Childhood is a happy time, right? Not necessarily. Consider these facts.
     Depression may occur in as many as 1 in 33 children.
     Once a child has an episode(一段情節(jié)) of depression, he or she has a 50 percent chance of experiencing
another episode in the next 5 years.
     Suicide(自殺) is the 6th leading cause of death for 5-to-15-year-olds.
     If your child experiences 5 or more of these signs or symptoms (癥狀) for at least 2 weeks, he or she
may be experiencing depression or another mental illness.
     Feeling-Does your child demonstrate: Sadness Emptiness Hopelessness Guilt Worthlessness Lack of
enjoyment in everyday pleasures
     Thinking-Is your child having trouble: Concentrating Making decisions Completing schoolwork Maintaining
grades Maintaining friendships
     Physical problems-Does your child complain of: Headaches Stomachaches Lack of energy Sleeping
problems ( too much or too little) Weight or appetite changes ( gain or loss )
     Suicide risk-Does your child talk or think about: Suicide Death Other morbid (生病的) subjects
      Behavior problems-Is your child: Irritable Not wanting to go to school Wanting to be alone most of the
time Having difficulty getting along with others Cutting classes or skipping school Dropping out of sports,
hobbies or other activities Drinking alcohol or using drugs. Sometimes, a child who causes problems at school
or at home may actually be depressed, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry. If you think your child may be depressed, it's important to have your child treated. Discuss your
child's problems with his or her doctor. The doctor may suggest a referral to a children's psychologist (心
理醫(yī)生) or psychiatrist (精神病醫(yī)生). Treatment may include individual and family therapy (治療), along
with an antidepressant medication (抗抑郁藥).

1. This article is particularly written for ______.

A. parents
B. teachers
C. children
D. psychologists

2. Which statement describes a child who may have physical problems?

A. The child is always in high mood.
B. The child always feels tired but sleeps only four hours a day.
C. The child hates to study.
D. The child can not concentrate on one thing for a long period.

3. When your child always talks about death or other morbid subjects, he or she ______. 

A. may has trouble in thinking
B. may have suicide risk
C. may have behavior problems
D. may have physical problems

4. What should we do when we find our kids experiencing depression?

A. Ask for leave to accompany them at home.
B. Ask them to take antidepressant immediately.
C. Go to see the doctor.
D. Ask them to have a good rest.

     Drinking a lot of water does not do any good to the body, according to two experts in the United States.
In fact, they warn, drinking too much water could be, in certain cases, harmful.
     In a study, Dr Stanly Goldfarb and Dr Dan Negoianu, both of the Renal, Electrolyte and Hypertension
Division at the University of Pensylvania, the United States, have denied the popular belief that drinking a lot
of water clears body toxins (毒素) better, improves skin, and helps reduce weight.
     Dr Goldfarb and Dr Negoianu say that they found little proof to back the public opinion that drinking 8
glasses of water every day benefits health. At the same time, they fond little proof of harm in drinking 8
glasses of water every day.
     It is widely believed that in some cases, such as athletes, people who live in hot, dry environments, and
those with certain medical conditions-drinking a lot of water indeed helps, but no studies have been done to
prove the benefits of this practice in average, healthy people, the website medheadlines.com reports.
     The study at the University of Pennsylvania also examined reports that some people experienced increased
headaches when their consumption (消耗) of water was low. In one small study, which the doctors reviewed,
the group drinking the most water reported fewer headaches than the control group,"but the difference in the
number of headaches was so small between the two groups as to be considered unimportant."
     The researchers concluded that there is no scientific proof to support that average, healthy people need to
drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. The website medheadlines.com says that, according to an Indian
doctor, drinking too much water is harmful. If water enters the body more quickly than it can be removed,
problems can occur.

1. What's the key message delivered in the passage?

A. Drinking too much water might bring harm.
B. Whether to drink enough water makes no difference.
C. Drinking too much water may cause headaches.
D. Average, healthy people should drink more water.

2. Who may agree that drinking lots of water helps to lose weight?

A. The two experts.
B. The Indian doctor.
C. The general public.
D. The website.

3. According to the passage, we know that _____.

A. the website medheadlines.com is developed by an Indian doctor
B. the study was carried out by two experts with an Indian doctor
C. the two experts performed the study at the University of Pennsylvania
D. drinking 8 glasses of water every day can cure certain diseases

     Going to school means learning new skills and facts in different subjects. Teachers teach and students
learn, and many scientists are interested in finding ways to improve both teaching and learning processes.
     Sian Beilock and Susan Leving, two psychologists at the University of Chicago, are trying to learn
about learning. In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock and Levine
found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn: If a
female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to
believe that boys are better than girls at math."If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in
later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement," Levine told Science News. The
study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these
girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.
     Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult
to learn-and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone.
     The new study involved 65 girls, 52 boys and 17 first-and second-grade teachers in elementary
schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school
year, and the researchers compared the scores. The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether
the students believed a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers: To
find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times
when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at
the numbers on a sales receipt, for example, was probably anxious about math.
     Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher's anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers
scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing
whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be
better at math-and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers with math anxiety.
     According to surveys done before this one, college students who want to become elementary school
teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are
women, Levine said.

