DiscoverNewsmagazineofscience,-优题课

Everyone’s at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn’t done an eBay deal. So I decided to try my hand at online auction（网上拍卖）。
Buying for beginners: Sign up on WWW.eBay.com < > Most items（e.g. tables, computers, and books） ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with “Buy It Now” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids （出价） for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card.
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends’ advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10- day auction, starting on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It’s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by deliverymen. Check the ways of delivery before you bid.
What is the passage mainly about ?

A．How to make payment online.	B．Ways of making delivery online.
C．Advantages of an online-auction system.	D．How to use an online-auction system.

After bidding for an item, a buyer _______ .

A．can’t buy other items any more	B．should make payment immediately
C．has chances to make higher bids	D．must give your credit card to the seller

You should _______if the item is being auctioned.

A．make loud noises	B．get the others not to bid
C．ask the other people’s price	D．offer the highest price you are ready to pay

The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is _______.

A．through an online payment system	B．through a local bank system
C．by sending the money to the seller	D．by paying the delivery man directly

Cole Bettles had been rejected by a number of universities when he received an e-mail from the University of California, San Diego, last month, congratulating him on his admission and inviting him to tour the campus. His mother booked a hotel in San Diego, and the 18-year-old Ojai high school senior arranged for his grandfather, uncle and other family members to meet them at the campus for lunch during the Saturday tour.
“They were like ‘Oh my God, that’s so awesome （棒的）’， ” Bettles said. Right before he got in bed, he checked his e-mail one last time and found another message saying the school had made a mistake and his application had been denied.
In fact, all 28, 000 students turned away from UC San Diego, in one of the toughest college entrance seasons on record, had received the same incorrect message. The students’ hopes had been raised and then dashed （破灭） in a cruel twist that shows the danger of instant communications in the Internet age.
UCSD admissions director Mae Brown called it an “administrative error” but refused to say who had made the mistake, or if those responsible would be disciplined （受训）。
The e-mail, which began, “We’re thrilled that you’ve been admitted to UC San Diego, and we’re showcasing （展示） our beautiful campus on Admit Day, ” was sent to the full 46, 000 students who had applied, instead of just the 18, 000 who got in, Brown said.
The error was discovered almost immediately by her staff, who sent an apology within hours.
“It was really thrilling for a few hours; now he’s crushed （压垮）， ” said Cole’s mother, Tracy Bettles. “It’s really tough on them.”
The admissions director said she was in the office on Monday until midnight answering e-mails and phone calls from disappointed students and their parents. She said she took full responsibility for the error. “We accessed the wrong database. We recognize the incredible pain receiving this false encouragement caused. It was not our intent.”
How many students received an admission e-mail from the University of California, San Diego （UCSD）？
A. 18, 000 B. 28, 000 C. 46, 000 D. 18
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the wrong e-mail message?

A．The mistake was made on purpose to cause pain among the applicants.

B．It was UCSD admissions director Mae Brown who made the mistake.

C．UCSD admissions staff got information from the wrong database.

D．Staff did not discover the mistake until next Monday.

The admissions director Mae Brown did what she could to __________.

A．protect the person who made the mistake

B．punish herself for the mistake

C．make up for the mistake

D．help the disappointed students enter the university

What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Cole Bettles was admitted to the UCSD.
B. Cole Bettles was rejected y a famous university.
C. USCD admissions office often makes “administration errors”。
D. False admission information raised the students’ hopes and then dashed them.

完型填空（共10小题，每小题1分, 满分10分,每空填一个词）
Man has a big brain (脑) . He can think, learn and speak. Scientists once thought that man was different from animalsthey can think and learn. They know now that dogs, monkeys, birds can learn, too.
They are beginning to understand that men are different from animals because they can speak. Animals can’t speak. They make noises when they are afraid, or unhappy. Apes (类人猿) can understand some things more quicklyman. One or two of them have learnedwords. But they can not join words tosentences. They can not thinkus because they havelanguage. Language is a wonderful thing. Man has been able tobuild a modern world because he has language.child can speak his own language very well when he is four or five, no animals learn to speak.do children learn it? Scientists don’t really know. happens inside our body when we speak? They don’t know. They only know that man can speak because he has a brain.

