B
Science isn’t something mysterious, only for the few. Every one of us—whether a poet, worker, or physicist has to be able to think scientifically, and to understand some science, such as whether to smoke, what to eat, and what protection to use. Even for decisions that don’t depend on some scientific facts, science remains the proven set of best methods for getting exact information about the world.
Some people will end up as policy-makers in government or business. People such as these make decisions that affect the life of everyone, and most of them know no more about science than does the rest of the general public. Yet they are called upon to decide what to do about nuclear reactors(核反應(yīng)堆), global warming, environmental toxins(環(huán)境霉素), expensive space programs, and biomedical research. It’s nonscientists, not scientists, who have the last word on whether the milk we drink can safely come from cows treated with medicine. To make such decisions wisely, the decision makers have to be drawn from a scientifically educated public.
Even if science is irrelevant（不相干的） to the lives of ordinary Americans, a strong scientific spirit is basic to our economy, educational system, and society. This requires lots of young people to become excited enough by science that they decide to become professional scientists. This also requires, to some degree, the support and understanding of the general public.
Scientists are not always able to communicate their findings in an easy-to-understand manner. Although the scientists should do a better job of explaining what they have discovered, members of the general public have to make efforts to understand what is being said.
46．What does the author mean by saying that “a strong scientific spirit is basic to the economy, educational system and society”?
A．School and society should encourage young people to become professional scientists.
B．The school should only teach lessons of economy and education·
C．A scientifically educated public is basic to the economy，educational system and society.
D．More scientists work in our economy, educational system and society.
47．The general public is required to _______.
A．support and understand the need of scientific education
B．check what the scientists are saying
C．give help to the policy-makers
D．become professional scientists
48．The main idea of this passage is _________.
A．policy—makers must be science professionals
B．science is not far from everyone’s life
C．science has nothing to do with ordinary Americans
D．science professionals make decisions that affect the life of everyone
49．According to the passage, who can decide whether the milk we drink can safely come from
cows treated with medicine?
A．Scientists      B．Young people      C．The public     D．Policy-makers

E
One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（砍伐森林） is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks ,disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realize the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.
58．The underlined word "synthetics" probably means a kind of _________.
A．natural rubber   B．tropical material   C．man-made material   D．tropical tree
59．In the last paragraph the author tries to__________.
A．tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation
B．show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests
C．persuade people to buy something synthetic
D．let people realize the effect of tropical deforestation
60．The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is____________.
A．puzzling        B．cold        C．supporting       D．opposed

E
There was one thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately around large cities with factories and heavy automobile traffic. At present, we realize that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution, the problem is worldwide. On several occasions over the past decade, a heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the east of the United States and brought health warnings in rural areas away from any major concentration （集中）of manufacturing and automobile traffic. In fact, the very climate of the entire earth may be infected by air pollution.
Some scientists consider that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from the burning of coal and oil is creating a “greenhouse effect” - raising the world’s average temperature. If this view is correct and the world’s temperature is raised only a few degrees, much of the polar ice will melt and cities such as New York, Boston, Miami, and New Orleans will be in water.
Another view, less widely held, is that increasing particular matter in the atmosphere is preventing sunlight and lowering the earth’s temperature - a result that would be equally disastrous. A drop of just a few degrees could create something close to a new ice age, and would make agriculture difficult or impossible in many of our top farming areas. Today we do not know for sure that either of these conditions will happen though one recent government reports that the greenhouse effect is very possible. Perhaps, if we are lucky enough, the two tendencies will offset（抵消）each other and the world’s temperature will stay about the same as it is now. Driven by economic profits, people don’t think about the damage on our environment caused by the “advanced civilization”. Maybe the air pollution is the price the human beings have to pay for their development. But is it really worth?
72. As pointed out at the beginning of the passage, people used to think that air pollution ________.
A. caused widespread damage in the countryside
B. affected the entire eastern half of the United States
C. had damaged effect on health
D. existed only in urban and industrial areas
73. As to the greenhouse effect, the author ________.
A. shares the same view with the scientists
B. is uncertain of its happening
C. rejects it as being ungrounded
D. thinks it will destroy the world soon
74. It can be concluded from the last paragraph that ________.
A. lowering the world’s temperature only a few degrees would lead major farming areas to disaster
B. raising the world’s temperature only a few degrees would not do much harm to life on earth
C. almost no temperature variations have occurred over the past decade
D. the world’s temperature will remain constant in the years to come
75. This passage is mainly about ________.
A. the greenhouse effect
B. the burning of coal and oil
C. the potential effect of air pollution
D. the likelihood of a new ice age