1. Sian Beilock and Susan Levine carried out the new research in order to _______.

A. know the effects of teaching on learning
B. study students' ways of learning math
C. prove women teachers are unfit to teach math
D. find better teaching methods for teachers

2. The underlined part in paragraph 2 most probably means that girls may _______.

A. end up learning math anxiety from their teachers
B. study the ways their female teachers behave
C. have an influence on their math-anxious female teachers
D. gain unexpected achievement in such subjects as math

3. In the study, what were the teachers required to do?

A. Prepare two math achievement tests for the students.
B. Tell their feelings about math problems.
C. Answer whether a math superstar had to be a boy.
D. Compare the students' scores after the math tests.

4. What is the finding of the new study?

A. No male students were affected by their teachers' anxiety.
B. Almost all the girls got lower scores in the tests than the boys.
C. About 30% of the girls thought boys are better at math than girls.
D. Girls with math-anxious teachers all failed in the math tests.

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A. 117 students and teachers took part in the new study.
B. The researchers felt surprised at the findings of their study.
C. Beilock and Levine are interested in teaching math.
D. Men teachers are better at teaching math than women teachers.

     The space shuttle Columbia flared and broke up in the skies over Texas on Saturday, February 1, 2003,
killing the seven astronauts on board in what NASA and President Bush called a tragedy for the entire nation.
NASA launched an investigation into the disaster and began searching for the astronauts' remains. It said that
although there had been some data failures it was too early to nail down a precise cause. The break-up, 16
minutes before the shuttle was due to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spread possibly toxic debris
(有毒的殘骸) over a wide area of Texas and neighboring states.
     Dramatic television images of the shuttle's descent clearly showed several white trails (痕跡) streaking
through blue skies after the shuttle suddenly fell apart. It was almost 17 years to the day that the Challenger
shuttle exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts on board.
     Take-off and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere are the most dangerous parts of a space mission. In 42
years of US' human space flight, there had never been an accident in the descent to Earth or landing.
Challenger exploded just after take-off.
     Rescue teams scrambled to search for the remains of the crew, which included the first Israeli to fly on
the shuttle, former combat pilot Col. Ilan Ramon. There were warnings that parts of a vast 120-mile-long
corridor of debris could be toxic because of poisonous rocket propellant (推進(jìn)器).
     "We are not ready to confirm that we have found any human remains," Nacogdoches County Sheriff
Thomas Kerrs said. He added that among the roughly 1,000 calls reporting debris, some people said they
found remains of crew members.
     "The Columbia is lost. There are no survivors, …Their mission was almost complete and we lost them
so close to home. … America's space program will go on," said a grim-faced Bush in a message broadcast
on television, which included condolences (同情) to the families of the dead astronauts. 

1. The word "descent" in the passage means _______.

A. taking off
B. landing
C. orbiting (繞軌運(yùn)行)
D. walking down

2. Which is true of the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon?

A. He was the first Israeli astronaut to fly on the shuttle.
B. He was the first foreign astronaut to fly on the American shuttle.
C. He used to be a passenger plane pilot.
D. He was the only survivor in the Columbia disaster.

3. The Columbia disaster and the Challenger disaster were similar in that _______.

A. there were seven astronauts killed on board
B. both the shuttles exploded when they took off
C. Both the shuttles exploded when they were about to land
D. no human remains were found

4. Which of the following is wrong according to the news?

A. The U.S.A. will give up the space program because of the accident.
B. NASA hasn't found the cause of the Columbia disaster.
C. Before the Columbia disaster, no shuttles had exploded in the course of landing.
D. Take-off and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere are the most dangerous parts of a space mission.

