and mammals (including humans) are vertebrates.
     It wasn't long after Kottelat's announcement that another researcher challenged the claim with a discovery
of his own. Fish expert Ted Pietsch, a researcher at the University of Washington, says that he has discovered
a fish that is smaller than Kottelat's discovery.
     According to Pietsch, the male Photocorynus spiniceps is a tiny ocean fish measuring only about a quarter
inch. That would actually make Pietsch's fish the world's smallest vertebrate. Kottelat's would come in at a
close second. When Pietsch got in touch with Kottelat to mention the fish, four of which he keeps in his office-
Kottelat did not argue. He kindly gave the title of "world's smallest vertebrate" over to Pietsch's unique fish.
     "So our little fish is only the smallest freshwater vertebrate," Kottelat wrote. "Now I wait until the next
smallest fish is discovered."

1. Pietsch's fish is shorter than Kottlelat's by about _____.

A. 0.01 inches
B. 0.06 inches
C. 0.1 inches
D. 0.31 inches

2. The underlined word "vertebrate" probably means "_____".

A. a creature in an ocean
B. a fish in fresh water
C. an animal that can swim
D. an animal with a backbone

3. Which statement is TRUE according to the text?

A. Kottlelat's fish still keeps the record of the smallest fresh water vertebrate so far.
B. Pietsch's record of discovery of the world's smallest fish was soon broken by others.
C. Kettlelat didn't admit that Pietsch's fish was even smaller than his.
D. All fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and humans share the same ancestor.

4. Which question doesn't seem to be answered so far according to the text?

A. Is fish a vertebrate animal?
B. What's the world's smallest fish indeed?
C. What is the smallest freshwater vertebrate?
D. What size is Pietsch's fish?

     The literal meaning of philosophy is "love of wisdom". But this meaning does not tell us very much.
Unlike the other disciplines (学科), philosophy cannot e defined by what you study,because it si actually
unlimited. Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: are, history, law, language, literature,
mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy. For this reason
you get a Doctorate (博士学位) of Philosophy (Ph. D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or
psychology.
     Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy. Logic is the science of
argument and critical thinking. It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning.
The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and period in the development of
philosophy.
     Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement. It is necessary for understanding
other disciplines. Only philosophy question the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to
other disco[;ones. And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis
that can be applied to any field.
     There are a number of general uses of philosophy.  It strengthens one's ability to solve problem, to
communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important form a large
quantity of data. These general uses are of great benefit in the career filed, not necessarily for obtaining one's
first job after graduation,but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on.
It is very short sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one's first job. The
useful skills developed thought the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career
advancement. No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to
resolve human conflict.

1. Accprdomg to Paragraph 1. philosophy can best be described as the study of _____.

A. social sciences
B. natural sciences
C. both social and natural sciences
D. the subject matter of politics

2. With the study of philosophy, you can _____.

A. become a great leader
B. succeed in everything
C. find a good job soon after graduation
D. make progress in your career development

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Philosophy is an independent discipline.
B. Logic helps you to become a better thinker.
C. The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits.
D. The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define.

4. From the passage, we can conclude _____.

A. not all the subjects have to do with philosophy
B. a person will get a Ph. D. if he/she studies philosophy
C. philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects
D. philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world

     Driving a large truck over mountain roads is not the usual way that a schoolteacher begins her day-
especially if she is a preschool teacher. But Mrs. Beth Miller does this five days every week. Her unusual
schoolhouse on wheels is actually a truck. The back of the truck has been made into a classroom in order
to carry the advantages of modern education to remote areas of the state of West Virginia. In many rural
areas of this state it is impossible for small children to go to regular schools because of the many hills and
valleys of Appalachian Mountains.
     The purpose of the schoolhouse on wheels project is to develop basic skills and social behavior in
children three to five years of age. This is done through games, exercises, toys and simple handcrafts. The
schoolhouse on wheels concept also teaches the young children to recognize 300 to 400 words on the printed
page. This is a great advantage in helping the pupils to learn to read when they begin regular school. In its
three-year history the project has helped about 350 children in an area made up of five counties, an area of
20 000 square kilometers. The schoolhouse on wheels is part of the Appalachian Educational Laboratory, a
research effort paid for by the government. Besides the mobile classroom, other parts of the program include
lessons by television and visits to the homes of the students. The technique is very effective, and one teacher
can do the work of seven in a traditional educational system. As a result the program costs about 50% less
than the regular kindergarten.
     All these advantages of the schoolhouse on wheels have made both parents and school officials happy.
West Virginia plans to increase the program and to include it in the public school system so that more than
4500 preschool children can have this valuable learning experience.

