techniques , but he admitted there would be difficulties in meeting his goal .
“ For example , if you run out of ink while printing on paper , you will throw that paper away . But you cannot throw half-completed buildings away if your material gets stuck , ” he said . Although the printed house is not available to visit , there is a chance for people in Shanghai to see items printed in 3D.
The Belgium-based company Materialise NV held a 3D printing exhibition in Shanghai that started in late 2012 and ended in the middle of 2013 . The company is eager to show Asia what is possible with 3D printing .
“ All the pieces shown here are what cannot be made through traditional techniques . A good example of this customization is hearing aids . More than 10 million people already use 3D printed hearing aids, all made according to the size of their ears , ” said Wim Michiels , executive vice-president at Materialise NV .
“ You can produce anything whenever and wherever you like . You don’t need to set up production lines for pieces that only need a limited amount of products . Setting up a production line is a lot of work . It takes a long time and is very expensive for a limited number of pieces , ” said Michiels .
Kim Francois , managing director of Materialise China , said their European and American clients have already taken the next step toward additive manufacturing with small series production such as hearing aids .
小題1:What is mainly talked about in the text ?
A. The development of 3D printing .
B. A 3D printing show in Shanghai .
C. Varieties of items printed in 3D .
D. The company Materialise NV .
小題2:According to Behrokh Khoshnevis , what is the main difficulty in printing buildings ?

A．Time .

B．Technique .

C．Space .

D．Material .

小題3:The example of 3D printed hearing aids was mentioned to show that ______________ .

A．these items used to be impossible to make

B．3D printing has a large market share

C．3D hearing aids help people hear better

D．people need different sized hearing aids

小題4:According to the text , 3D printing is suitable for ___________ .

A．mass production

B．making small items

C．small series production

D．reducing production costs

So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest（探索）for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading.
小題1:The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that ________.

A．it is one of the most difficult school courses

B．students spend endless hours in reading

C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance

D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading

小題2:The teaching of reading will be successful if ________.

A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students

B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading

C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading

D．teachers can make their teaching activities observable

小題3:The underlined word“ scrutiny” most probably means“________”.

A．inquiry

B．observation

C．control

D．suspicion

小題4:According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ________.

A．children become highly motivated

B．teacher and learner roles are interchangeable

C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge

D．reading enriches children’s experience

小題5:The main idea of the passage is that ________.

A．teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read

B．teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible

C．reading ability is something acquired rather than taught

D．reading is more complicated that generally believed

Most people know precious gemstones (寶石) by their appearances. An emerald flashes deep green, a ruby seems to hold a red fire inside, and a diamond shines like a star. It’s more difficult to tell where the gem was mined, since a diamond from Australia or Arkansas may appear the same to one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, recently, a team of scientists has found a way to identify a gemstone’s origin.
Beneath the surface of a gemstone, on the tiny level of atoms and molecules（分子）, lie clues (線索) to its origin. At this year’s meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis, Catherine McManus reported on a technique that uses lasers (激光) to clarify these clues and identify a stone’s homeland. McManus directs scientific research at Materialytics, in Killeen, Texas. The company is developing the technique. “With enough data, we could identify which country, which mining place, even the individual mine a gemstone comes from,” McManus told Science News.
Some gemstones, including many diamonds, come from war-torn countries. Sales of those “blood minerals” may encourage violent civil wars where innocent people are injured or killed. In an effort to reduce the trade in blood minerals, the U.S. government passed law in July 2010 that requires companies that sell gemstones to determine the origins of their stones.
To figure out where gemstones come from, McManus and her team focus a powerful laser on a small sample of the gemstone. The technique is called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Just as heat can turn ice into water or water into steam, energy from the laser changes the state of matter of the stone. The laser changes a miniscule part of the gemstone into plasma, a gas state of matter in which tiny particles（微粒）called electrons separate from atoms.
The plasma, which is superhot, produces a light pattern. (The science of analyzing this kind of light pattern is called spectroscopy.) Different elements（元素）produce different patterns, but McManus and her team say that gemstones from the same area produce similar patterns. Materialytics has already collected patterns from thousands of gemstones, including more than 200 from diamonds. They can compare the light pattern from an unknown gemstone to patterns they do know and look for a match. The light pattern acts like a signature, telling the researchers the origin of the gemstone.
In a small test, the laser technique correctly identified the origins of 95 out of every 100 diamonds. For gemstones like emeralds and rubies, the technique proved successful for 98 out of every 100 stones. The scientists need to collect and analyze more samples, including those from war-torn countries, before the tool is ready for commercial use.
Scientists like Barbara Dutrow, a mineralogist from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, find the technique exciting. “This is a basic new tool that could provide a better fingerprint of a material from a particular locality,” she told Science News.
小題1:We learn from Paragraph 1 that __________________.