     As an experienced photojournalist in Nashville, Tennessee, I was hired by USA Today newspaper to
photograph a spinal bifida (脊柱畸形) corrective surgical procedure. It was to be performed on a
twenty-one week old fetus (胎兒)in uterus (子宮)at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At that time, in
1999, twenty-one weeks in uterus was the earliest that the surgical team would consider for surgery. The
worst possible outcome would be that the surgery would cause premature delivery, and no child born earlier
than twenty-three weeks had survived.
     The tension could be felt in the operating room as the surgery began. A typical C-section incision (切口)

 was made to access the uterus, which was then lifted out and laid at the junction of the mother's thighs
(大腿). The entire procedure would take place within the uterus, and no part of the child was to breach the
surgical opening. During the procedure, the position of the fetus was adjusted by gently manipulating ( 熟練
操作) the outside of the uterus. The entire surgical procedure on the child was completed in one hour and
thirteen minutes. When it was over, the surgical team breathed a sigh of relief, as did I.
     As a doctor asked me what speed of film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus
shake, but no one's hands were near it. It was shaking from within. Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the
opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing. The doctor reached over and lifted the hand,
which reacted and squeezed the doctor's finger. As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist.
Samuel held firm. I took the picture! Wow! It happened so fast that the nurse standing next to me asked,
"What happened?" "The child reached out," I said. "Oh. They do that all the time," she responded.
     The surgical opening to the uterus was closed and the uterus was then put back into the mother and
the C-section opening was closed.
     It was ten days before I knew if the picture was even in focus. To ensure no digital manipulation of
images before they see them, USA Today requires that film be submitted (提交) unprocessed. When the
photo editor finally phoned me he said, "It's the most incredible picture I've ever seen."

1. In 1999, people believed that it was ______.

A. possible for a fetus 21 weeks born to survive
B. likely for a fetus born 21 weeks to become deformed (畸形的)
C. right time for a fetus born 21 weeks to receive an operation
D. risky for a fetus 21 weeks in uterus to receive an operation

2. From the second paragraph, we can see that the surgery was ______.

A. challenging but successful
B. demanding and unsuccessful
C. simple and short
D. long-lasting and difficult

3. The underlined"It" in paragraph 3 refers to ______.

A. the shaking of the uterus
B. the arm of the fetus
C. the taking of the picture
D. the head of the fetus

4. From the editor said in the last paragraph, we know the photo editor was very ______.

A. disappointed
B. satisfied
C. annoyed
D. depressed

     Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike. "I just couldn't
get going in the morning," she says. "I'd get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again
in the spring." Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and
winter, and she saw the light literally. Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for
half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it's still enjoying those long summer days. It
seems to work.
     Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25
million more develop milder versions. But there's never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright
lights makes a difference. After all, it's hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves
whether or not the light is on. That's why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from
placebo (安慰劑) effects.
     Until now, in three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy
works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early morning than in the
evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light
boxes to a new anti-depressant device that gives off negatively charged ions (離子). The third used the timing
of light therapy as the control.
     Why does light therapy work? No one really knows."Our research suggests it has something to do with
shifting the body's internal clock," says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to start the day with
sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter. But why such subtle shifts make some people
depressed and not others is a mystery.
     That hasn't stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes for that
purpose are available without a doctor's prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia
University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can't be
treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed.
     In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer. Whatever product you use should give off only
visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes. If you are photosensitive (對(duì)光敏感的), you may
develop a rash. Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to 60 minutes in the
morning. That's an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with.

1. What is the probable cause of Krentz's problem?

A. An unexpected gain in body weight.
B. Unexplained impairment of her nervous system.
C. Weakening of her eyesight with the setting in of winter.
D. Poor adjustment of her body clock to seasonal changes.

2. What is the CURRENT view concerning the treatment of seasonal depression with bright lights?

A. Its effect remains to be seen.
B. It serves as a kind of placebo.
C. It proves to be an effective therapy.
D. It hardly produces any effects.

3. What is psychologist Michael Terman's major concern?

A. Winter depressives will be addicted to using light boxes.
B. No mental patients would bother to consult psychiatrists.
C. Bad light boxes will give off harmful ultraviolet lights.
D. Light therapy could be misused by certain mental patients.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Winter depressives prefer light therapy in spite of its inconvenience.
B. Light therapy increases the patient's photosensitivity.
C. Eye damage is a side effect of light therapy.
D. Light boxes can be programmed to correspond to shifts in the body clock.

     Students and professionals can all benefit from reading scholarly research. While many works may be of
a technical nature, some of the best research is published in professional journals. While not all journals get
published on the Internet, the trend toward the electronic format is growing. You probably also have free
access to some of the online sources outlined below, but many don't know where they can consult online
sources when in need of excellent research.
      Science
     The journal Science is perhaps the most prestigious science journal. This journal is also well known
enough to be featured on media outlets. It has all the latest news. Science is also interested in scientific policy,
and frequently publishes articles that report the achievement of technology and science in general. Free partial
access is available after registration.
      Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
     The world famous scholar reviewed journal has its articles and reviews on their website. While reading
the abstracts of articles is free, PNAS charges for downloading the entire article in full. There is also an option
for paying a flat rate to view several articles for a week-long period. There are some "open access" articles
which are available for download free of charge. Nature Nature is another popular and famous journal. Nature
has a wide approach publishing scientific papers on a wide variety of topics.
     Nature in fact is considered interdisciplinary (各學(xué)科間的), going beyond its name which would seem to
show it only belongs to the natural sciences. Nature is aimed at researchers and academics, but readers can
find out about major breakthroughs through summaries and other notes that appear in this weekly publication.
     While there is an effort to provide so-called "open access", it is at the moment limited. Students and those
with academic access can access these major journals for free because of contractual relationships.

