The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum，she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians (古埃及人)and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum，something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother's expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting ！ I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worthwhile looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much. The aim of the mother's plan was to __________.
| A．take them to visit the museum |
| B．introduce them to the world of art |
| C．ask them to read about artists |
| D．show them different painting styles |
What was the writer's experience at the museum before the last visit?
| A．She came to feel her mother's love |
| B．She liked many paintings. |
| C．She hardly enjoyed herself. |
| D．She could understand the pictures of fat babies. |
What made the writer change that summer?
| A．One of Mary's paintings. |
| B．A strange way of painting. |
| C．Artists in the Middle Ages. |
| D．Her mother's instruction. |
From the text, we can see __________.
| A．the importance of curiosity |
| B．the effect of art |
| C．the value of learning |
| D．the power of family education |
The writer and her brother had thought that they could __________ in their summer vacation.
| A．have visited some art museums |
| B．have been to Egypt for a visit |
| C．have taken drawing or painting classes |
| D．have played with their friends |
More women are graduating from colleges than men.The situation is causing some people to worry about the future.The trend could cause social problems，according to a report on July 8 by the Washington Post.
Women received about 57 percent of the bachelor’s degrees awarded this year from colleges and universities in the United States.The figure of 57 percent has been the highest since World War Ⅱ ended in 1945.During the war，many men were in the military.
The gap between men and women is greater among African Americans and Hispanics.Two AfricanAmerican women receive a degree for every AfricanAmerican man.Only 40 percent of Hispanics who get a degree are males.
The USA Department of Education estimates 698,000 females received bachelor’s degree this year.The number of male graduates was 529,000.The trend toward more female graduates began in the mid1980s.Nobody seems to know why.However，many theories exist.
Researchers say the trend could lead to social problems.They also say this may indicate two things.It may reflect the increasing success of women.But it also may show the educational problems affecting men.
High school graduation rates are slightly lower for men than for women.Males also make up the vast majority of students in special education classes.
The Business Roundtable is studying the trend.The group is an organization of chief executives of some of the nation’s largest corporations.Susan Traiman is the director of the group’s education policy.Traiman said the nation couldn’t afford to let half its population fail to develop skills needed for the future.Some people worry about the future because ________.
| A．there are many social problems in America |
| B．more and more men don’t like the life in college |
| C．more AfricanAmerican women receive a degree |
| D．fewer and fewer men receive a degree than women in America |
Which one of the following statements is right according to this passage?
| A．There must be something wrong with the education system. |
| B．40% of the Hispanics get a degree in America. |
| C．Nobody knows the reason why more women get a degree than men. |
| D．More than half of the men received bachelor’s degrees this year. |
The underlined word “estimates” in the fourth paragraph means ________.
| A．guesses | B．explains | C．introduces | D．discovers |
What Susan Traiman said means that ________.
| A．the nation should prevent the women from receiving further education |
| B．the nation would be too poor to develop its education |
| C．the nation didn’t have enough money for women’s further education |
| D．the nation should encourage men to develop skills for the future |
What is the main subject discussed in the text?
| A．Women are more successful in America than men. |
| B．More women than men are graduating from college. |
| C．Men are more successful in America than women. |
| D．There are two kinds of social problems in America. |
Recently，scientists attending a meeting in Chicago presented new studies showing how food and its production affect global warming.They offered some suggestions for how to eat in a more environmentally friendly way.
For many years，scientists have warned us that our planet is getting warmer.If current trends continue，animals may start to die off and life could get very difficult for everyone.The temperature is rising because humans have been releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere，which surround the planet and keep heat from escaping.One of these gases is carbon dioxide.
Most carbon dioxide we produce comes from the process of making and eating food，the scientists reported in Chicago.The production of meat contributes to a lot of carbon dioxide.And much of meat’s contribution comes from beef，which is responsible for releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The process of making a hamburger，for example，requires a lot of energy.A cow has to be fed and raised，and cow’s wastes are a major source of greenhouse gases.After the cow is killed，the meat has to be processed and shipped to a consumer，which takes fuel.And most of the cow won’t even be used for meat people eat.
By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate，it has taken a heavy toll on the environment.It is believed that the process of making a halfpound allbeef burger adds about 19 times the weight of hamburgers in carbon dioxide.
The message is clear：We can greatly reduce the production of greenhouse gases by eating less beef.Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment—at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.Nathan Pelletier，a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada，reported that if everyone in industrial countries ate chicken instead of beef，we would cut the Earth’s greenhouse gases by more than half.