A．a(chǎn)n emerald and a ruby are names of diamonds.

B．it’s not difficult to tell where the gem was mined.

C．a(chǎn)ppearances help to identify the origin of gemstones.

D．diamonds from different places may appear the same.

小題2:Why did the U.S. government pass law that requires companies selling gemstones to determine the origins of their stones?

A．To look for more gemstones.

B．To encourage violent civil wars.

C．To reduce the trade in blood minerals.

D．To develop the economy.

小題3:Which of the following facts most probably helps McManus and her team in identifying the origin of stones?

A．Heat can turn ice into water or water into steam.

B．Gemstones from the same area produce similar light patterns.

C．Laser can changes a miniscule part of the gemstone into plasma.

D．Materialytics has already collected patterns from thousands of gemstones.

小題4:From the last two paragraphs, what can be inferred about the laser technique?

A．It is ready for commercial use.

B．People can use the new tool to find more gemstones.

C．It can significantly reduce the gemstones trade in blood minerals.

D．It will bring about a revolutionary change in identifying the origin of minerals.

小題5:The author wrote this passage mainly to ________.

A．tell us how to identify the origin of diamonds.

B．introduce a laser technique in identifying a stone’s origin

C．prove identifying the origin of gemstones are difficult

D．a(chǎn)ttract our attention to reducing trade in blood minerals

Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site badoo. com, they all best illustrate(舉例說明) the word “cool”.

But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.
Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy(哲學(xué)).  “Cool” relates to ideas of grace(優(yōu)雅) under pressure.
“In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”
The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (n. 厭戰(zhàn)情緒)
. . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules:Anatomy of an Attitude.
But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause.  Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies(欺凌弱小者). In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.
Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (體育運動) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.
But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.
“Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.
小題1:Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs are mentioned in the first paragraph to ________.

A．introduce the topic	B．draw our attention
C．tell us what they have in common	D．tell us what is “cool”

小題2:If you were considered “cool” in Africa in the 15th century, you ________.

A．thought and acted differently from the majority

B．had a calm and quiet attitude towards life

C．didn’t observe rules and authorities

D．had all kinds of “bad” manners

小題3:The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who ________.

A．do very well in their studies

B．a(chǎn)re very skilled at sports

C．a(chǎn)re good at chess and other thinking games.

D．have supernatural powers like Harry Potter

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?

A．It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd.

B．“Cool” was used as early as the 15th century.

C．Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays.

D．Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”.

小題5:What does the article mainly talk about?

A．The origin of the word “cool”.

B．The kinds of people who are “cool”.

C．The changing meaning of the word “cool”.

D．How to be a “ cool” person.

Air pollution is one of the hottest topics at present because poor air quality is an important factor in both the incidence and cause of respiratory(呼吸道) diseases.
Zhong Nanshan, a deputy to the NPC and a member of the CAE, said recently when the concentration of PM2.5 rises by 10 micrograms per cubic meter, hospitalization may rise by as much as 3.1 percent. Meanwhile, when the concentration of PM2.5 rises from 25 mgs per cubic meter to 200, the average daily death rate may rise to 11 percent.
Zhi Xiuyi, a leading expert in lung cancer treatment and also vice-president of the CATS, said medical authorities used to focus on tobacco control as a primary means of preventing lung cancer. "But in fact, air pollution is no less harmful than smoking and our research team released a report earlier this year showing that the cancer rate in Beijing is closely related to industrialization," he said.
The report, conducted by the Beijing Institute of Cancer Research, shows that the number of cancer patients in China has increased markedly during the past ten years. Chaoyang District, the city's main area of industrialization, has the highest incidence of cancer, almost double that of Yanqing, an area on the outskirts of the city. About four out of 1000 Chaoyang residents have some form of the disease, with lung cancer at the top of the list.
"The risk of having cancer largely depends on the length of exposure and the concentration of noxious gases(有毒氣體的濃度)," said Zhi. In response to the doubt whether seven years' exposure to poor air quality will almost result in cancer, Zhi said the time scale was taken from research overseas that suggested the rate of incidence generally peaked in the seventh year of exposure to a heavily polluted environment.
小題1: What is the passage mainly about?

A．Medical researches on environment.

B．The disadvantages in big cities.

C．The only reason for the lung cancer.

D．Poor air quality contributing to lung cancer.

小題2:What can you conclude from the 3^rd paragraph?

A．Compared with smoking, air pollution is more harmful.

B．Air pollution is as harmful as smoking.

C．It is very important to prevent people from smoking.

D．People realize the importance of keeping healthy.

小題3:If there were 3,000,000 people in Chaoyang District, how many would have respiratory diseases?

A．16000

B．12000

C．8000

D．7500

小題4:What can you infer from the passage?

A．Industrialization has its weakness as well as strengths.

B．The average death rate rises with different ages and places.

