Scientists study the world and learn about things using a process called the scientific method(方法). By asking important questions and   16  the answers, it is possible to make amazing discoveries! Sometimes a scientist is   17  to answer his own questions, but if he has taken good notes another scientist may come along later who is able to use new knowledge to answer it.
When you use the scientific method to   18  an experiment, you start by making observations(观察) about something that  19  you. Based on your observations, you make a hypothesis. This is using  20  you know to make a smart guess about what you think could happen. Then you are ready to begin your experiment. All   21  your experiment you take down notes, which are   22   experiment date(资料). You are constantly making observations during this time. You may make discoveries that cause you to improve your experiment as you go.   23  , you conclude your experiment and begin to look over your notes to decide what it all means. Based on what you have learned, you make a final statement about   24  your hypothesis was correct or not. You have to have reasons and evidence to support what you are saying.
Using the scientific method can be difficult, but rewarding. Because all the steps are organized in a process, the   25  are more valid(可信的). When you provide observations as evidence to support what you are saying, your ideas are more likely to be accepted.

There once was a farmer who lost his watch in his barn (谷仓). The watch was only cheap but was very ____36    to him because it was a gift from his father.

After _  37 __ the barn for a long time, he gave up and asked for __38 __ from a group of children playing nearby.

He __39 __ them that the person who found the watch would be rewarded.

Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn ___40 __. They searched everywhere but still could not find the __41 ___. Just when the farmer was going to give up, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another ___42___.

The farmer looked at him and thought, “ Why not? After all, this kid looks honest.”

So the farmer __43 _ the little boy back into the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The surprised farmer asked the boy how he ___44__ where the rest had failed.

The boy replied, “ I did nothing but sit quietly and listen for the sound of the watch.”

This shows us that sometimes a __45__ mind can think better than an excited one.”

1.A. important            B. expensive             C. useless           D. interesting

2.A. finding              B. searching             C. watching          D. studying

3.A. money              B. danger                C. work             D. help

4.A. promised            B. taught                C. warned            D. believed

5.A. angrily              B. slowly               C. immediately        D. hardly

6.A. rule                B. book                 C. child              D. watch

7.A. way                B. chance               C. lesson             D. smile

8.A. threw               B. sent                 C. gave              D. caught

9.A. came               B. knew                C. succeeded          D. suggested

10.A. beautiful            B. smart                C. peaceful            D. quick

Cars are lots of fun, but they could also be dangerous. We have to be careful when we drive them or ride in them.

It's always a good idea to put on your seat belt when you're in a car. Why? Think about this example: You put an egg on a skateboard and give it a push. If the skateboard hits a stone, it will stop, but the egg won't. It will fly through the air, hit the ground and break.

Now, think what would happen if you tied the egg to the skateboard. When the skateboard hits a stone, the egg won't go flying; it will stay safely on the skateboard.

Volvo, a famous Swedish carmaker, was the first to use seat belts in 1849.

Air bags are also very important for car safety, because sometimes a seat belt isn't enough. If the car is going really fast and runs into something, seat belts could even hurt the people who wear them. Most new cars have air bags in front of and next to the seats. When a car hits something, its air bags will come out quickly in less than one second to keep the people inside safe.

1.The passage mainly tells us                  .

A. two important ways to keep safe in cars   B. how air bags work to make cars safe

C. how seat belts work to make cars safe     D. why we must tie the egg to the skateboard

2.The writer gives the example of the egg to _.

A. tell us that eggs are easy to break

B. show how to wear a seat belt

C. show why it's important to wear a seat belt in a car

D. tell us what a skateboard is

3.Seat belts can make us safer because .

A. we are interested in them

B. they can stop us from hitting other cars

C. they can help us stay safely on the seats  

D. they are made of strong materials

4.Air bags are important for cars because _.

A. they are made of plastic

B. they can also help us to keep safe in a car

C. they can keep cars running slowly

D. they are put in front of and next to the seats

5.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A. It won't be dangerous if there are seat belts or air bags in a car.

B. Now most of new cars still have only one air bag.

C. When a car hits something, its air bags will come out a few minutes later.

D. Volvo was the first to use seat belts.

When you are curious about something and want to know more about it, you can use the way of asking questions. Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers. The following steps can guide you during the research.

Step 1 Write down the subject that you are interested in on a piece of paper. Just get the main idea down. For example, you might write:

Discover more about robots.

Step 2 Stop and think for a moment about what you have already known about your subject. List what you have already known like the sentences below:

1. The first robot appeared in the USA in 1959.

2. A robot can do housework and act as a teacher.

3. Sometimes a robot catches viruses and causes a lot of problems.

Step 3 What can you do with what you want to learn? By asking questions, start writing down questions about the robots on the paper:

1. What might robots be like in the future?

2. What other things can robots do for people?

3. What kind of power will robots possibly use in five years?

Step 4 Armed with your list of questions, you can now go to the nearest library or computer to begin your research. As you learn more about your subject, you'll probably discover some new questions.

For example, you might discover that robots can help scientists explore dangerous places, like the sea and outer space. How? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more widely.

The next time you find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions. And remember that learning more always brings more questions.

1.What does the writer advise us to do when we’re curious about something?

   A. To read more books about it.      B. To look it up in the dictionary.

   C. To turn to the teacher for help.  D. To raise questions and find the answers.

2.What does the underlined part “Armed with your list of questions” mean?

A. Writing down your list of questions. B. Discussing your questions with others.

C. Taking your list of questions with you.                D. Putting your list of questions under your arm.

3. What might be the correct order of the steps when you do research?

① List what you want to learn.         ② Find new problems.

③ List what you’ve already known.      ④ Choose a research subject.

A. ④③①②           B. ④①③②       C. ②③④①       D. ③②①④

4. What might be the best title for this passage?

A. Doing Research on Robots           B. Asking Good Questions While Doing Research

C. Having Interesting Answers on Robots  D. Finding Subjects before Doing Research