Instead of hitting the beach, fourteen high school students traded swimming suits for lab coats last summer and turned their attention to scientific experiments.
The High School Research Program offers high school students guidance with researchers in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Jennifer Funkhouser, academic adviser for the Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, directs this four-week summer program designed to increase understanding of research and its career potential.
Several considerations go into selecting students, including grades, school involvement and interest in science and agriculture. And many students come from poorer school districts, Funkhouser says, “This is their chance to learn techniques and do experiments they never would have a chance to do in high school.”
Warner Ervin of Houston is interested in animal science and learned how to tell male from female mosquitoes(蚊子）.His adviser, Craig Coates, studies the genes of mosquitoes that allow them to fight against malaria and yellow fever. Coates thought this experience would be fun and helpful to the high school students.
The agricultural research at A&M differs from stereotypes. It’s “molecular(分子）science on the cutting edge,” Funkhouser says. The program broadened students’ knowledge. Victor Garcia of Rio Grande City hopes to become a biology teacher and says he learned a lot about chemistry from the program.
At the end of the program, the students presented papers on their research. They’re also paid $600 for their work-another way this program differs from others, which often charge a fee.
Fourteen students got paid to learn that science is fun, that agriculture is a lot more than milking and plowing and that research can open many doors.The research program is chiefly designed for _______.
| A．high school advisers from Houston |
| B．college students majoring in agriculture |
| C．high school students from different places |
| D．researchers at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences |
It can be inferred from the text that the students in poorer areas ___________ .
| A．had little chance to go to college |
| B．could often take part in the program |
| C．found the program useful to their future |
| D．showed much interest in their high school experiments |
When the program was over, the students ________.
| A．entered that college | B．wrote research reports |
| C．paid for their research | D．found way to make money |
The underlined expression “on the cutting edge” in paragraph 5 means “on the most ___ position”.
| A．important | B．favorable |
| C．astonishing | D．advanced |
With their weakening bodies, advanced age orincreasing pressure of work or study, people have been advised and usually persuaded to have health care products. Do you remember your first time to take a nutritional supplement (营养补充品)？ What was your first impression?
Madeline on Dec. 24，2010 7: 25 PM
Years ago, as a young mom with two small children, I struggled to keep up with the demands of a busy life. One day, I woke up feeling so tired that I knew something had to change!
A friend gave me some Royal Jelly—an amazing substance (物质) from the beehive (蜂房). I was doubtful, but desperate... so I tried it! In time, I began to experience renewed energy and vitality (活力) like never before! Now, over two decades later, I travel all round the country, sharing my life-changing experience. I'm grateful for the energy to keep up and love to share this wonderful discovery with others.
Blanca on Dec. 25，2010 7: 02 PM Ten years ago, when I was 73, my mind wanted to be busy and useful, but my body didn't. I became tired and lethargic (无精打采的). That's when my daughter Madeline tried to persuade me to try her special Royal Jelly. It made such a dramatic (巨大的) difference in her life, so she was sure it could help me too! Hesitating for 2 days, I gave in. She was right! I no longer felt worn out. I had a new, youthful zest (热情) for life and I've been OK —thanks to Royal Jelly!
Lori on Dec. 25，2010 10: 27 PM
When my mom Madeline was introduced to Royal Jelly, it affected my life, too! Mom gave me some of her fantastic Royal Jelly. Boy, things did turn around! I had more energy and stamina (耐力) and was finally able to keep up with high school and, eventually, college activities. Today, I'm a busy mom in my mid-thirties with two active boys and a new business! I have enough energy to do it all! I'm glad I took my mom's advice.From the text, we learn that __________.
| A．Madeline became more than willing to take Royal Jelly at the very beginning |
| B．Lori was grateful partly because Royal Jelly helped him to improve his studies |
| C．Royal Jelly is a product that can help renew a person's energy and vitality |
| D．Amy has benefited from Royal Jelly so she posted a topic about the product |
Which of the following is TRUE of Blanca?