（C）
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career，including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound（為地球引力所束縛的）experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Poin，was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion（推進(jìn)） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal （液壓燃料泵的密封圈）on the space shuttle（航天飛機(jī)） was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by an analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic（熱力學(xué)的） analysis.” At the end of the summer，he，like the other NASA ASEE fellows working at Marshall，summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of  NASA，deepened his desire to fly in space，and intensified his application for astronaut status.
　　It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly，and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year old Army officer，who lives in Houston，is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
　Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA，and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side，Voss says，the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
66. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A） Because previous seals all failed.
B） Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C） Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D） Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
67.The great significance of Voss's findings lies in_________ .
A） strengthening his determination to join in space flights
B） furthering his understanding of NASA
C） consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
D） Both A and B
68. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A） Three  B） Two   C） Four     D） Five
69. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A） Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B） The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C） It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D） American colleges and universities are a special property of NASA.
70. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A） The technological significance of the program.
B） The educational significance of the program.
C） The philosophical significance of the program.
D） The historical significance of the program.

       Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.
You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.
● A Is For Love      Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words
● Listening to the sound of Chinese      Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.
● A few Chinese words      Each word is enlarged for easy study.
If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.
● Zhongwen site      More than a dictionary!
● Clavis Sinica
Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word’s definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word.
If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.
● Chinese Character Visual Dictionary
If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.
● The Chinese Outpost
Pronunciation, Character and Grammer By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.
● Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online
● Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning
● Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany
If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.
● Wanfang Data
As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.
66. The underlined lines are probably some ______.
A. book     B. websites             C. tips for learning Chinese     D. dictionaries for learning Chinese
67. This passage is most probably from ______.
A. a TV programme             B. a teacher’s lecture      C. a newspaper              D. the Internet
68. If you want to know each Chinese character’s definition, pronunciation and much more information, you’d better surf ______.
A. Zhongwen site     B. A Is For Love      C. Clavis Sinica         D. A few Chinese words
69. If you want to know China about its culture, medicine, business, science, you’d better surf ______.
A. Learn Mandarin online                    B. Wanfang Data
C. Rainland kids discover Chinese             D. The Chinese Outpost
70. The underlined word “gateway” in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.
A. an opening in a wall that can be closed by a gate
B. a place through which you can go to another place  
C. the space when a door is open         
D. a means of getting or achieving something

C
A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigationsystems powered by the sun can pro-duce more food and money for villagers． The study-in Benin found that solar - powered pumpsare effective in 8upplying water, especially during the long dry season．
Sub - Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security． The United Na-tions Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more"than one biillion of the world' s peo-ple faced hunger last year．Around 265 million of them live'south of the Sahara Desert:  Lack of  rainfallis one oftheir main causes offood shortages．．
Jennifer Bumey from Stanford University in Califomia led the study．The research team helped build three solar - powered drip irrigation -（滴灌） ,systems in northem Benin． Between 30 and 35 women used each system to pump water from the ground or a stream．Each woman was responsible for farming her own 120 sqrurre meters of land． They also farmed other land  collectively．
The solar - powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two tons of vegetables per montb． During the first year, the women．kept a monthly average of almost rune kilograms of vegetables for home use．They sold the surplus produce at local markets． The eamings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months． Peo- ple in the'two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more servingsof yegetables per day．But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect．
The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets． The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also  increased, though not as much．The researchers note that only four percent of the croplamd in sub - Saharan Africa is irrigated． Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first． But    the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline,  diesel  or kerosene． And solar power is environmentally friendly．
66．Food security in Sub - Saharan Africa is insufficient mainly because of
A．lack of rainfall         B．limitation of farmland
C． a small crop variety   D．little sunlight
67．From the third paragraph we know that _______．
A．water is wasted by using the system
B． the farmers imgate the land together
C． all farmers use irrigation systems in northem Benin
D． the solar - powered systems take up more manpower
68．The underlined word "surplus" in the 4th paragraph most probably means_______
A．special             B．unnecessary      C．extra      D．a(chǎn)bandoned
69．Usinf．solar power to pump water has advantages EXCEPT that
A．solar energy has higher cost at first
B．solar power helps to protect environment
C．solar power helps farmers increase eanungs
D． solar energy can be more economical in the long run
70．What can be the best title for the text?
A．Manpower affects rainfallin Africa
B．Irrigation by carrying water in buckets
C．Solar - powered pumps aid African farmers
D．Vegetable supply increased in African villages

B
Advice to “sleep on it” could be well founded, scientists say. After a good night’s sleep a problem that couldn’t be solved the night before can often appear more manageable, although the evidence（證據(jù)）until now has been personal experience. But researchers at the University of Luebek in Germany have designed an experiment that shows a good night’s sleep can improve insight（洞察力）and problem-solving.
“If you have some newly-got memories in your brain, sleep acts on these memories and rebuild them, so that after sleep the insight into problem which you could not solve before increases,” said Dr Jan Born, a neuroscientist（神經(jīng)病學(xué)專家）at the university. To test the theory, they taught volunteers two simple rules to help them turn some 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 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 in your brain of the problem you want to solve and then you sleep，so it can act on the problem．”But Born admitted that he and his team don’t know how rebuilding 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 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．
60．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
61．Jan Born and his team carried out the experiment through________．
A．comparison    B．interview        C．survey          D．imagination
62．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 rebuilds memories
63．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．

