Several years ago, a student working on a research project in my laboratory approached me with concern.“I’m doing something wrong,”she exclaimed. I had seen her research results and knew she was making good progress, so I was surprised to hear that she was having a problem. Over the next several days we went through her experiment; yet I could not find a problem. Finally, I asked her,“Why do you think you’re doing something wrong?” “Because I’m not getting what you said I should get,”she replied with some confusion.
Her response shocked me. I had not told her what she“should get”, but we had discussed some published hypotheses(假說) several weeks earlier. On seeing the research data that did not fit these predictions, I recognized that she had a new finding and came to change my hypotheses. But she was interpreting her results as a mistake. With almost four years of a college science major behind her, this student still had the common misunderstanding that science is a boring exercise in proving something we already know to be true.
But how can this happen? Throughout school, science is often described in textbooks as a series of“known”facts and figures; for example, DNA is a double helix; earthquakes occur at plate boundaries, etc. Unfortunately, the process by which these discoveries were made and how they fit into scientific progress are often ignored in the classroom. These details help show the nature of scientific discoveries and the tails help show the nature of scientific discoveries and the skepticism(質(zhì)疑) that goes with new discoveries before they are accepted.
Understanding science is more than memorizing that DNA is a double helix. It is to have the ability to take in new information on diet, exercise, or disease and apply it to our own lives. Understanding the process of science and scientific problem-solving can help us make better decisions every day.
【小題1】The student thought her research project had gone wrong because       .

A．she was not making progress

B．her teacher told her so

C．she couldn’t get enough data

D．she had some unexpected findings

【小題2】How did the writer feel when he found out the reason for the student’s confusion?

A．Confused.

B．Surprised.

C．Excited.

D．Pleased.

【小題3】What is to blame for the student’s misunderstanding about science?

A．Her own carelessness.

B．Her teacher’s lack of experience.

C．The method of science education.

D．The publication of some wrong hypotheses.

【小題4】What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The meaning of understanding science.

B．How to use known facts.

C．The best way to make scientific discoveries.

D．How to use scientific knowledge in daily life.

Do you enjoy watching beautiful sunsets and seeing wildlife in some of the best parts of Wisconsin? Do you like being around people who share the same respect and love for natural resources? If you say“yes”, then a fisheries biologist is a great career choice for you.
As you can probably guess, education is very important. A Bachelor of Science degree in fisheries or biology is strongly recommended(推薦). Many biologists have a Master’s degree. But it’s not only good education that prepares you for a career as a fisheries biologist—field experience is also important. Volunteer work, internships(實習(xí)) and short-term fish technician positions are good ways to gain valuable training that can give you an edge in the competitive job market.
In addition to good education and field experience, a fisheries biologist needs other skills. You’ll spend a lot of time working with the public, so it’s important to feel comfortable talking to a variety of people. Good communication, listening, and presentation(陳述) skills are a must.
A common misconception among many people is that fisheries biologists get to fish all the time. Most biologists wish that were true. But as a fisheries biologist, you are especially busy during the fishing season, which leaves little time for you to actually go fishing. It’s sad, but true.
Each day brings something different in the life of a fisheries biologist. In the spring and fall, you spend a lot of time on the water shocking fish in order to sample the population, studying fish, and talking with people. The winter is spent analyzing(分析) fish data and communication with the public.
So if you find fish interesting and fun to learn about, and like working both outside and inside, consider a career as a fisheries biologist. You’ll never be bored!
【小題1】We can infer this passage was written to       .

A．a(chǎn)dvise us to respect and protect wildlife

B．encourage us to spend more time working outside

C．explain why education is important for our career

D．introduce a good career to those who are interested in wildlife

【小題2】What are Paragraphs 2 and 3 mainly about?

A．Education needed to find a good job.

B．Requirements for becoming a fisheries biologist.

C．The benefits of being a fisheries biologist.

D．Some good ways to gain valuable training.

【小題3】The underlined word“misconception”in Paragraph 4 probably means“       ”。

A．question

B．misunderstanding

C．dream

D．explanation

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that       .

