Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there's no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children's curiosity(好奇). Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary（薪水） and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we're finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”?

After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper (蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”?

This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours. ?

Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的), complete and creative answers.

Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don't jump in with “That's right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为). But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying, “That's interesting” or “I'd never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas. Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn't make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What's more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target (目标) for your disagreement.?

Lastly, show; don't tell. Real－life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they'll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates (蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

1. According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is 　　   .?

    A. to let them see the world around

    B. to share the children's curiosity?

    C. to explain difficult phrases about science

    D. to supply the children with lab equipment?

2. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by 　　   .

    A. any questions　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. any problems  ?

    C. questions from textbooks　　　　　　  D. any number of questions?

3. According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults　　   .?

    A. ask them to answer quickly.

    B. wait for one or two seconds after a question.?

    C. tell them to answer the next day.

    D. wait at least for three seconds after a question.?

4. The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children's curiosity EXCEPT THAT adults should 　　   .?

    A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts?

    B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves?

    C. be patient enough when their children answer questions?

    D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own?

The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit－card (信用卡) fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site（非法网站）.Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care.

On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number—or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers (黑客) have broken down security（安全）systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25,000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer (零售商) , were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157,828 to get back the information.?

Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. MasterCard is working on plans for Web-only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated (欺骗).?

Ask about your credit-card firm's on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent (欺骗性的) spending. And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system.?

If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Web site address may also start https: // － the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.

Keep your password（密码）safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.?

1. What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?

    A. A lot of stolen credit－cards were sold on the Internet.?

    B. Fraud on the Internet.　　　　　　　　    ?

    C. Many web sites are destroyed.　　 ?

    D. Many illegal web sites are on the Internet.?

2. What is the meaning of “fraud”? ?

    A. Cheating.　　    B. Sale.　　　　   C. Payment.　　   D. Safety.?

3. How can the thieves get the information of the credit card??

    A. The customers give them the information.?

    B. The thieves steal the information from Web sites.?

    C. The customers sell the information to them.?

    D. The thieves buy the information from credit card firms.?

4. You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do??

    A. Order the TV set at once.　　　　　　　　　　  ?

    B. E-mail the site your credit－card information.?

    C. Do not buy the TV set on this site.

    D. Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you.?

Students who say they never or hardly use dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.

The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either.  The ones who look up every new word do not read fast, therefore they do not have time to read much.  Those who use small, bilingual(使用两种语言的)dictionaries have the worst problems.  Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as a translation of English.  But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.

The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100 000 words but who do not use them too often.  When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or can’t divide it into syllables, they use a dictionary.  Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form or a verb might have an unusual past form, they check these in a dictionary.

1. The writer tends to think that 　　　　　　   .

A. choose a good dictionary, and you’ll succeed in learning English

B. dictionaries are not very necessary to the students who learn English

C. it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly

D. using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing

2. The function of the underlined sentence in the third paragraph is 　　　　　　   .

A. to form a connecting link between the preceding and the following

B. to raise the main point of the third paragraph

C. to end the subject talked about in the first two paragraphs

D. to change the subject to talk about something else

3. Which is NOT mentioned in this article?

A. How to make good use of a dictionary.

B. When to use a dictionary.

C. How to improve spoken English.

D. How to practise reading fast.

The film “Titanic” received 14 nominations(提名)for the 70th Academy Award(奖)and it is not the only one that has been given such an honor. The following is a list of films receiving 12 or more Academy Award nominations and the number of Oscars they ended up winning:

“Titanic”(1997),14 nominations, eleven awards.

“All About Eve”(1950),14 nominations, six awards.

“Gone with the Wind”(1939),13 nominations, eight awards.

“Mary Poppins”(1964),13 nominations, five awards.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) ,13 nominations, five awards.

“Forrest Gump”(1994),13 nominations, six awards.

“On the Waterfront”(1954),12 nominations, eight awards.

“Ben-Hur”(1959),12 nominations, eleven awards.

“My Fair Lady”(1964),12 nominations, eight awards.

“Dances with Wolves”(1990), 12 nominations, seven awards.

“Schindler’s List”(1993),12 nominations, seven awards.

“The English Patient”(1996),12 nominations, twelve awards.

1. Oscar is 　　　　　　   .

A. the US award for what is judged to be a great achievement in films every three years

B. an award given to the best actors or actresses in the world every year

C. the US award for what is judged to be a great achievement in films every other year

D. the US award for what is judged to be a great achievement in films every year

2. From the list we can infer that 　　　　　　   .

A. the more nominations a film receives, the fewer awards it gets

B. the more nominations a film receives, the more awards it gets

C. a film receives awards more than nominations

D. a film receives awards as many as nominations

3. The list shows that 　　　　　　   .

A. “Titanic” receives more awards than any other film

B. “Forrest Gump”receives the fewest awards

C. “Ben-Hur” must have been very successful

D. the nominations are unfair

4. From this passage, we learn that the Academy Award came into being in 　　　　　　   .

A. 1928　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. 1919　　　　　　　　　　    C. 1927　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. 1898

In the United States the most popular form of folk dancing since the earliest days has been square dancing. In early times, when men and women worked in groups to build a barn(building where animals are kept) or harvest crops, they danced when the work was done. The music came from a violin from the most part, but if there was no one to play the instrument, clapping was used to produce the rhythm(loud and soft sound made in a certain order)by which to dance. The early settlers danced in a store, in a barn or in a farm kitchen.