（B）
What does an astronaut eat in space? This is a question that will puzzle many, as people rarely think of that. In the early space-travel years, astronauts ate dehydrated (脫水的) foods that were eaten through straws （吸管）. In today’s space-age, the food that they eat is totally different. They eat food in the same way as people do on Earth.
Astronauts are able to prepare and eat a variety of foods in space. Some can be eaten in their natural form, like fruits, while some need to add water, like noodles. However, there are no refrigerators, so the food has to be prepared and eaten without being stored for a long time. When the astronauts are hungry, they simply eat the food by opening the food packages and with a fork, knife, and spoon.
Just like people on Earth, astronauts also eat three meals a day which include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes they also eat snacks. The US space agency NASA has found out that an astronaut’s diet reduces by about 70% on a space mission, though he has a wide range of foods to choose from like nuts, chicken, beef, seafood, and candies. Drinks in the spaceship include coffee, tea, juices, and lemonade.
Astronauts can also request a particular food that they would like to have in space. Scientists are always experimenting and trying out different space foods that can be offered to astronauts when on space missions. 
45. Now astronauts eat ________ in space.
A. dehydrated (脫水的) foods           B. food as people do on Earth 
C. totally different                    D. food with a lot of water 
46. The food the astronauts prepared  ________ .
A. can’t be stored for a long time       B. can be put into refrigerators 
C. can be stored for a long time          D. can’t be kept in the food packages 
47. In space, astronauts ________ like people on Earth.
A. only have nuts, chicken and beef       B. onlyhave lunch for a day
C. only drink coffee, tea and lemonade    D. also eat three meals a day 
48. What are scientists experimenting and trying out?
A. Some very special snacks.             B. How astronauts can sleep well.
C. Different space foods for astronauts.     D. How to get some fruits for astronauts.

B
Your body, which has close relations with the food you eat, is the most important thing you own, so it needs proper treatment and proper nourishment（營養(yǎng)）. The old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away. " is not as silly as some people think. The body needs fruit and vegetables because they contain vitamin C. Many people take extra vitamins in pill form(丸劑), believing that these will make them healthy. But a good diet is made up of nourishing food and this gives all the vitamins you need. The body doesn't need or use extra vitamins, so why waste money on them?
In the modem western world, many people are too busy to bother about eating properly. They throw away the good habits and throw anything into their stomachs, eating hurriedly and carelessly. The list of illnesses caused or made worse by bad eating habits is frightening.
41. From the first sentence we know that ________,
A. all kinds of food you eat can be made into nourishment
B. your body is made up of the food you eat.
C. what you eat has great effect on your health
D. the more you eat, the better you will feel
42. How do you understand the old saying underlined in the passage?
A. Eating apples regularly brings lots of benefits to our health.
B. Doctors are no longer necessary if we eat an apple every day.
C. The apple is the best among all kind of fruits.
D. An apple is a good way to cure illnesses.
43. What can we conclude from the second paragraph?
A. Our bodies need food, or we can't live.
B. Often eating apples is a good habit.
C. Taking extra vitamin pills is completely useless.
D. A good diet is of great importance for our health.
44. In modern western countries, ________.
A. people don't want to pay more attention to their eating
B. lots of people's illnesses are caused or made worse by bad eating habits
C. people throw everything into their stomachs without digestion（消化）
D. people are only too busy to cook meals for themselves
45. If we want to keep healthy, we should ________ .
A. only eat an apple a day       
B. eat properly
C. take as many vitamin pills as possible
D. throw everything into our stomachs slowly and carefully

C
Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food，according to a major study．
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its imagined health benefits，creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007．
A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years，however，found there was no significant difference．
“A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally(通常)produced foodstuffs，but these have nothing to do with public health，” said Alan Dangour ，one of the report's authors．
“Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority ．”
The results of research，which was commissioned by the British government’s Food Standards Agency，were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition．
Sales of organic food have fallen in some markets，including Britain，as a slowdown in economic growth has led consumers to cut back on purchases．
The Soil Association said that growth in sales of organic products in Britain slowed to just 1.7percent，well below the average annual growth rate of 26 percent over the last decade．
64. Why does organic food cost more than conventionally produced food?
A. Because people think they are much healthier.    B. Because they are more delicious.
C. Because people prefer organic food.            D. Because they sell better.
65. According to the study，organic food is_________ than conventionally produced food.
A. much healthier           B. better       C. no healthier           D. less healthier
66. Sales of organic food have fallen because of___________.
A. high price            B. economic decline       C. bad service           D. poor quality
67. Where can you find this passage in a newspaper?
A. Economy            B. Science．      C. Food & Nutrition      D. Fashion