1. Mrs. Beth Miller usually _____.

A. walks to begin her work
B. drives a large truck to begin her work
C. drives her car to the school
D. carries the classroom to the school

2. Children in many rural areas of West Virginia cannot go to regular schools because _____.

A. large trucks cannot go in mountainous areas
B. there are no schoolhouses on wheels there
C. there are many hills and valleys there
D. preschool teachers don't like to work there

3. The best title for this passage is _____.

A. Schoolhouse on wheels
B. West Virginia
C. Effective educational system
D. Educational laboratory

   Nowadays in China,parents care about their children’s education more than anything else. They spend a
lot coaching their children in their studies; those who have time or are not able to do it have tutors hired for their children. Many have their children sent to after-class schools. Some others even have tired to improve their living environment. It seems as if a better education is all that parents expect for their children.
   The situation can be explained by the following reasons. First of all, the swift development of China’s
economy is calling for more and more skilled and knowledgeable workers and professionals(专业人士). Second, the awareness of today’s parents’ has been growing that success in this world depends more on
skills and knowledge than on anything else. Skills and knowledge means competitiveness(竞争). At last,
with school education becoming more and more expensive, it is natural for parents to expect their children could become somebody or doing something great.
   Of course, I’m happy to see much of parents’ attention paid to their children’s education. However, they should not go too far to ignore their children’s abilities and personal qualities. I think the first thing to lean is how to survive and how to be a qualified citizen. if parents can try their best to help children’s characters, it will bring a happy life to their children when they grow up.

1. What’s the main idea of the passage? (Within 15 words)
____________________________________________________________________________
2. According to the paragraph 2, why are more and more skilled and knowledgeable workers needed. (Within 15 words)
____________________________________________________________________________
3. What the meaning of the underlined word “coaching”? (Within 8 words)
____________________________________________________________________________
4. In author’s opinion, what is also important for children besides sills and knowledge? (Within 10 words) ____________________________________________________________________________
5. Do your parents care about our education? How? (Within 20 words)
____________________________________________________________________________

     A lot of teachers hate doodlers(乱写乱画的人)during classes. "Pay attention!" Teachers will often
warn doodling students, sure that they must be daydreaming.
     However, according to a recent study, doodling while listening to a boring lecture helps concentrate
(集中)the attention:
     Andrade, a psychology professor in England asked participants to listen to a boring lecture. Half the
participants were told to color in squares and circles freely on a piece of paper while listening to the
lecture. The other half weren't given a task. After it was over, the participants were asked to retell the
lecture.    
     Those given the doodling task (color in squares and circles) remembered 29 percent more information
than the non-doodlers．Andrade said.  
     "If someone is doing a boring task, like listening to a dull conversation, they may start daydream,"
said Professor Andrade.
    "Daydreaming distracts(使分心)them from the task, resulting in poorer performance. A  simple task,
like doodling, can stop them from daydreaming without affecting their performance at the task," he said.    
     So the next time you're doodling during a class, and you hear "pay attention", you can tell the teacher
with confidence that you've been paying attention to every word．  

1. The passage mainly tells us              .

A. doodling will be banned(禁止) in classes  
B. teachers are against doodling
C. doodling may help concentrate    
D. doodling can lead to daydream

2. Teachers hate doodlers because they thought               .

A. doodlers are not good at study      
B. doodlers are doing no task
C. doodlers pay no attention in class  
D. doodlers are not polite to them

