Science Daily—Kids may roll their eyes when their mothers asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom.
“We knew that children learn well with their moms or with a peer, but we did not know if that was because they were getting feedback and help,” Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, said. “In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance. We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn.”
Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves. Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar persons.
“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” she said. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations. We saw that this simple act of listening by mom made a difference in the quality of the child’s explanations and how well they could solve more difficult problems later on.According to the passage, a mom had better ________.
| A．give a kid some help when he is explaining his problem |
| B．just listen while a kid is explaining his problem |
| C．work together with a kid toward the solution to a problem |
| D．leave a kid alone when he meets a problem at school |
If she wants to help a child with his schoolwork, a mom ________.
| A．should know the answer to a problem first |
| B．should pay attention to the child’s feedback. |
| C．may not know the answer herself |
| D．should not interrupt the child |
Who will be the least help to a kid when he is explaining, according to Rittle-Johnson?
| A．The kid’s mom. |
| B．The kid’s grandmother. |
| C．A peer. |
| D．A relative the kid doesn’t know. |
Which of the following best gives the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children learn better when their mom is hearing their explaining. |
| B．Children learn better if they find the solution to a problem themselves. |
| C．Parents should not provide any assistance to their children’s schoolwork. |
| D．A mom should listen more to their children when they have problems at school. |
第三部分：阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分, 满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
"Reduce, reuse and recycle", this familiar environmentalist slogan tells us how to reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfills and waterways.
The concept is being used to deal with one possibly dangerous form of waste – electronic junk (电子垃圾), such as old computers, cell-phones, and televisions. But this process for managing e-waste may be used in an unscrupulous way more often than not used, a recent report suggests.
"A lot of these materials are being sent to developing nations under the excuse of tense - to bridge the digital divide," said Richard Gutierrez, a policy researcher.
One of the problems is that no one proves whether these old machines work before they hit the seaways. Because of this, the report says, e-waste is a growing problem in Lagos, Nigeria, and elsewhere in the developing world. Much of the waste ends up being thrown away along rivers and roads. Often it's picked apart by poor people, who may face dangerous exposure to poisonous chemicals in the equipment.
Businessmen also pay workers a little money to get back materials such as gold and copper. This low-tech recovery process could expose workers and the local environment to many dangerous materials used to build electronics. According to Gutierrez, this shadow economy exists because the excuse of recycling and reusing electronics gives businessmen "a green passport" to ship waste around the globe. '" Developing nations must take upon some of the responsibility themselves," Gutierrez said. But, he added, "A greater part of this responsibility should fall on the exporting state."
China, for example, has become a dumping place for large amounts of e-waste. The nation is beginning to take action to stop the flow of dangerous materials across its borders. The Chinese government, after many years of denial, is finally beginning to take the lead.
56. What does the fourth paragraph mainly discuss?
A. Old computers and TVs still work before they are sent abroad.
B. Poor people break up e-waste to collect some valuable materials.
C. A lot of e-waste is dumped in developing countries.
D. The problem of e-waste is growing in developing countries.
57. From what Gutierrez said we can learn that ________.
A. exporting countries should mainly be responsible for this problem.
B. neither rich nor pour countries should be blamed for this problem
C. developing countries should be responsible for this problem
D. poor countries should be blamed for this problem
58. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that __________.
A. China has hidden a large amount of e-waste in many secret places
B. China has greatly changed her idea about the problem of e-waste
C. China has prevented poisonous materials from entering China for a long time
D. China is failing behind other countries in dealing with e-waste
59. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
A. developing countries are facing serious environmental problems
B. e-waste is a growing problem in developed countries
C. e - waste is sent to developing countries under the excuse of reuse
D. developing countries are making full use of e-waste
第二节 根据对话内容，从对话后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
—Lovely day, isn't it?
—Mm, yes, 61And it's supposed to get warmer.
—Yes, that's true. You know, though, I'm always a little worried to see winter go.
— 62
—Well, I love skating. In fact, I used to teach skating for a living.
—Oh? That sounds interesting. 63
—I work at Bank of America. How about you?
