Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．
Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．
Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain． |
| B． Bee population has been increasing． |
| C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine． |
| D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers． |
After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel________.
| A．annoyed | B．angry | C．nervous | D．excited |
Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?
| A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination |
| B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination |
| C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar |
| D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory |
What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?
| A．Science | B．Education |
| C．Culture | D．Sports |
Five boys are suspected of starting a fire that destroyed their school on the eve of the new term. Police said yesterday that five boys — one aged 11, two 12-year-olds, one aged 13 and one 15 — arrested on suspicion of starting the fire had been released until later this month. Parents said the five pupils all attended St Mary’s.
Pupils witnessed their schoolwork being destroyed in the fire at Leyland St Mary’s Catholic Technology College in Lancashire. The 1950s science block was reduced to the ground in Sunday’s fire, which created clouds of smoke visible for miles. It is reported that the library and sports hall were also destroyed beyond repair. Strong winds and a shortage of water prevented 125 firemen trying to bring it under control. Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene until late this afternoon. Staffs were due to attend the school yesterday for an inset(培训)day, and pupils pupils were to return for lessons after the holidays today.
St Mary’s head teacher Kathy McNicholas fought back the tears as she watched her school go up in flames last night. She said, “This is so upsetting to watch. It’s heartbreaking. It’s very distressing for the staff and the children. Everyone had been looking forward to coming back for the new school year.” Finding somewhere around 730 children won’t be easy. A few of the staff have turned up to see if there is anything they can do and they have all been shocked and saddened by what has happened. “It’s tragic because we have only just had a lot of refreshment work done to the school during the summer break. It was a big investment. The community around here very much looks after its school.”
Plans were being drawn up to provide alternative classrooms for 730 children, with parents warned to keep them at home for at least the rest of the week. Which part of St Mary’s Catholic Technology College was burned to the ground in the fire?
| A．The library. | B．Sports hall. |
| C．The science block. | D．The passage doesn’t tell us. |
The underlined word “distressing” in the third paragraph can be replaced by “”.
| A．excited | B．surprised |
| C．annoyed | D．embarrassed |
From the whole passage, we can know that .
| A．the education of England is worse |
| B．St Mary’s Catholic Technology College had no trouble finding enough classrooms |
| C．a shortage of money prevented more than 100 firemen controlling the big fire |
| D．the pupils had to stay at home before the alternative classrooms were found |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Five boys started a fire that destroyed their school. |
| B．The firemen failed in controlling the fire. |
| C．The staff and the children were upset. |
| D．The school planned to take measures to solve the problem. |
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity; others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Competition helps to set up self-respect. |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people. |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition |
Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
| A．It pushes society forward. |
| B．It builds up a sense of duty. |
| C．It improves personal abilities. |
| D．It encourages individual efforts. |
What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a desire to fail ?
| A．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others. |
| B．One’s success in competition needs great efforts. |
| C．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills. |
| D．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried. |
Which point of view may the author agree to?
| A．Every effort should be paid back. |
| B．Competition should be encouraged. |
| C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter. |
| D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |
Opening week specials at Munchies Food Hall
At the corner of Green and Brown Streets in the city
Monday 7th of January until Sunday, 13th of January 2008
Feast until you’re full ! Come down to Munchies this week to enjoy the special dishes on offer at all of our food outlets. Order from the following:
·Succulent chicken rice ·Spicy satay beef
·Delicious noodle dishes ·Plump park chops
·Seafood specialties ·Crunchy vegetables
·Sweet tropical fruit
Halal food is available at the stall Malay Food Heaven
Win Prizes and Gifts !
·Spend $ 20.00 or more and win instant prizes from our lucky draw box.
·Collect a free party balloon and whistle for each young diner.
·Enjoy a free meal if you are the first customer of the day at any of our stalls.
·Win a holiday to Western Australia. A free raffle ticket is given with every receipt. Just fill in your information and place your entry in the box provided.
Winner to be announced in The Straits Times on the 15th of January.
Join in the Fun !