All kinds of meat，the scientists reported，are harder on the planet than vegetables.To grow and eat a pound of potatoes，for example，sends less than one quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air.So shifting our diet to less meat and more vegetables may do the world some good.The text mainly tells us ________.
| A．what we eat can affect the whole planet |
| B．the way we live affects the environment |
| C．how we can save energy on the Earth |
| D．how we can produce environmentfriendly food |
What is likely to happen if the climate is getting warmer according to the passage?
| A．Sea level will continue to rise sharply. |
| B．Human beings won’t have enough food. |
| C．It would be very hard for man to survive. |
| D．All the animals and plants will disappear. |
Why does the author mention the process of making a hamburger?
| A．To show meat is usually part of a hamburger. |
| B．To illustrate that our food contributes to greenhouse gases. |
| C．To prove making a hamburger is a complex process. |
| D．To suggest a lot of energy is needed to make hamburgers. |
The author believes one effective way to fight global warming is ________.
| A．we should eat no pork and no chicken |
| B．we should eat more chicken than beef |
| C．we should eat not meat but vegetables |
| D．we should eat less meat and more vegetables |
Which of the following statements would Nathan Pelletier agree to?
| A．Eating pork and chicken is more environmentally friendly. |
| B．Meat consumption is the main cause of greenhouse gases. |
| C．People in industrial countries consume more beef than fish. |
| D．Eating more beef is a more efficient way to save more energy. |
Scientists have created a way to control a robot with signals from human brain.By generating the proper brainwaves—picked up by a cap with electrodes (电极) that sense the signals and reflect a person’s instructions—scientists can instruct a humanoid(类人的) robot to move to specific locations and pick up certain objects.
The commands are limited to moving forward，picking up one of two objects and bringing it to one of two locations.The researchers have achieved 94 percent accuracy between the thought commands and the robot’s movements.
“This is really a proofofconcept demonstration，” said Rajesh Rao，a researcher from the University of Washington who leads the project.“It suggests that one day we might be able to use semiautonomous robots for such jobs as helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person’s home.”
The person wearing the electrode cap watches the robot’s movements on a computer screen through two cameras installed on and above the robot.
When the robot’s cameras see the objects that are to be picked up they pass on the information to the user’s computer screen.Each object lights up randomly on the computer screen.When a person wants something picked up and it happens to light up，the brain registers surprise and sends this brain activity to the computer and then to the robot.The robot then proceeds to pick up the object.
A similar algorithm(计算程序) is used to decide where the robot will go.
“One of the important things about this demonstration is that we’re using a ‘noisy’ brain signal to control the robot，” Rao said.“That means we can only obtain brain signals indirectly from sensors on the surface of the head，not where they are generated deep in the brain.As a result，the user can only generate highlevel commands such as indicating which object to pick up or which location to go to，and the robot needs to be autonomous enough to be able to execute such commands.”
In the future，the researchers hope to make the robots more adaptive to the environment by having them carry out more complex commands.What is special about the robot introduced in the passage?
| A．It is controlled by human thoughts. |
| B．It can be made humanoid. |
| C．It can be used to help the disabled. |
| D．It has high intelligence itself. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the robot?
| A．It can move forward and backward and pick up two objects at the same time. |
| B．It can move forward，pick up both objects and bring them to either location. |
| C．It can only move forward，pick up one object and put it in one location. |
| D．It can read all human thought demands and do as instructed. |
What Rao said suggests that the new robot________.
| A．is still at its early stage of development |
| B．will be widely used in our daily routine soon |
| C．is autonomous enough to complete complex commands |
| D．is only limited to doing routine work at home |
The sixth paragraph mainly describes ________.
| A．how the robot reacts to a person’s instructions |
| B．how the robot picks up the right object |
| C．the functions of the computer |
| D．how the robot finds out where to go |
The underlined word “registers” in the passage can be best replaced by “________”．
| A．receives | B．shows | C．writes down | D．picks up |
Children are often far more gifted than what their parents or teachers can realize.IQ tests do not measure creative talents.By depending on them to measure intelligence，therefore，we miss out on the talents of many of our most gifted youngsters.Most children start life with valuable creative potential.Unfortunately，many of them have it knocked out of them，so to speak，by the time they reach the 4th grade.It is not that parents and teachers deliberately squelch(限制) creativity；or rather，they fail to recognize it.By simply observing the child at work or at play，you may detect creativity，if you look for the following key signs：
*Curiosity.The child’s questioning is persistent and purposeful.He is not content with given explanations，and he would rather dig under the surface.