Ever thought you’d get to experience the smell of ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s hair, or the scent(气味) of the sun? Visitors to the Reg Vardy Gallery will soon be able to do just that.
The gallery, at Sunderland University, England, is holding a new exhibition “If There Ever Was”. It focuses on scent rather than sight.
The innovative(创新的) idea is the brainchild of curator(馆长) Robert Blackson. His inspiration came from reading the book Fast Food Nation. The book discussed the use of artificial chemicals to flavor things such as milkshakes, making them smell and taste like strawberries, when they’re not actually made from them.
A smell can often conjure up(召唤) memories such as school dinners or a childhood holiday by the sea, but the smells on display, will allow visitors to experience smells their noses won’t have been able to pick out before.
“There’s a whole variety of different smells, including some extinct flowers,” explains Blackson. “Some have been gone for hundreds of years.”
One extraordinary fragrance(香气) is the aftermath(灾难的后果) of the first atomic bomb, dropped on Japan on August 6,1945.
There is also the smell of Clepatra’s hair, based on incense(熏香) that was popular among ancient Egyptians.
The Soviet Mir space station, which burnt up in the atmosphere in 2001, smells of charred(烧焦的) material (the space station caught fire).
Among the stranger smells is the “surface of the sun”.
“It is hard to sum up. It is an atmospheric smell, like walking into a room when the sun has been pouring in” says Blackson. “It gives a freshness, a sun kissed feel with a bit of metal. If you can say something smells hot, this is it.”
A team of 11, including perfume designers, have been working on recreating the smells for the exhibition. James Wong, a botanist（植物学家）at Botanic Gardens Conservation International, UK, helped in the recreation of the smells of four extinct flowering plants.
He did this by closely linking the extinct flowers with the smells of existing ones. With the help of historical reports of how the extinct flowers smelled, he was able to remix the aromas(芳香).
The exhibition runs until June 6.Fourteen extinct and impossible smells are on display.
What might be the best title of the passage?

A．The Reg Vardy Gallery	B．Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s hair
C．A visit to a new exhibition	D．The scents of ancient Egypt

Visitors can enjoy all of the following scents at the Reg Vardy Gallery EXCEPT.

A．the scent of ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s hair

B．the smells of charred material of the Soviet Mir space station

C．the scent of having a childhood vacation by the sea

D．the smell of the aftermath of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Visitors go to Reg Vardy Gallery to enjoy beautiful sights.

B．James Wong managed to remix the aromas by referring to some historical reports

.

C．The exhibition will last until July 6.

D．The scents visitors will smell are found in the tomb (坟墓) of the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra.

In which session are you likely to read the passage in a newspaper?

A．Science

B．Education

C．Entertainment

D．Economy

Summer Holiday Fun 2010!
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’（恐龙）is the museum’s main attraction this summer. Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10：00am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday， and from 12：00pm to 4：00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road. Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3：30pm and 6：30pm．
Call 01 353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new play of the family favorite on Monday 30^th. August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5：30pro，performance 6：30pm—8：30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12：00pm and 4：00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be together with an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child．
For further information，call 01223 810080．
If you are interested in cooking, you can go to.

A．Peterborough Museum	B．Houghton Mill
C．Saxon Youth Club	D．Farmland Museum

You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you．

A．￡7

B．￡17

C．￡27

D．￡20

Which of the following activities needs parents’ company（陪伴）?

A．Playing farmland games	B．Watching a new play．
C．Competing in spots activities．	D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition．

If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19，he will haveactivities to choose from．

A．one activity

B．two activities

C．three activities

D．four activities

A．Wired and Instyle	B．Discover and Instyle
C．Self and Discove	D．Self and Wired