We all know the dangers of fires. It’s good and necessary for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some suggestions.
Put a smoke alarm(火警) in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.
Make escape plans. We should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire, everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.
Buy fire extinguishers(滅火器) in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them.
Practise for a fire. We do fire practice because we teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules:
★Don’t open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
★Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than fire. The best air is near the floor because smoke rises.
★What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First, stop! Don’t run! The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. Then roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket(毯子) around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you.
There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire, don’t forget to call 119 for help.
【小題1】When a smoke alarm rings at home, it means _________.

A．you have to get up	B．water is running to the floor
C．something is burning	D．someone breaks your window

【小題2】The writer advises us to do the following to prepare for a fire except that _____.

A．we practise for a fire	B．we make escape plans
C．we buy fire extinguishers	D．we use electrical cookers

【小題3】When a fire happens,____ if you open the hot door.

A．the door will soon be on fire	B．the electricity will be cut off
C．the fire will grow more quickly	D．the house will fall down

【小題4】What are the right steps you should take when your hair or clothes catch fire?

A．Stop, run, roll.	B．Stop, drop, roll.
C．Run, drop, roll.	D．Roll, drop, stop.

【小題5】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Be Ready for a Fire.	B．The Causes of a Fire.
C．Learn to Use a Fire Extinguisher.	D．The Dangers of a Fire.

What is the nature of the scientific attitude, the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, medicine or any other science?
We all know that science plays an important role in our societies. However, many people believe that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first aspect is the application of the machines, products and systems of knowledge that scientists and technologists develop.  The second is the application of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work. 
What are these special methods of thinking and acting? First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is curious - he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually pays attention to problems which he notices have no satisfying explanation, and looks for relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected. Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.
He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and uses the facts he observes to the fullest. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum(光譜).
He does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available. He rejects authority as the only basis for truth. Scientists always check statements and make experiments carefully and objectively.
Furthermore, he does not readily accept his own idea, since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation.
Lastly, he is full of imagination since he often has to look for relationships in data which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete. Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to guess how processes work and how events take place.
These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts. 
【小題1】Many people believe that science helps society to progress through_________

A．knowledge only.	B．more than one aspect.
C．technology only.	D．the use of machines.

【小題2】Which of the following statements about a curious scientist is TRUE?

A．He doesn’t find confidence and pleasure in work.

B．He is interested in problems that are explained.

C．He makes efforts to investigate potential connections.

D．He looks for new ways of acting.

【小題3】According to the passage, a successful scientist would NOT_______________.

A．easily believe in unchecked statements.

B．easily criticize others' research work.

C．a(chǎn)lways use his imagination in work.

D．a(chǎn)lways use evidence from observation.

【小題4】Which word can be used to describe the data that a good scientist uses?

A．complete

B．objective

C．complicated

D．a(chǎn)ccurate

“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft (the crime of stealing): a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts (warning) on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “l(fā)ost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now.”
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely (遠(yuǎn)程地) switch to an alternative (可替換的) password immediately if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access (進(jìn)入, 使用) details.
If a thief accesses the Internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the Internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.
【小題1】The underlined expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” in Paragraph 2 can be understood as “_______”.        

A．to give the thief an alert mind

B．to express the owners’ anger to the thief

C．to remind the thief of his conscience (良心)

D．to make the thief give up his mind

【小題2】Different from other security software, Retriever can _______.

A．record the stealing process

B．help recognize the lost laptop

C．lock down the computer remotely

D．send a spoken message

【小題3】One function of the program is that it allows the owner to _______ at a distance.                         

A．change some access details for switching on the laptop

B．turn on the laptop by using the original password

C．operate the laptop by means of an alternative password

D．erase the information kept in the stolen laptop

【小題4】Which of the following can best sum up the main idea of the passage?

A．With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.

B．A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft.

C．Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.

D．A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.

【小題5】What does the word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．the alert message	B．the computer
C．the program	D．the laptop

If cars had wings, they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2012．The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its carplane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012．
“ It's the next ’wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh．“Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly．”
The car plane has wings that unfold for flying－a process the company says takes one minute-and fold back up for driving． A runway is still required to take off and land．
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is  both．The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National High way Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations．
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly．They say it saves you the trouble of trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go．When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road．There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an air port-you park it in the garage at home．
The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet．It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers．Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal（臨界） conditions．
The Transition's price tag: $ 194,000．But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS．Another option is a fullplane parachute．
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option,”Gersh said．
So far, the company has more than 70 0rders with deposits． “We're working very closely with them,
but there are still some remaining steps, ” Brown said．
【小題1】We can learn from the first paragraph that         ．

A．carplanes will be popular in 2012

B．people might drive a carplane in 2012

C．both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land

D．Richard Cersh is the vice president of Massachusetts

【小題2】It takes the carplane one minute to          ．

A．fold and- unfold its wings	B．unfold wings for flying
C．land in the airport	D．meet flying safety regulations

【小題3】According to the passage,  which of the following is NOT true?
A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land．
B．To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA．
C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes．
D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home．
【小題4】The underlined word "it" in the last but one paragraph refers to          ．

A．the radio	B．the transponder
C．the GPS	D．the fullplane parachute

【小題5】What's the best title for the passage?

A．Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Comer

B．Which To Choose: A Ferrari Or A CarPlane?

C．A More Convenient And Cheaper Way To Fly

D．Cars With Wings Can Fly As Fast As Plane

For thousands of years, man has enjoyed the taste of apples. Apples, which are about 85 percent water, grow almost everywhere in the world but the hottest and coldest areas. Among the leading countries in apple production are China, France and the United States.
There are various kinds of apples, but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale. The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh..
Apples are different in color, size and taste. The color of the skin may be red, green or yellow. They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the largest. The taste may be sweet or tart(酸的). Generally, sweet apples are tasted fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce(果醬).
Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve meters. They do best in areas that have very cold winters. Although no fruit is yielded during the winter, this cold period is good for the tree.
【小題1】It can be learned from the text that Delicious apples are_______.