A square is formed by four couples who stand facing the centre of the square. Each couple stands on one side of the square, the boy on the left and the girl on the right.

The caller is an important part of the dance since he tells the dancers which steps to do. If the dancers do not know the steps he teaches them. It takes time to learn to be a good caller, and good callers are always in demand.

These are the names of some of the steps the dancers do: Form a square; Circle; Honor your partner; Promenade(Walk about slowly); Wing your partner; Form a star. There are many more. As the caller tells the dancers what to do next, they move to form the pattern he calls.

Large or small numbers of people can dance at one time. Sometimes 800 or 1 000 people may be dancing at the same time. Or there may be only one square of eight people.

1. In the past people danced 　　　　　　   .

A. when they were doing their work

B. before they did their work

C. after they finished their work

D. before a big party

2. In the first paragraph, the word clap means 　　　　　　   .

A. hit the hands together to make a sound

B. a kind of thing like the radio

C. shout at the top of one’s voice

D. knock something to make a sound

3. If 1 000 people dance at the same time, how many squares can be formed?

A. Only one big square. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. 1 000 squares.

C. More than 100 squares. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. Less than 100 squares.

Like many people, you may be dreaming of a career as a rock and roll star. There are two ways to go about getting one. First there is the traditional way. Find some friends and form a group. Learn to play the guitar or the drums. Write your own songs. Spend hours arguing about the band name. Then go out on the road.

The next step is to spend a year or two touring. If you are any good, the crowds will get bigger. In the end an artist from a record company may come to a show. If he or she likes you, there may be a deal. This is the route traditionally followed by bands in the music industry. Success means fame and wealth. And failure gives you some interesting stories to tell your children.

Over the last few years a different path to success has become known. Boy bands like Boyzone and girl bands like the Spice Girls don’t come together on their own. They are created by managers and record companies. Their image is strictly controlled. Professional song writers usually write their music. This is a convenient arrangement and the public seems to love the result.

Though boy and girl bands have become very popular recently, there is a long tradition of making music in this way. In the early 1960’s an American businessman called Berry Gordy founded Motown Records. Motown is short for “motor town”. The record company was based in the city of Detroit, where thousands of African-Americans had moved to work in the car industry. They brought with them a cultural tradition of writing and performing music. This style later became known as “soul music”. Berry Gordy was a diamond miner. He took raw talent from the street and polished it until it shone. Motown stars were not just given songs to sing. They were also taught how to dress well and speak properly.

1. In the first paragraph the writer seems to tell us 　　　　　　   .

A. to form a band is very hard

B. the name of the band is very important

C. newly-built bands can only perform by road

D. to form a band is very simple

2. If a newborn band wants to succeed, as the writer tells, it must have the chance 　　　　　　   .

A. to travel in big cities

B. to perform before an artist

C. to make an agreement with a record company

D. to experience failure again and again

3. From the fourth paragraph, we can conclude that 　　　　 　　  .

A. Motown was only enjoyed by the workers in Detroit

B. Motown showed the style of the black Americans

C. Detroit used to be famous for its music industry

D. Detroit was found by African-Americans

4. From the passage, we can learn that Motown stars 　　　　　　   .

A. used to be miners

B. used to dress poorly

C. became perfect little by little

D. came from Berry Gordy’s hometown

Beijing, China’s cultural center is making its theatres and music halls more popular with ordinary people by reducing ticket prices and organizing more colorful performances.

Attending a performance or concert at weekends should no longer be a luxury, said Zhang Heping, director of the Beijing Municipal(市政府的)Cultural Bureau, at the government department's yearly work conference.  Zhang put into a number of changes last year to increase audiences, such as designing some low-cost performances, the most popular of which was a show called “Open the Door of the Music”, aiming at students on summer vacation.

Previously, performances had tickets priced at above 100 yuan—more than one tenth of the average monthly salary of a Beijing resident. But the low-cost shows would limit prices between 5 yuan and 30 yuan.

Zhang said it was wrong to believe that few people remained interested in cultural performances.“Tickets had simply been out of most people's reach," Zhang said.  More than 10 Beijing professional performance bodies have gradually been taken off government funding in recent years and have been left to fend for themselves. Zhang said “less profit, more audience”is better than“no profit and no audience”.

Beijing has planned to become an international city, but needs first-class cultural performances as well as first-rate infrastructure(基础设施). Zhang also emphasizes the importance of large-scale activities, promising to organize more of them this year like open-air concerts performed by various amateur(业余)groups.