— 64
—Here?
—No, I'm from Chicago. I'm just visiting here for the wedding.
—Oh, I see.
—By the way, 65I'm Helen Keller.
—Nice to meet you. My name is John Smith.
| A．But what do you do now? |
| B．It's very cold. |
| C．It's really warm. |
| D．I guess I should introduce myself. |
E. I'm on the radio station.
F. What' your name?
G. Really?
Advice to “sleep on it” could be well founded, scientists say. After a good night’s sleep, a problem, which couldn’t be solved the night before, can often seem more manageable, although the evidence until now has been anecdotal (个人体验的). But researchers, at the University of Luebek in Germany, have designed an experiment that shows a good night’s sleep can improve insight (顿悟) and problem-solving.
“If you have some newly-got memories in your brain, sleep acts on these memories and restructures (重新组织) them, and as a result, after sleep, the insight into problem which you could not solve before increases,” said Dr Jan Born, a neuroscientist (神经科学家), at the university.
To test the theory, they taught volunteers two simple rules to help them turn a string of (一连串) numbers into a new order. There was also a third, hidden rule, which could help them increase their speed in solving the problem. The researchers divided the volunteers into two groups: Half were allowed to sleep after the training, while the rest were forced to stay awake. Dr Jan Born and his team noticed that the group that had slept after the training were twice as likely to figure out (想出) the third rule as the other group.
“Sleep helped,” Born said in a telephone interview. “The important thing is that you have to have a memory representation (描绘，表现) of the problem you want to solve in your brain and then you sleep, so it can act on the problem.” But Born admitted that he and his team don’t know how restructuring of memories occurs or what governs it.
Pierre Maquet and Perrine Ruby of the University of Liege in Belgium said the experimental evidence supports the anecdotal suggestions that sleep can help develop creative thinking. Although the role of sleep in human creativity will still be a mystery, the research gives people good reason to fully respect their periods of sleep, they added.
57. The underlined phrase “sleep on it” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.
A. to delay deciding something until the next day
B. to get as much sleep as possible
C. to go on sleeping without being disturbed
D. to sleep till after the time you usually get up in the morning
58. Jan Born and his team carried out the experiment through ______.
A. comparison B. interview C. survey D. imagination
59. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. people should sleep so long as they have time
B. sleep is the only way to solve hard problems
C. people have various periods of sleep
D. people know how sleep reconstructs memories
60. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. How Sleep Works B. Sleep Helps Solve Problems
C. No Evidence, But Well Founded D. Born’s Discovery On Sleep
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 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: 00pm 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. Moreover, an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3: 30pm and 6: 30pm.
Call 0135 3720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5: 30pm, 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 Games: From Wellie Wading 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 accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
53. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to______.
A. Peterborough MuseumB. Houghton Mill
C. Saxon Youth Club D. Farmland Museum
54. You want to watch the new play with your parents, so it will cost you______.
A. ￡7B. ￡17 C. ￡27 D. ￡20
55. Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A. Playing farmland games B. Watching a new play．
C. Competing in spots activities． D. Visiting the dinosaur exhibition．
56. If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19, he will have ______activities to choose from for himself.
A. one activity B. two activities C. three activities D. four activities
A gadget (器具) which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier (除湿器), the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air.
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water in developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage.
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter (过滤器) and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water drops. It can produce up to 12 liters a day. The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.
Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said: “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly (粗略地) calculates that a litre of water cost around 20p to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.
49. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A. Drinking water. B. Invention. C. Microwave. D. Water Mill.
50. What do we learn about the machine?
A. It works in the same way as microwaves.
B. It is very expensive for families to afford.
C. It absorbs steam and turns it into water.
D. It helps to make the water clean to drink.
51. What does the passage lead us to believe?
A. The cost of water will go up. B. Bottled water will disappear sooner.
C. The machine is energy saving. D. The machine will be popular worldwide.
52. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. A New Way to Solve Water Problem. B. A Machine to Make Water out of Air.
C. A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. D. An Absolutely New Invention