Between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm each evening until the 10th of January, your favorite Channel 3 television actors and singers will entertain you:
·May Lee ·Jackie Chen
·Kim Yap ·Kamal
Autograph sessions will follow each performance ! And who will be our extra special mystery star? Come down on Saturday at noon to find out.The prices at Munchies are__________.
| A．lower than usual |
| B．bargain prices for the opening |
| C．lower for two people |
| D．lower if you spend $ 21.00 |
Everyone who eats at Munchies will receive a _________.
| A．free raffle ticket |
| B．lucky draw coupon |
| C．free meal |
| D．balloon and whistle |
I will find out who has won the trip to Western Australia when I _________.
| A．watch Channel 3 television |
| B．come down to Munchies at noon |
| C．read The Straits Times on the 15th of January |
| D．attend the lucky draw at Munchies Food Hall |
When a child is told he is "uncool", it can be very painful. He may say he doesn't care, and even act in ways that are opposite of cool on purpose. But ultimately, these are simply ways to handle sadness by pretending it's not there.
Helping a child feel better in school had to be careful. If you say, "Why are you worried about what other children think about you? It doesn't matter!" children know that it does matter. Instead, an active way may be best. You could say, "I'm going to do a couple of things for you to help you feel better in school."
If a boy is having trouble making friends, the teacher can help him. The teacher can arrange things so that he has chances to use his abilities to contribute to class projects. This is how the other children learn how to value his good qualities and to like him. A teacher can also raise a child's popularity in the group by showing that he values that child. It even helps to put him in a seat next to a very popular child, or let him be a partner with that child in activities, etc.
There are things that parents can do at home, too. Be friendly when your child brings others home to play. Encourage him to invite friends to meals and then serve the dishes they consider "super". When you plan trips, picnics, movies, and other shows, invite another child with whom your child wants to be friends.
What you can do is to give him a chance to join a group that may be shutting him out. Then, if he has good qualities, he can start to build real friendship of his own.A child who has been informed of being "uncool" may _____.
| A．care nothing about it |
| B．develop a sense of anger |
| C．do something uncool purposely |
| D．pretend to get hurt very much |
A teacher can help an unpopular child by _____.
| A．seeing the child as the teacher's favourite |
| B．asking the child to do something for partners |
| C．forcing other children to make friends with the child |
| D．offering the child chances to show his good qualities |
How can parents help their child fit in better?
| A．By cooking delicious food for him. |
| B．By being kind to his schoolmates. |
| C．By forcing him to invite friends home. |
| D．By taking him to have picnics in the park. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Children don't care about others' comments on them. |
| B．It's only a teacher's work to make children popular. |
| C．Parents should take their children out for picnic and shows more often. |
| D．Inviting children's friends to family activities is good for them to make friends. |
BEIJING, March 9—The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars, media have reported.
The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The new rule has not yet been made public, said Li, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.
Under the old rules, the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years, Li said. These officials will also retain the same cars when they assume new posts, he added.
The new rule also reiterated（重申） that officials ranking below minister-or governor-levels should not be allocated(分配) cars. The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand.
“It violates（违反） the rules for lower-ranking-even county-level-officials to be allocated cars, “Li said.
Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated, as they account for a large expenditure of public funds every year.
A survey on the Web news www. ifeng. com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to implement（执行实施） because it is related to officials’ interests.
“Local government departments had halted approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas under the new rules.” Li said.
“The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization.”
Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago.
Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles.What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials?
| A．To promote a low-carbon lifestyle. |
| B．To cut down the present huge expenditures of purchasing cars. |
| C．To make good use of the budgets for official cars. |
| D．To solve the problem of severe traffic jam. |
How often could the care used by minister-level officials be replaced according to the new rule?
| A．Every 3 years. | B．Every 5 years. |
| C．Every 8 years. | D．Every 10 years. |
What about the officials ranking below minister-or governor-levels in terms of official vehicles?
| A．They can still possess special cars. |
| B．They can use their own private cars. |
| C．They can use cars whenever officially necessary. |
| D．They can be allocated second-hand cars. |
What is the public’s attitude toward the new rule’s fulfillment?
| A．Skeptical. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Passive. |