1. Beijing is making its theatres and music halls more popular with ordinary people because 　　　　　　   .

A. it agrees with the development of modern society

B. Beijing is trying its best to host the 2008 Olympic Games

C. people can enjoy themselves there without paying money

D. ticket prices are reduced and performances are more colorful

2. The underlined words“fend for” here mean“　　　　　　   ”.

A. support　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. search

C. promise　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. find

3. The best title for the passage is “　　　　　　   ”.

A. Door to art and music opens wider in Beijing

B. Making art more popular

C. Beijing is improving its infrastructure

D. Attract audience with special culture

When a fire begins, we must tell the fireman. Do you know how to do this?  Go to the nearest telephone. Dial the number 119. When someone speaks, tell him about the fire. Speak very slowly.

A fire-engine will arrive quickly. The firemen know what to do. They have long ladders to reach high windows. People who cannot get out are rescued by the firemen. If some people are hurt, they are taken to hospital in ambulances（救护车）.

When all the people have been rescued, the firemen put out the fire. Sometimes this is very difficult. Foolish people sometimes keep things in passages and on stairs. Then the firemen cannot get past to fight the fire. Sometimes foolish people keep a lot of things that burn easily in their homes. This makes the fire much bigger.

If you want to be a fireman, you must be strong and healthy. Good health and strength are very important. A fireman has to be able to carry heavy things. He has to be able to climb ladders and to work in high places. He also has to be brave.

1. If you dial the number 119, you will get in touch with______.

A. a fire-alarm

B. the fire-service

C. a fire-engine

D. the fire-escape

2. The firemen will ______ as soon as they reach a burning building.

A. put long ladders against the wall

B. telephone the ambulance

C. put out the fire immediately

D. try to rescue the people trapped in the building

3. A good fireman must be ______.

A. healthy, strong and tall

B. strong, tall and clever

C. healthy, strong and brave

D. strong, clever and tall

4. When you see a house on fire, you’d better ______.

A. turn to the firefighters

B. ring up the hospital

C. run as fast as you can

D. put out the fire by yourself

5. The underlined word “passages” in the third paragraph means ______ in Chinese.

A. （文章）段落　　   　　　　　　　　  B. 通过　　　　 　　   C. 过道　　   D. 楼梯

In Shanxi province you may be offered brains to eat. Frightened? You shouldn’t be, because these brains are only a kind of food, which is famous for its unusual name and rich nutrition（营养）.

Brains as a food were invented more than 300 years ago by Fu Shan, an artist whose mother had been ill for a long time. To help her become well again, he studied medicine and invented a kind of soup made of meat, vegetables and a number of Chinese medicines. Rice wine was also used in the soup to help illnesses caused by old age. After taking the soup his mother got better little by little and lived a long life.

Fu’s soup became the talk of the town. Many people came to see him. One day a restaurant owner asked him what was in the soup. “I’ll tell you, ” Fu said. “But if your restaurant is going to sell the soup, you must call it brains because of its shape（形状）and color. And your restaurant should be renamed after my mother. ”

1. Why is the food called “brains”?

A. Because it looks like brains.

B. Because it has animal brains in it.

C. Because Fu’s mother liked the name.

D. Because it makes one clever and live longer.

2. Before Fu told the restaurant owner what was in the food, what was one of the things he demanded(要求)？

A. The food must be used to help sick people.

B. The restaurant shouldn’t offer any other food.

C. The restaurant should use his mother’s name.

D. The shape of the food must never be changed.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A. The restaurant owner refused Fu’s demands.

B. The name cost the restaurant too much money.

C. Fu sold the secret to other restaurants, too.

D. The restaurant owner agreed to Fu’s demands.

4. What has made brains a popular food in Shanxi?

A. They are served in many restaurants there.

B. They are good for health and have a strange name.

C. The food must be used to help the sick.

D. They are made of Chinese medicines and wine.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A. A Good Son

B. A Special Soup

C. How to Make Brains

D. How to Live a Long Life

In the United States, boys and girls start school when they are five years old. In some states they must stay in school until they are sixteen. Most students are seventeen years old when they graduate from secondary school(中学). Another name for secondary school is high school.

Most children go to public elementary schools(小学) and secondary schools. The parents of public school pupils do not have to pay directly for these children’s education because tax money supports the public schools. If a child attends a private school, his parents pay the school for the child’s education.

Today about half of the high school graduates go on to colleges and universities. Some colleges and universities receive tax money from the government. A student at a state university does not have to pay much if his parents live in that state. Private colleges and universities are expensive, however. Almost half of college students in the United States work while they are studying. When a student’s family is not rich, he has to earn money for part of his college expenses.

1. Students in State Universities ______ if their parents live in that state.

A. pay less　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　   B. cost less

C. pay more　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. cost more

2. The parents of children who attend private schools ______ for their children’s education.

A. have to pay

B. have to make preparations

C. don’t have to pay

D. don’t have to make preparation

3. Nearly half of all college students ______ while they are in school.

A. are free

B. are busy

C. have part-time jobs

D. have full-time jobs

4. The best title for the passage would be “______”.

A. Schools in the USA

B. Elementary Schools in the USA

C. Secondary Schools in the USA

D. Colleges and Universities in the USA