| A．She replied to the topic on Christmas Eve. |
| B．She tried Royal Jelly without hesitation. |
| C．She is now supposed to be in her seventies. |
| D．She was the second one to reply to the topic. |
What's the relationship between the Royal Jelly takers?
| A．Lori and Blanca are Madeline's grandchildren. |
| B．Madeline is Blancas daughter and Lori's mother. |
| C．Blanca is Lori and Madeline's great grandmother. |
| D．They have no blood relationship but friendship. |
Where can we most probably read this text?
| A．In a sports club. |
| B．On an Internet page. |
| C．In a fiction. |
| D．In a travel magazine. |
Armed only with iPhones, the inventive rock band Atomic Tom has gone viral (广为流传) by way of the New York subway. The band has scored an Internet hit with the video to the song "Take Me Out."
Singer Luke White says the production was a top-secret operation.
"We didn't tell anyone about this. It was completely top-secret from our family, from our friends, from our label, our management, everybody. So the first time that people saw this video was last Friday when we put it on YouTube (视频网站)," explained White.
Since uploading the video to YouTube, band members have spent several days refreshing the page to watch the number of hits rise.
The video has also made its way around Twitter as many people have shared it with their friends.
"I mean, it still hasn't quite hit. It's just kind of blowing our minds right now that we're getting this: many people are fond of it, and they're sharing it with their friends. We don't know what it's like really to have something that's viral, so all of this is very new to us." said Eric Espiritu, the lead guitarist of the band.
White explains how the video came together:
"We did our research with the applications (应用程序) and found applications that worked out really well with the instruments and then we plugged our phones into mini-battery powered amplifiers (扩音器) that we put underneath our seats, and we did a lot of, you know, practices. In terms of figuring out what the balance of the sound like who was overpowering, who was too loud or who was too soft."
The idea for the video came from Espiritu's younger brother Benjamin. The younger Espiritu directed the video from his initial concept through the final edit and upload it to the Internet.
"I've seen a lot of the music applications come out, and I've never actually had the chance to play with them," says Ben Espiritu. "When I startedhearing about how they sound and everything, I thought it might be unique to take it one step further and then create an entire band just performing solely (单曲) on the iPhones, and I thought it would be a pretty cool idea."
Ben says the success of the band's music video is a credit to the talent and ability of the musicians, but it's also a sign of the times.
"It really comes down to seeing something different, seeing something unique, and I think that's always, in any type of art form, what will speak to people, and I think it does reflect the times that we live in, taking a smart phone and then being able to turn it into an instrument, not only just an instrument, but making it sound really good."Who first saw the video of the song "Take Me Out"?
| A．Their friends. |
| B．The people online. |
| C．Their family. |
| D．Their management. |
What is the band members' attitude towards the sudden fame?
| A．They are thrilled. |
| B．They are quite used to it. |
| C．They are kind of confused. |
| D．They are so excited as to tell everyone they know. |
How did the video come into being?
| A．The band copied it from other musicians. |
| B．It had already existed in the iPhones before they bought them. |
| C．The band created it with the help of the applications in the iPhones. |
| D．The band made full use of the traditional instruments to make the song. |
What is the significance of the success of the band's music video?
| A．It has introduced us several talented musicians. |
| B．It has made the musicians into millionaires. |
| C．It teaches the young a big lesson. |
| D．It reflects the talent and ability of the musicians and; the times that we live in. |
BEIJING—Seven prestigious universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the same independent exam —besides the national one —to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in 2011.
The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University.
Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent exam, according to the joint announcement.
"This will help lighten the students' load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities," said the announcement.
Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities.
China's college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based on independent criteria rather than just using the results of the national exam.
In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot (试用) the reform byusing their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students.
Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their own exams.
Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as conducive (有助的) to better understanding where the students, talents lie.
Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams as they often apply for a number of universities.