C．The air in Beijing is much more polluted than that in the other cities.

D．The more heavily-polluted air you breathe in, the sooner you’ll have cancer.

What will power your house in the future？Nuclear，wind，or solar power？According to scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US，it might be leaves — but artificial (人造的) ones.
Natural leaves are able to change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis (光合作用)．Now researchers have found a way to imitate this seemingly simple process.
The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special silicon chip with catalysts (催化劑)．Similar to natural leaves，it can split water into hydrogen and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a fuel cell，which uses those two materials to produce electricity，located either on top of a house or beside the house.
Though the leaf is only about the shape of a poker card，scientists claimed that it is promising to be an inexpensive source of electricity in developing countries. “One can imagine villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology,” said Nocera at a conference of the American Chemical Society.
The artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but was too expensive and unstable for practical use. The new leaf，by contrast，is made of cheap materials，easy to use and highly stable. In laboratory studies，Nocera showed that an artificial leaf prototype (原型) could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.
The wonderful improvements come from Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful，new and inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation inside the leaf more efficient with water and sunlight. Right now，the new leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural one. Besides，the device can run in whatever water is available；that is，it doesn't need pure water. This is important for some countries that don't have access to pure water.
With the goal to “make each home its own power station” and “give energy to the poor”，scientists believe that the new technology could be widely used in developing countries，especially in India and rural China.
小題1:Which of the following orders correctly shows how the artificial leaf is used to produce electricity?
a．a(chǎn)rtificial leaves split water into hydrogen and oxygen
b．the hydrogen and oxygen gases are stored in a fuel cell
c．the artificial leaves are put in water
d．the fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity

A．c，a，b，d	B．c，b，a，d
C．b，c，a，d	D．c，a，d，b

小題2:The purpose of the scientists at MIT in developing the new artificial leaf is to________.

A．build up more power stations in the world

B．provide cheaper energy for developing countries

C．offer people in developing countries access to pure water

D．gain a deeper understanding of the photosynthesis process

小題3:The main idea of this passage is ________.

A．a(chǎn)n introduction to the history of artificial leaves

B．a(chǎn) mixture of water power and solar energy

C．giving energy to the poor

D．a(chǎn)n invention copying photosynthesis

Most people know that awkward feeling when you walk into an elevator with other people and try not to make eye contact(接觸). But a new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious power struggle being played out as you make your way up and down.
A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social status，established within seconds of entering the lift.
Rebekah Rousi．a(chǎn) Ph. D．student in cognitive(認(rèn)知)science，conducted an ethnographic(人種論)
Study of elevator behaviour in two of the tallest office buildings in Adelaide，Australia.As part of her research，she took a total of 30 lift rides in the two buildings，and discovered .There was an established order to where people tended to stand
In a blog she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator She said：“In front of them were younger men，and in front of them were women of aII ages.”She also notice there
was a difference in where people directed their gaze(注視)half way through the ride．“Men watched the monitors，looked in the side mirrors(in one building)to see themseIves．And in the door mirrors(of the other building)to also watch others Women would watch the monitors and avoid eye contact with other users(unless in conversation)and the mirrors，”she writes．
She concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front，where they can’t see other passengers，whereas confident people stand in the back，where they have a  view of everyone else.
小題1:The passage is mainly about      
A. elevator riding manners   
B communication in the elevator
C. elevator riders’ standing positions 
D. micro social status in the elevator
小題2:The underlined word“it”in the first paragraph probably refers to“     ”

A．a(chǎn)n elevator

B．the new research

C．eye contact

D．social status

小題3:A person who stands in the back of the lift is probably      
A confident    B shy    C honest
小題4:The conclusion of the research in the passage is          
A. subjective    B．objective    C critical     D doubtful

Way back in 1662，John Evelyn，a brilliant Englishman known for his detailed diaries，wrote about disastrous effects of coal-burning on the city of London .In it,he described an infernal scene of smog．a(chǎn)ir filled with “Columns and Clouds of Smoke’’given out by small industries and residences that burned coal for fuel．
I found the description in the 2003 book When Smoke Ran like Water，by epidemiologist(流行病學(xué)家)and environmental advocator(倡導(dǎo)者)Devra Davis．In it,Davis looks back at several historic pollution events and their disastrous effect on human human health-and at how these phenomena were often Ignored or even actively covered up by then people in charge at that time.
As Davis points out，John Evelyn was ahead of his time when writing about how London’s polluted air affected  the well-being of its residents．It wasn’t  until nearly 300 years later,after what became well-known as the Great Smog of 1952，that the government began to address the problem in a systematic way．
For four days．Between December 5^th“and 9^th“，due to all accident of the weather pattern，the city was buried in a heavy fog .People were still burning coal for fuel，and low-grade coal at that time， because 0f wartime condition．A temperature inversion(轉(zhuǎn)向)trapped the smoke from the city’s fires， creating a black cloud in which people could barely find their way down the most familiar streets
Some tried to protect themselves，but most people simply went about their business. But l952’s fog was far worse than any other in memory．In the same week of the previous year, 1852 people had died in London；inl952，that number was 4703 And the deaths didn’t stop when the weather changed and the fog lifted．Davis and her colleagues analyzed data from the next several months and found that about 13000 more people died between December and March than one would have predicted from historical averages Many of them died of pneumonia(肺炎)．The government，she writes．Tried to blame a bad flu season．Her detailed analysis found that explanation simply did
not pan out．
Davis writes that even today in this country ,we still have not completely absorbed the lessons of similar events．Sixty years the killer fog lifted in London，people are dying preventable deaths and suffering life．changing illnesses，simply because they must breathe the air of the cities where they live
小題1:The passage is written to     