A．fisheries biologists like working in winter most

B．fisheries biologists can easily get bored of their work

C．fisheries biologists get to fish all the time all year round

D．fisheries biologists spend a lot of time working outside in spring and fall

For those who are tired of doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app (application).
Strange though it may seem — "my wife already does that" was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week — Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them "smart".
Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it's Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad.
The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owner is at work or on the bus.
Samsung says it's not just something new — the app connection actually has some practical uses.
"If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go." said spokesperson Amy Schmidt.
The company also says that with electricity rate (電價) varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money.
Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do — enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV.
【小題1】 What can be inferred from the common response of the attendees at the CES?

A．The machine will be a big success.

B．their wives like doing the laundry.

C．The machine is unrelated to their life.

D．This kind of technology is familiar to them.

【小題2】We can conclude from Samsung's statements that ________.

A．the app connection makes life easier

B．it is better to dry clothes in the morning

C．smartphone can shorten the drying time

D．we should refresh clothes back at home

【小題3】What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The laundry should be frequently checked

B．Lazy people like using such machines

C．Good technologies also cause problems

D．Television may help do the laundry

Mini Book Excerpts (節(jié)選)
Biography
When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land, the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.
J. D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski (Random House, $27)
Mystery (疑案小說)
"You're a smart boy. Benny's death was no accident, and you're the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it?" The boy was staring stubbornly at his lap again.
A thought suddenly occurred to Annika, "Did you …You recognized the man in the car, didn't you?"
The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers, "Maybe," he said quietly.
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund (Atria Books, $25.99)
Short Stories
She wants to say to him what she has learned, none of it in class. Some women are born stupid, and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give, and some women only know how to take. Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers, some who they don't want to be. Some mothers suffer so their daughters won't. Some mothers love so their daughters won't.
You Are Free by Danzy Senna (Riverhead Books, $15)
Humor
Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times!'s "amusement cycling" is the most fun you can have, legally, in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half of that within a day's drive of most cities?
Happy: And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle (Ecco, $14.99)
【小題1】If the readers want to know about the life of Salinger, they should buy the book published by ________.

A．Ecco

B．Atria Books

C．Riverhead Books

D．Random House

【小題2】The book Happy And Other Bad Thoughts is intended for ________.

A．young children	B．Disney World workers
C．middle school teachers	D．parents with young children

【小題3】 Which book describes women with characters of their own?
A. Happy And Other Bad Thoughts
B. J. D. Salinger: A Life
C. You Are Free
D. Red Wolf
【小題4】 After finishing the book Red Wolf, the readers would learn that ________.

A．the boy helped arrest the murderer

B．Benny died of an accident

C．the murderer got away with the crime

D．Annika carried out the crime

Catherine and I were on our way to our nephew’s birthday party one rainy Saturday morning, driving along what some people call moose(駝鹿) alley. It was early, there were few other cars on the road and we were looking forward to a good day with the family. Suddenly, a moose rushed across our path. Fortunately, a quick swerve(突然轉(zhuǎn)向) to the other lane prevented a full impact, with only a small collision on the right side of our car ripping off the mirror and knocking the moose to the pavement.
By the time I stopped and looked back in my rear view mirror, the moose was getting up. It ran into the bush. Shaken but unharmed, we both looked at each other shocked by what had happened. We knew that moose accidents had claimed many lives throughout the years, and that we had been very fortunate to escape with no personal injury or worse. After a quick check of our vehicle, we drove off.
Even though the moose accident lasted just a few seconds, we still remember it to this day. Why?
We had often talked about the frailty of life, the here today and gone tomorrow potential we all face, but it had never felt so real. And it wasn’t that we hadn’t had friends, relatives and colleagues die before, it was that this experience was much more personal. In a matter of seconds, lives can easily change.
The effect of that one near miss with death has been positive, and made us appreciate life. Each one of us has only a limited time on this Earth; no one can predict when your time will end. We should give thanks for each day, to see the sun rise again, and to know that you can accomplish and assist others to appreciate their life if they are caught in the “poor-me” syndrome（綜合癥狀）.
【小題1】What can we learn about the accident form the first two paragraphs?