1. What do we know from the passage?

A. All the best research is published in professional journals.
B. Fewer and fewer journals will be put out online in the future.
C. Reading professional journals is quite helpful for students.
D. A small number of the online sources can be attained for free.

2. The underlined word "prestigious" is the closest in meaning to ______.

A. complicated
B. famous
C. special
D. instructive

3. According to the passage, it's free of charge for us to download ______.

A. the entire article of the PNAS in full
B. the entire journal Nature
C. one article of the journal Science
D. "open access " PNAS articles

4. This passage mainly tells us _______.

A. how to publish professional papers
B. about a few academic magazines in the world
C. about free access to some of the online sources
D. which journal is most famous in the world

     Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic
growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way
the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken
as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives. 　　
     To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout
history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly
rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and
any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product
it was relatively inefficient. 　　
    Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers
to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity. 　　
    All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.
This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices
are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero
impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static (穩(wěn)定的) measures of sustainability, which
centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic
interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different
ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity,
carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain
to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity. 　　
     What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

1. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A. By its impact on the environment
B. By its contribution to economic growth
C. By its productivity
D. By its sustainability

2. Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in _____.

A. Localized pollution
B. The shrinking of farmland
C. the decrease of biodiversity
D. competition from overseas

3. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

A. They are not necessarily sustainable　　
B. They have not kept pace with population growth
C. They have remained the same over the centuries
D. They are environmentally friendly

4. What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

A. It will abandon traditional farming practices　　
B. It will mainly keep traditional farming
C. It will go through complete changes 　　
D. It will cause zero damage to the environment

5. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage? 　　

A. To remind people of the need of sustainable development. 　　
B. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is. 　　
C. To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress. 　　
D. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

     A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of four-year-olds a piece of candy and
watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few
minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
    By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those
who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous,
confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation (誘惑) early were more likely to be lonely,
easily frustrated and inflexible (固守己見的).
     Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn't show up on an IQ test.
     The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists' concerns. But brain
theory can't explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face
of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul.
     Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting
people's success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once
thought of as"character".
     EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together;
how one's ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use.
Among the ingredients (要素) for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%;
the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
     While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously,
some few fear EQ invites misuse.

1. The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that _____.

A. the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment
B. emotional intelligence won't show up until adolescence
C. the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success
D. candy can be used to measure a person's emotional intelligence

2. Which of the following is TRUE of EQ and IQ according to the text?

A. There is no link between EQ and IQ.
B. The higher a person's IQ is, the higher his or her EQ is.
C. Some people can be blessed with lots of both, but some with little of either.
D. Scientists are trying to discover the way in which EQ and IQ work together.

3. The underlined word "upbeat" in Paragraph 4 probably means _____.

A. kind
B. floating
C. excited
D. optimistic

4. What is most likely to be written in the paragraph that follows?

A. Information about famous people with high EQ.
B. Examples showing the opposite voice about EQ.
C. Some reasons why EQ is a relatively new field.
D. Strong demand for basic emotional education.

      Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best
chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University
scholar.
     The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of
class size over a period and for all levels of students. The study appears in the American Journal of Education.
     He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that will
give official advice on class size to the states. He said the advice will mirror his research: the best plan is to
provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students) for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first
grade.
     "For a long time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the
benefits," He said."I don't believe that. I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and
especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later."
     His research used data (數(shù)據(jù))from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class
size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school. He found that students who had been in small
classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than
students who been in larger classes early on.
     Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found."But low-achievers
benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap (差距) with high -achievers in science, reading and
math," he said.
     Although the study didn't consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely
due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers.
     "This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with
more disadvantaged and low-performing students," he said.

1. The professor argues about _____.

A. the size of the class
B. the period of the class
C. the attention from teachers
D. the achievements of students

2. The result of the research shows that _____.

A. small classes for one year in early grade are enough
B. continuous small classes help students achieve more
C. it's best to attend small classes in kindergarten
D. small classes do equal good to students of all levels

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A. High achievers will not benefit from small classes.
B. Continuous small classes have not been widely accepted.
C. Low-achievers should be separated from high-achievers.
D. Teachers' attention matters less than classroom practices.

4. The underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refers to _____.

A. the gap between low and high achievers
B. continuous small classes
C. classroom practices in later grades
D. the Project Star Sturdy