*Flexibility.If one approach doesn’t work，the child quickly thinks of another.
*Sensitivity to Problem.He is quick to see gaps in information.He is sensitive to contradictions between prior rules and what he hears or reads.
*Selffeeling.He has a feeling of being somebody in particular.He is selfmotivated，selfdirected，and can work alone for long periods provided it’s on his own project.
*Originality.He has surprising，uncommon，interesting ideas.His drawings and stories have a style that marks them as his own.
*Insight.He has easy access to realms(领域) of the mind that noncreative people visit only in their dreams.He toys with ideas that easily come to him.
Qualities like these count very little in IQ tests，which measure memory，vocabulary，mathematical ability and general reasoning.These abilities are valuable，and the creative child does usually have them.However，the child with a socalled genius IQ of 180 is in reality no more likely to be a genius than the child with a slightly aboveaverage IQ of 120.In fact，evidence suggests that some children with high IQs may develop memory and logical reasoning powers at the expense of insight，imagination，and adventurous qualities that are essential to geniuses.The main purpose of the passage is to tell us________.
| A．why IQ tests are not accurate |
| B．to encourage creativity in children |
| C．no to squelch creativity in children |
| D．the difference between intelligence and talents |
The author believes that IQ tests mainly measure ________.
| A．creative potential | B．talents |
| C．intelligence | D．general reasoning |
The passage doesn’t clearly state but implies that ________.
| A．the education nowadays does not provide much space for creativity |
| B．intelligence makes no contributions to creativity |
| C．signs of creativity in children are hard to detect |
| D．IQ tests are often used to measure children’s talents |
Which of the following best illustrates a child’s originality?
| A．He can tell whether a given explanation is convincing or not. |
| B．He can find different ways to solve a problem. |
| C．He can work on an interesting project with concentration. |
| D．He can draw a picture or tell a story in his own style. |
According to the passage，children with high IQs ________.
| A．may lack the qualities essential to geniuses |
| B．will probably turn into geniuses |
| C．are more likely to be geniuses than those with low IQs |
| D．also have qualities essential to geniuses |
A primary school has banned Valentine’s Day cards because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends.
Ashcombe Primary School in WestonsuperMare，Somerset，has told parents that cards declaring love can be “confusing” for children under the age of 11，who are still emotionally and socially developing.
In his February newsletter(简讯)，Peter Turner，head teacher，warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated.
He wrote，“We do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year.Some children and parents encourage a lot of talks about boyfriends and girlfriends.”
“We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend.”
Mr.Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine’s Day concept should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand.
His views were supported by Ruth Rice,46，who has twins Harriet and Olivia,9，at the school.
She said，“Children at that age shouldn’t really be thinking about Valentine’s Day，and they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.”
“They are at an age when they are easily influenced and most parents including myself are with Mr.Turner.”
She added，“The cards caused too much competition.If someone gets a card and another doesn’t then he or she will be disappointed.”
However，Rajeev Takyar,40，who sells newspapers and has two children Jai,11，and Aryan,5，at the school，said he was “genuinely outraged”．
He said，“There are schools that have banned conkers(康克戏) and snowballs，and now Valentine’s Day cards.”
“I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills.How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise？It’s ridiculous.”
Alec Suttenwood，founder of the AntiPolitical Correctness Group，said of the ban，“It’s totally ridiculous.Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents.It’s just a bit of harmless fun.There is no difference between this and Mother’s or Father’s Day.”Valentine’s Day cards may cause confusion among young children because ________.
| A．they are too young to understand what love is |
| B．teachers haven’t taught them how to make friends |
| C．children shouldn’t learn about social relationships |
| D．students talk too much about boyfriends and girlfriends |
The underlined word “confiscated” in Paragraph 3 can probably be replaced by “________”．
| A．collected | B．destroyed | C．taken away | D．burnt away |
Ruth Rice was in favor of Mr.Turner’s view in that ________.
| A．children like to compare Valentine’s Day cards |
| B．children should focus their mind on their lessons |
| C．sending holiday cards wastes both time and money |
| D．making friends has a negative influence on children |
Which statement is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Most of English parents want children to have fun. |
| B．Children should learn how to develop social skills. |
| C．English schools don’t allow students to play games. |
| D．Some parents think it unreasonable to ban the cards. |
What is the best title of the text?
| A．School Bans Valentine’s Day Cards |
| B．Shall We Send Valentine’s Day Cards? |
| C．Different Opinions on Valentine’s Day Cards |
| D．Parents’ Concern About Valentine’s Day Cards |