A．Fortunately, they didn’t hit the moose.

B．They themselves were slightly injured.

C．Many people have died from similar accidents.

D．The author should be blamed for the accident.

【小題2】What did the accident teach the author?

A．Being open to unexpected turns in life is important.

B．Life is long if you know how to use it.

C．Life is measured by thoughts and actions, not by time.

D．Life is unpredictable, so we should treasure every moment.

【小題3】How should we spend every day according to the author?
a. being thankful and helpful
b. appreciating the natural beauty of the world
c. being confident
d. making every effort to succeed

A．a(chǎn)b

B．bc

C．a(chǎn)bc

D．bcd

Should e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) be a new choice for the smokers trying to get rid of the habit? Reactions from Americans are mixed. More than half of the people questioned in a survey think e-cigarettes should be controlled by the US Food and Drug Administration, but 47 percent believe the e-cigarettes should be available to the smokers who want to quit.
“In the hunt for a safter cigarette, e-cigarettes are becoming a popular choice among those either trying to quit.”or looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer, ”Zogby International, which conducted the survey, said in a statement.
About half of the 4,611 adults who took part in the survey had heard about e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered, or rechargeable cigarettes that vaporize a liquid nicotine solution. They do not produce smoke but a water vapor without smell. Sold mostly on the Internet, e-cigarettes were first made in China.
Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against using e-cigarettes, saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or helped smokers break the habit. The WHO said people who smoke e-cigarettes breathe in a fine fog of nicotine into the lungs.
Nearly a third of people questioned in the survey think that e-cigarettes should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden, because they don’t produce smoke, but 46 percent disagree. Men who were aware of the availability of e-cigarettes were more likely than woman to say they should be a choice available to smokers who want to quit. Young people, aged 18-29, and singles were the groups most open to trying e-cigarettes. Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide, according to the WHO.
【小題1】What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A．American smokers ought to try e-cigarettes.

B．Americans have different opinions about e-cigarettes.

C．Every kind of cigarettes should be forbidden in America.

D．Most of the Americans don’t like e-cigarettes.

【小題2】According to Zogby International, e-cigarettes        .

A．a(chǎn)re much safer than common cigarettes

B．a(chǎn)re popular among people who want to quit smoking

C．will take the place of traditional cigarettes

D．a(chǎn)re produced in a safer way by manufacturers

【小題3】What do we know about e-cigarettes from the passage?

A．Most Americans are familiar with them.

B．They are a good choice as there is no nicotine.

C．They produce a water vapor that can’t be seen.

D．Most people buy them on the Internet.

【小題4】What’s the attitude of the WHO towards e-cigarettes?

A．Negative

B．Supportive

C．Doubtful.

