Bruce Alberts, the former President of the National Academies (USA), has now taken over as Editor-in Chief of Science. Judging by his editorial in this week’s issue Considering Science Education there could be some interesting times ahead in Science offices.
Here’s part of what Bruce has to say about science education…
I consider science education to be critically important to both science and the world, and I shall frequently deal with this topic on this page. Let’s start with a big-picture view. Science has greatly advanced our understanding of the natural world and has enabled the creation of countless medicines and useful devices. It has also led to behaviors that have improved lives. The public appreciates these practical benefits of science, and science and scientists are generally respected, even by those who are not familiar with how science works or what exactly it has discovered.
But society may less appreciate the advantage of having everyone acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that are central to practice of successful science: scientific habits of mind. These habits include a critical attitude toward established claims and a strong desire for logic and evidence. As famous astronomer Carl Sagan put it, science is our best detector (检测器). Individuals and societies clearly need a means to logically test the constant clever attempts to operate our purchasing and political decisions. They also need to challenge what is unreasonable, including the intolerance that led to so many regional and global conflicts.
So how does this relate of science education? Might it be possible to encourage, across the world, scientific habits of mind, so as to create more rational (理性的) societies everywhere? In principle, a strong expansion of science education could provide the world with such an opportunity, but only if scientists, educators, and policy-makers redefine (重新定义) the goals of science education, beginning with college-level teaching. Rather than only conveying what science has discovered about the natural world, as is done now in most countries, we should provide first all students with the knowledge and practice of how to think like a scientist.
【小题1】 Which of the following is NOT included in the “scientific habits of mind”?

Due to the increasing number of violence acts produced in schools all over the world，more and more parents prefer to have their children educated at home rather than at school. This way they can assure their safety and well-being，although teachers and school representatives are trying to improve the situation in schools by increasing the number of the persons in charge with the safety of the students．

The main reason for violence acts are the films and cartoons that fill the children’s time．They want to do everything．they watch on TV and never think at the consequences，and they may hurt a classmate or a teacher．

On the other hand, parents are not fully satisfied with the children’s results obtained in classes and they consider private classes would have better results．

When a teacher has to watch 30 students in class he can’t probably see what each of them is doing，how he is writing，or if he understands the explanations．At home the teacher can explain in details everything the child doesn’t understand as many times as he considers proper．

And many times．the child grows fond of the teacher at home，who becomes his best friend，and who helps him whenever he needs someone to talk to．    

However, the best solution would be a mixture between the education received at school and that at home，because school makes children communicate and socialize．Keeping a child at home for fear there might happen something bad to him．only makes the child’s character weak and prevents him from knowing what real life is．Staying in a crystal ball only does harm to the child．

All in all．schools have been created to help children，not to harm them，so it’s best to keep children in these special places，where they learn，laugh，have fun and make new friends．

1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to          ．

2.Parents prefer to have their children educated at home because the following EXCEPT that______.

3.What does“a crystal ball”in the passage refer to?

4.We call infer from the passage that          ．

5.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

Despite the burning heat, the summer holidays are drawing to a close. After a period of pleasant relaxation, spending time with friends and family, our thoughts now turn towards the new school term. This can be an exciting time, filled with new opportunities, ambitions and challenges. Such new challenges can be frightening as we face unfamiliar situations, people and places. Many of you will be facing a new term in a higher grade. This may well mean a greater workload and more exam pressure. Maybe you are starting a new school and are worried about how to make new friend. Whichever new situation you face, there is no shamed in admitting you are worried of concerned. The fact that you are older and are facing more challenges does not mean that you have to deal with your problems alone. No matter how old we are, all of us need help sometimes, and admitting to weakness can be one of our greatest strengths. How else can we get the help we need to face our problems with confidence?

Also, this can be a good way to connect with new people in a similar situation. On the first day of a new term or at a new school, everyone will be nervous and uncertain. Admitting to this makes us seem much more human. After all, would you really want to be friends with someone who believes that they know everything and claims to never be afraid?

Whatever you new situation is at the beginning of this new term, relax, and remember that every student you come across is just as nervous as you are. Share what you believe to be your weaknesses and see just how strong you really are.

1．This passage may be _________.

       A．an official report                     B．a piece of news

       C．a speech to students                 D．a letter to friends

2．The underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 means __________.

       A．a similar situation                       B．our greatest strengths

       C．connection with new people              D．lack of confidence

3．Which of the following is true according to the writer?

       A．Being confident will make you lovelier.

       B．Sharing your weakness with others will make you strong.

       C．Showing your weakness will cause trouble.

       D．The strong know everything and are never afraid.

4．The best title for this passage may be __________.

       A．Admitting To Weakness                 B．Being Confident

       C．Fearing Nothing                       D．Being As Strong As Possible

One sixth of undergraduates（本科生）in Beijing this year have registered at a driving school. The students, mostly from majors such as business management or international trade, will finish their driving courses within 20 days or so.

Training costs have dropped to 2,600 yuan for students, according to the Haidian Driving School in Beijing. The price is not really low, but students will accept it, seeing it as an investment in their future. Familiarity with the operation of computers and fluent English are the basic skills graduating students need to find a job.  But a driver’s permit has become another factor.

“In the job market, owning a driver’s permit sometimes strengthens a graduating student’s competitiveness for a good position,” says Zhou Yang, an undergraduate at the China University of Political Science and Law.

Cars will become a necessary part of many people’s lives in the coming years, and it’s difficult to get a permit out of campus because of the pressures on working people’s time. “Having a full-time job after graduation offers limited time to learn to drive. We senior students have plenty of spare time, plenty of opportunities to learn.”

Xu Jian, an official at the driving school, said undergraduates were very able and serious, and could grasp in an hour what it took ordinary people four hours to learn. In this driving school, middle-aged people, young women and college students are the main customers.

To get a driver’s permit, a beginner is now required to have at least 86 hours’ practice before the final road test.

1．The undergraduates are learning to drive because___________.

A．they like to drive cars

B．they need this skill to find a good job.

C．most of them will be able to buy cars in the future

D．they want to become full-time drivers after graduation

2．Which of the following is Xu Jian’s opinion of students learning to drive?

A．He decided it was a waste of money and time.

B．He thought they must learn it at school.

C．He thought they would spend three times more time.

D．He agreed that young people had an advantage in learning to drive.

3．Which of the following would be the best title of this passage?

A．Students Learn to Drive

B．Welcome to Driving School

C．It’s Better to Learn to Drive at College

D．Students Pay Less to Learn to Drive Now