To relieve students from such pressures, the national education outline (2010—2020) released in July this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams.If students want to be admitted to the seven prestigious universities, they can __________.
| A．only pass the interview. |
| B．only take the national exam. |
| C．only take the independent exam. |
| D．either take the national exam or take the independent exam. |
What's the purpose of students sitting one independent exam to gain entrance to the seven universities?
| A．It can reduce students' load to take several exams. |
| B．The universities will have the same standard to test students. |
| C．There will be less trouble marking students' test papers. |
| D．It can avoid fierce competition among these universities. |
If students pass the independent exam, they will __________.
| A．take the national exam. |
| B．have one or more interview chances. |
| C．be admitted to one of the universities. |
| D．be trained to be adapted to universities life and studies. |
What is the advantage of universities selecting students according to independent examinations?
| A．Students needn't take the national exam. |
| B．Students' education cost can be lowered. |
| C．Students' abilities and talents can be better found. |
| D．It can encourage middle schools to recommend more qualified students. |
Few people would question the value of taking part in sports for young people. With proper training, supervision, protective equipment and techniques, and a proper emphasis on winning, sports can develop a healthy body and spirit and a life-long interest in being active and fit. Without such measures, childhood sports can lead to injuries and even paralysis or death.
Even in the best conditions, no activity can be risk-free. But most serious hazards are preventable. Cyclists and football players can reduce their risks by wearing helmets; hockey players by wearing masks; basketball and tennis players by wearing eye guards; baseball players by wearing batting pelmets.
Besides, risks to individual players can often be found, and thus prevented, through a properly performed medical exam before a child plays. For accidents that may not be preventable, having an emergency plan and first-aid equipment, and someone trained to use the equipment, can be life-saving.
Still, each year, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, more than 775, 000 children under 14 are treated in emergency rooms for sports injuries, nearly half of them preventable. An estimated 300, 000 athletes experience exercise-related head illnesses each year, and almost all of them should have been avoided.
Further, from half to three-fourths of sports-related concussions (脑震荡) are never even diagnosed; the injured are often sent back to play too soon and put at risk of another more serious brain-damaging concussion. To help reduce these risks, the National Center for Sports Safety, with the National Athletic Trainers, Association, offers a three-hour online safety course for coaches for $ 28 at www. SportsSafety. org.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All the accidents can be prevented. |
| B．All the accidents cannot be prevented. |
| C．Lives can be saved so long as there is proper equipment. |
| D．Lives cannot be saved even if there is proper equipment. |
What does the underlined word "hazards" (in Paragraph 2) mean?
| A．Mistakes. |
| B．Diseases. |
| C．Dangers. |
| D．Situations. |
It is implied in the passage that __________.
| A．prevention of injuries is not paid enough attention to |
| B．children under 14 are more easily hurt in sports |
| C．most head illnesses are related to exercise |
| D．none of the head illnesses should have happened |
What can coaches mainly learn from the online safety course?
| A．How to cure brain-damaging concussion. |
| B．How to diagnose brain-damaging concussion. |
| C．How to predict the possibility of brain damage. |
| D．How to deal with the injured properly. |
Every people has their own way of saying things, their own special expressions. Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery (炽热的，暴躁的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song—Mood Indigo—about the deep blue color, indigo. In the words of the song: "You aren't blue till you've had that Mood Indigo." Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in stomach may say she feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper money.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. A blacklist is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations. If you had your wallet stolen while doing some shopping, you may call it __________.
| A．a white day |
| B．a black day |
| C．a red day |
| D．a green day |
Suppose Mr. Brown says he is very happy because his three children are all in the pink, this means all his children are __________.
| A．lucky and wealthy |
| B．gentle and modest |
| C．fit and healthy |
| D．creative and energetic |
When she got home and found nothing had been done by her husband, Jane was really __________.
| A．red hot |
| B．green |
| C．blue |
| D．black |
In the following paragraph, the writer might tell the reader something about __________.
| A．unpopular organizations in the world |
| B．people's response towards a black day |
| C．the influence of the traditional blues |
| D．more words about a color, such as brown |