A．grown in France

B．sold everywhere

C．very big

D．quite sweet

【小題2】Cold winter weather is good for________.

A．the growth of apple trees	B．producing large apples
C．improving the taste of apples	D．the increase of water in apples

【小題3】China, France and the United States are considered to_______.

A．be small producers of apples

B．be large producers of applesauce

C．have the longest history in apple production

D．have the coldest winter among apple production

【小題4】The word yielded in the last sentence means________.

A．improved

B．increased

C．produced

D．sold

Scientists are trying to make the deserts into good land again．They want to bring water to the deserts，so people can live and grow food．They are learning a lot about the deserts．But more and more of the earth is becoming desert all the time．Scientists may not be able to change the desert in time．
Why is more and more land becoming desert？Scientists think that people make deserts．People are doing bad things to the earth．
Some places on the earth don’t get much rain． But they still don’t become deserts． This is because some green plants are growing there． Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places． Plants don’t let the sun make the earth even drier． Plants do not let the wind blow the dirt away． When a bit of rain falls， the plants hold the water． Without plants， the land can become desert more easily．
【小題1】Deserts ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．

A．never have any plants or animals in them

B．can all be turned into good land before long

C．a(chǎn)re becoming smaller and smaller

D．get very little rain

【小題2】Small green plants are very important to dry places because ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．

A．they don’t let the sun make the earth even drier

B．they don’t let the wind blow the soil away

C．they hold water

D．All of the above．

【小題3】Land is becoming desert little by little because ＿＿＿＿＿＿．

A．plants can’t grow there

B．there is not enough rain

C．people haven’t done what scientists wish them to do

D．scientists know little about the deserts

【小題4】Why is more and more land becoming desert according to this passage？

A．Earthquakes make deserts.	B．Wind makes deserts.
C． Lack of water makes deserts.	D．People make deserts．

Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蠟) in the beehives (蜂).The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bee’s nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.    
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
【小題1】Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?

A．It's small in size.	B．It's hidden in trees.
C．It's covered with wax.	D．It's hard to recognize.

【小題2】What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?   

A．A bee.

B．A bird.

C．A honey seeker.

D．A beekeeper.

【小題3】The honey guide is special in the way_         ·  

A．it gets its food	B．it goes to church
C．it sings in the forest	D．it reaches into bees' nests

【小題4】What can be the best title for the text?

A．Wild Bees	B．Wax and Honey
C．Beekeeping in Africa	D．Honey-Lover's Helper

The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is a serious infection that man receives.
The most widespread mistake of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by touching directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in separate Arctic (北極的)areas, explorers have reported being free from colds until touching again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War, soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches, cold and wet, seldom caught colds.
In the Second World War, prisoners at Auschwitz concentration camp, bare and starved, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds.
At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for a long time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in a room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in winter? Despite the most hard research, no one has yet found out the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and that makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain-killers such as aspirin, but all that they do is to reduce the symptoms.
【小題1】The writer thinks the cause of catching cold is due to_______.

A．touching anyone directly

B．touching anyone indirectly

C．cold weather

D．getting viruses from person to person

【小題2】Arctic explorers may catch colds when___.

A．they are working in the separate Arctic areas

B．they are writing reports in terribly cold weather

C．they are free from work in the isolated Arctic regions

D．they are coming into touch again with the outside world

【小題3】Volunteers taking part in the experiments in the Common Cold Research Unit___.

A．suffered a lot	B．never caught colds
C．often caught colds	D．became very strong

【小題4】The passage mainly discusses___.

A．the experiments on the common cold

B．the mistake about the common cold

C．the reason and the way people catch colds

D．the continued spread of common colds

You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to endure almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They're known as the black box.
　When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean on June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潛水艇) detected the box's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
　In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the box was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架艙). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
　Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔絕的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can stand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.
【小題1】What does the author say about the black box?

A．It is an indispensable device on an airplane.

B．The idea for its design comes from a comic book.

C．Its ability to avoid disasters is incredible.

D．It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane.

【小題2】What does the underlined word in the 3rd paragraph mean?　

A．witness

B．experience

C．resist

D．ensure

【小題3】Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?

A．New materials became available by that time.

B．Too much space was needed for its installation.

C．The early models didn't provide the needed data.

D．The early models often got damaged in the crash.

【小題4】What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?

A．There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed.

B．There is still a good chance of their being recovered.

C．They have stopped sending homing signals.

D．They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil.

Hi! Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble — and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP (超感覺知覺).
　　ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
　　Here’s an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, “My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!” Just then, a telegram came. The woman’s father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
　　There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what’s behind these strange mental messages. Here’s another example—one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and a carriage came by. The driver said, “There is room for one more.” The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said, “There is room for one more.”
　　Then the man saw that the driver’s face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn’t get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
　　Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.
【小題1】According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is ________.

A．in existence

B．imaginative

C．not real

D．impossible

【小題2】ESP lets people know _________.

A．a(chǎn)bout events before they happen

B．a(chǎn)bout events after they happen

C．a(chǎn)bout events that are happening some distance away

D．A and C

【小題3】By studying ESP, scientists may get to ________.

A．learn how people tell lies

B．know more about human dreams

C．know more about human mind

D．learn how strange things happen

【小題4】In the last paragraph the underlined word “coincidences” probably means _______.

A．things that may not happen

B．things that happen in a dream

C．things that must happen

D．things that happen by accident