3. According to the text, it is helpful to doodle when               .

A. a boring lecture is given           
B. an interesting story is told
C. watching a long TV program      
D. having a conversation with the teacher

4. Professor Andrade thinks                .

A. those given the doodling task can remember less information
B. if you have daydream during classes you'll have a good memory
C. daydreaming is better than doodling
D. doodling can stop us from daydreaming

5. We can learn from the text that                .

A. doodling is the best way to draw attention
B. daydreaming is different from doodling
C. doodling will be helpful in any occasion
D. every student should doodle in class

     It is difficult for parents of nearly every family to teach their children to be responsible (有责任的) for
housework, but with one of the following suggestions, you really can get your children to help at home.
     If you give your children the impression that they can never do anything quite right, then they will
regard themselves as unfit or unable persons. Unless children believe they can succeed, they will never
become totally independent.
     My daughter Mary's fifth-grade teacher made every child in her class feel special. When students
received less than a perfect test score, she would point out what they had mastered (掌握) and declared
firmly they could learn what they had missed.
     You can use the same way when you evaluate (评价) your child's work at home. Don't always scold
and you should give lots of praise instead. Talk about what he has done right, not about what he hasn't
done. If your child completes a difficult task, promise him a Sunday trip or a ball game with Dad.
     Learning is a process (过程) of trying and failing and trying and succeeding. If you teach your children
not to fear a mistake of failure, they will learn faster and achieve success at last.

1. The whole passage deals with ________.

A. social education
B. school education  
C. family education
D. pre-school education

2. The author thinks that ________.

A. there is no way to get children to help at home
B. the more encouragement and praise you give, the more responsible and helpful children will become
C. it is very difficult to make children responsible for housework
D. children can be forced to help with housework

3. The passage gives us a good suggestion about how to evaluate your child's work at home.
    That is to ________.

A. praise his success          
B. promise him a trip
C. give him a punishment      
D. promise him a ball game

4. The author advises readers to ________.

A. learn from himself, for he has a good way of teaching
B. take pride in Mary's fifth-grade teacher
C. do as what Mary's teacher did in educating children
D. follow Mary's example because she never fails in the test

5.  Having read the last paragraph, we can conclude that           .

A. pride goes before a fall      
B. practice makes perfect
C. no pains, no gains          
D. failure is the mother of success

     All the Lortons' farm animals - the cows and the goats, the ducks and the chickens, got along well
with Roger-a llama (美洲驼). But since llamas are used to thinking of animals like coyotes(土狼) and
dogs as threats, it took Roger a few weeks to accept the family dog.
     Roger protects the sheep and lambs in two ways. First, he keeps the sheep together. A hungry
coyote will try to scatter(分散) the flock and then pick off a weak or small animal that has become
separated from the rest. But when a coyote threatens the Lorton's sheep, they all run to Roger,
depending on him to defend them.
     And he does, with his second defense: confronting(对抗) the coyote. Llamas are very curious and
will run at top speed to investigate anything that looks interesting. When a coyote sees a
three-hundred-pound llama rushing toward it, the coyote will not usually wait around to see what the
llama wants.
     And once a llama realizes that a coyote is threatening the flock, the llama will stand between the
coyote and the sheep to defend them. Often, the llama will charge toward the coyote with its head
down. As it runs, it will sometimes call out an alarm to the flock in a high-pitched voice. Since Roger's
arrival, coyotes haven't gotten any sheep from the Lortons.

1. The purpose of the passage is to tell us that _____.

A. a llama helps guard sheep
B. coyotes are sheep's main enemy
C. llamas are much smarter than coyotes
D. some types of dogs can't protect sheep

2. The following words can be used to describe Roger Except________.

A. protective    
B. curious      
C. brave      
D. patient

3. It can be inferred that the Lortons are _______.

A. scientists studying llamas' behavior
B. farmers using a llama to guard sheep
C. citizens keeping a llama as a pet
D. businessmen selling llamas to farmers