D．Indifferent

“I was only thirteen when four of my team members and I were chosen by my swim coach to train with the Chinese National Team. The following piece shows how that experience has influenced me.”
The night before I left for China, my mother called me into her room. I entered not knowing what to expect. I sat down at the end of her very neatly-made bed, opposite the bedroom table on which she kept a Ming-style vase illustrated in great detail. She told me that my great-grandmother was still living in the surroundings of Beijing. Her name was Ren Li Ling and she was 97 years old. This was the first time I had ever heard of her.
The dragon on the vase snaked through the flowers and vines（藤蔓）as my mother said, “Pu Pu, look at me. You need to hear this so that when you go to China you will understand. You must keep this knowledge in your heart.”
She told me a story about my grandfather, Ren Li Ling's son, who left Beijing to go to college in Taiwan. She told me how the Chinese civil war kept him away from his mother for fifty years, so neither of them even knew that the other was alive. No one from Taiwan could visit, write, or call anyone in mainland. All lines of communication were cut off.
She told me of my grandfather's devotion to his own children, and how difficult it was for him to send his daughter to America for her education, fearing that same separation. He gave my mother all that he could give — nineteen years of love and fifty years of savings. I learned how my mother, through means only available in this country, would finally be able to unite my great-grandmother with my grandfather again. The dragon curled around the vase, connecting the separate vines. For a fleeting second, I felt it was present in my mother's room. It was all very strange, yet very clear. I began to understand that this trip to China was not just for me; it was for my mother, and her father, and his mother. Now, I had not only a future, but more significantly, a past. I saw the world with new eyes.
And so I went to China and met my great-grandmother. My great-aunt picked me up at the training center, and we rode in a taxi through the crowded city. The noise of the taxi and the city united into a deep roar. We finally stopped in front of a narrow street lined on either side with small one-level houses. As we made our way to a house like all the others, I drew the stares of many people in the street. My great-aunt led me through a rotting（朽爛的）doorway into a room with a furnace（爐子）, table, and a rocking chair where an old woman wearing gloves sat facing the doorway, covered with a worn brown blanket. I walked over and immediately embraced this frail woman as if I had known her all my life. My limited, broken Chinese wasn't up to expressing my complicated feelings. And even though I couldn't completely understand what she was saying in her thick Beijing accent, I knew — the same way I knew what my mother had been trying to tell me before I left. Her joy shone through her toothless smile. She wouldn't let go of my hand. I haltingly（結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地）asked her how she had managed to live such a long life. She answered in words I will never forget, “Hope has kept me alive. I have lived this long because I wanted to see my son before I died.”
My fellow team members must have wondered how two people separated by three generations could be so close. Before this trip, I would have wondered the same thing. And even now, I can't quite explain it. We were as different as two people can be; some 85 years and 8,000 miles apart. We came from two entirely different cultures; yet we were connected by a common heritage(傳統(tǒng)).
I stayed for dinner which was cooked in a black iron wok（鍋）over the furnace. The meal was lavish（過分豐盛的）, prepared in my honor. As I began to eat, with my great-grandmother beside me, I felt the dragon was present. But this time, the feeling didn't pass; the dragon had become a part of me.
My great-grandmother passed away last year at the age of 100. With her highest hopes and wildest dreams fulfilled, I know she died happy.
【小題1】 The writer’s mother called him into her room to ___________________.

A．prepare him for the trip and warn him against possible problems

B．remind him of his origin

C．a(chǎn)sk him to look for his great-grandmother

D．share with him the story of her childhood

【小題2】 The dragon is mentioned several times in the passage because __________________.

A．the vase with the dragon on it is very valuable and beautiful

B．it stands for the blood running in every Chinese

C．it is a sign of the writer’s devotion to his birthplace

D．the writer’s mother hoped the writer would be as strong as a dragon

【小題3】 How old was the writer’s mother when she was sent to America for her education.

A．13

B．16

C．19

D．20

【小題4】Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A．The writer’s grandfather was afraid of a war when sending his daughter to America.

B．The hope to see her son again kept the writer’s great-grandmother alive for this long.

C．It was within the writer’s expectation that he could be so close to his great-grandmother.

D．The writer’s great-grandmother was reunited with her son before she died.

【小題5】Which is the best title for the text?

A．We Share the Same Heritage.

B．Love from My Great-grandmother.

C．A Story from My Mother.

D．An Unforgettable Training Trip.