A．warn people of the danger from air pollution

B．introduce London’s Great Smog of l952

C．blame the government for the smog

D．explain the reasons for air pollution

小題2:The underlined word‘‘infernal” in the first paragraph probably means“    ”

A．imaginary

B．a(chǎn)dventurous

C．unbelievable

D．a(chǎn)nnoying

小題3:One of the reasons for the Great Smog of l952wasthat——

A．people burned wood for fuel

B．a(chǎn) forest fire created a black cloud over the city

C．the government ignored the smog

D．most people went abouttheirbusine00

小題4:How does the writer feel about the present air condition in London?
A. lndifferent   B Concerned    C．Hopeless．D. Panic

Growing strawberries in pots

·The best way to start growing strawberries is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants m spring：5plants are plenty for a hanging basket and 10 for the average 13 inch-sized pot．
·Plant them immediately in soil-based compost(混合肥料) and they will produce a modest crop in their first year．The second year should see a bumper(特大的)crop，followed by a slightly lower yield(產(chǎn)量)the third summer .Then start again with fresh stock
·Careful watering and feeding are essential Ifyou are to harvest a good crop，you must never
let the compost dry out,particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening；if you do．most of your
crop will drop off血e bush almost immediately．
·Water well then leave the pots for up to 3 weeks，until they reach the point of drying out Be
Careful not to overwater them during the winter months．
Pruning apple trees
·A one-year-old tree is known as a “maiden”. It has a single stem when purchased. Immediately after planting, cut it back by about half to leave 4 good buds at the base of the stem.. This will force growth from the base or the plant during the summer.

·In the second year ,prune in winter by cutting all side branches back by about one-third, Make sure each cut is made cleanly just above an outward-facing bud. In the third and fourth years, new side branches will have emerged from the previous year’s growth. Cut back all these new side branches by a third, pruning to an outward-facing bud.
·By the fifth year the tree should have a well-balanced shape. From then on ,cut back all new branches by one-third in winter .Remove any diseased wood and broken branches, and ensure the centre is open to air circulation
小題1:The two pieces of advice probably appear in          

A．a(chǎn) scientific repot

B．a(chǎn) gardening guide

C．a(chǎn) book review

D．a(chǎn) fashion column

小題2:A good crop of strawberries mainly depends on             

A．the size of a pot	B．the season of harvesting
C．the number of plants in a pot	D．careful watering and feeding

小題3:Cutting back all  side branches by a third is to        

A．remove the diseased and broken branches

B．keep the whole tree open to air circulation

C．force the apple tree to grow from the base in winter

D．help the apple tree to form a well-balanced shape

小題4:The two pieces of advice suggest that planting is closely related  to               

A．season

B．water

C．compost

D．cutting

There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but considering all the positive effects coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style.
Purchasing (購買) school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration. No matter what the school’s policy is, there are only specific essential (基本的) pieces to the wardrobe (服裝) that are necessary, so it won’t break the bank. A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore(瑣事) when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality(個性) with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles.
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities(名人)and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students.
小題1:What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to dress properly.

B．The history of school uniforms.

C．The advantages of school uniforms.

D．How to deal with pressure in school.

小題2:Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________________.

A．is just a tradition that students should follow

B．makes students feel less pressure in study

C．helps students put more effort into their studies

D．makes students lose their independence and identity

小題3:The underlined part “it won’t break the bank” in Paragraph 3 probably means “__________”.

A．a(chǎn) school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money

B．a(chǎn) school uniform should be worn every day

C．parents will have to go to the bank many times

D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform

小題4:We can infer from the text that school uniforms _________.

A．a(chǎn)re not popular with fashion designers

B．were not accepted by parents in the past

C．will be designed by students themselves

D．will be more fashionable in the future

小題5:The author’s attitude towards students’ wearing school uniforms is ___________.

A．negative

B．supportive

C．doubtful

D．unclear