Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them.Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment.You only have to share your children’s curiosity.Firstly, listen to their questions.I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job.The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job.When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence.Finally I said, “Now that we’re finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”

       After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper (蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache.Why?”

       This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.

       Secondly, give them time to think.Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think.When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.

       Thirdly, watch your language.Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”.These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior.But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over.Instead, keep things going by saying, “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.

       Never push a child to “Think”.It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to.What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance.The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement.

       Lastly, show; don’t tell.Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program.Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner.Rather than saying that water evaporates, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults ______.

       A.ask them to answer quickly

       B.wait for one or two seconds after a question

       C.tell them to answer the next day

       D.wait at least for three seconds after a question

In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?

       A.The second and third.   B.The fourth and fifth.

       C.The fifth and sixth.       D.The seventh.

In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by

       A.any questions                   B.any problems

       C.questions from textbooks      D.any number of questions?

The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity EXCEPT that adults should ______.

       A.tell their children stories instead of reciting facts

       B.offer their children chances to see things for themselves

       C.be patient enough when their children answer questions

       D.encourage their children to ask questions of their own

Greece declared a national state of emergency on Saturday as scores of forest fires that have killed at least 46 people continued to burn out of control, leaving some villages trapped within walls of flames, cut off from firefighters.

Although most of the fires have been on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, some broke out on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of homes and closing a major road linking the capital to the main airport for several hours. The national fire brigade said that by evening it had brought those blazes under control, including one that came within about six miles of the city.

The country has been helpless to fire this summer because of drought and three consecutive heat waves that sent temperatures high over 100 degrees. More than 3,000 forest fires have destroyed thousands of acres of wooded areas since June; the earlier fires killed nine people. The latest wave of fires on the peninsula started Friday. Strong, hot winds have spread the flames.

Firefighters expect the death toll to rise, because they have not yet been able to search some areas that had been overrun by flames.

Hardest hit by the fires were a dozen small villages around the town of Zaharo in the western peninsula, where at least 12 people, including some who may have been trying to flee by car, were killed. Scores of other residents, including elderly and disabled people, remained trapped in their homes, phoning into local television and radio stations, crying for help.

Late Saturday, Mr. Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece appeared on national television and declared that he was mobilizing all of the country’s resources to control the fire. Mr. Karamanlis also suggested that the recent fires might have been purposely set. “So many fires sparked at the same time in so many regions is no coincidence,” he said, “We will get to the bottom of this and punish those responsible.”

The overstretched national fire services are being helped by an estimated 6,000 soldiers mobilized for the operation. A fleet of water-dumping aircraft was expected from France, Germany and Norway, after Greece appealed to the European Union for “urgent assistance.”

The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______ in the passage.

A. firefighters battles fearlessly in Greece to control the fire

B. constant fires in Greece have caused great life and wealth lose

C. Greece is facing great danger as forest fires continue to break out

D. Greek government is investigating the cause of recent forest fires

According to the passage, which of the following might not contribute to the recent forest fires in Greek?

A. Storm thunders in summer                           B. Lack of rainfall

C. Extremely hot weather this summer            D. Hot and strong wind

We can learn from the passage that ______.

A. now the fire crisis in Greece has come to an end

B. assistance from EU members is expected to come to help Greece

C. firefighters in Greece so far can still manage the situation

D. the number of people who die in the fire is expected not to rise any more

Mr. Karamanlis believes the forest fires in Greece _______.

A. is a happening by chance                    B. is a natural disaster

C. might be caused by human on purpose   D. is a punishment of nature

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