The teacher was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry. The miller lent him the small cart and horse to carry his goods to Christminster, the city of his destination. Such a vehicle proved of quite enough size of the teacher’s belongings, for his only article, in addition to the packing-case of books, was a piano that he had bought when he thought of learning instrumental music. But the eagerness having faded, he had never acquired the skill of playing, and the purchased article had been a permanent trouble to him.
The headmaster had gone away for the day, being a man who disliked the sight of changes. He didn’t mean to return till the evening, when the new teacher would have arrived, and everything would be smooth again.
The blacksmith, the carpenter and the teacher were standing in confused attitudes in the sitting room before the instrument. The teacher had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he should not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster, since he was only going into a temporary place just at first.
A little boy of eleven, who had been assisting in the packing, joined the group of men, and said, “Aunt has got a fuel-house, and it could be put there, perhaps, till you’ve found a place to settle in, sir.”
“Good idea,” said the blacksmith. The smith and the carpenter started to see about possibility of the suggested shelter, and the boy and the teacher were left standing alone.
“Sorry I am going, Jude?” asked the latter kindly.
Tears rose into the boy’s eyes. He admitted that he was sorry.
“So am I,” said the teacher. He continued, “Well---don’t speak of this everywhere. You know what a university is, and a university degree? It is the necessary hallmark(標(biāo)志) of a man who want to do anything in teaching. My plan, or dream, is to be a university graduate. By going to Christminster, I shall be at headquarters(總部), so to speak, and if my plan is practical at all, I consider that being on the spot will afford me a better chance.”
The smith and his companion returned. Old Miss Fawly’s fuel-house was big enough, and she seemed willing to give the instrument standing-room there. So it was left in the school till the evening, when more hands would be available for removing it; and the teacher gave a final glance round.
【小題1】The teacher purchased the instrument to ___________________.

A．teach his students instrumental music

B．better equip the village school

C．learn to play it himself

D．let students appreciate elegant art of music

【小題2】 It seemed that the teacher __________________.

A．was not getting on well with the headmaster

B．had lived a rather simple life in the village

C．was likely to continue to practise playing the piano

D．was tired of teaching

【小題3】 Why did the teacher leave for Christminster?

A．Because he was admitted to a university there.

B．Because he was offered a temporary job with better pay there.

C．Because he preferred the life in a big city to that in a village.

D．Because he thought he had better chance to attend university there.

【小題4】Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A．The teacher was torn between the eagerness to go to the city and his love for the village.

B．The teacher was going into a temporary place in Christminster at first.

C．The teacher moved his piano into the fuel-house with the help of some other people.

D．The teacher had so much belongings that he had to borrow a cart.

【小題5】The motivation of the teacher’s moving lay in his ___________.

A．devotion

B．a(chǎn)dmiration

C．inspiration

D．a(chǎn)mbition

In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射) so that they won’t carry diseases. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of stores. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.           When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be: Their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. But pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
【小題1】The passage mainly talks about ______.

A．how to keep diseases from pets	B．Canadians have pets as friends
C．how to take good care of pets	D．life of the old in Canada

【小題2】Pets are given injections in animal hospitals ______.

A．in order to keep them safe	B．a(chǎn)fter being taken home
C．because they carry diseases	D．because they are sick

【小題3】The word “bird feeder” in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A．a(chǎn) person who gives food to birds	B．a(chǎn) container that has food for birds
C．something that catches birds	D．a(chǎn)n animal that eats birds

The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes (假貨), after “Shanzhai Cell-phones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years.
Besides “Shanzhai” electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala (聯(lián)歡晚會), a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve.
“Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, meaning anything that imitates something famous.
In Chongqing, “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube” woven by farmers with bamboo attract wide attention from tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympic buildings in Beijing.
A literature critic said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the“Shanzhai” version appears timely to attract people. “Although it is often connected with poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’ culture meets the psychological needs of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” he said.
To the mainstream (主流的) culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge and a motivation (動力). People believe different kinds of cultures developing together is a perfect situation and it is for the public to choose.
【小題1】The Chinese word “Shanzhai” may have started with ______.

A．Spring Festival Gala	B．electronic products
C．fake cell-phones	D．Olympic buildings

【小題2】According to the passage, “Shanzhai” culture refers to ______.

A．the action that a person imitates famous people

B．products with poor techniques and quality

C．those similar names to famous brands

D．a(chǎn)nything that imitates something famous

【小題3】We can infer that the mainstream culture ______.

A．may develop faster because of the challenge of “Shanzhai” culture

B．is the challenge of “Shanzhai” culture

C．will be replaced by “Shanzhai” culture

D．is held back by “Shanzhai” culture