“Time is a problem for children,” states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries “learn time slowly” because “they don’t wear watches” and “parents don’t really know how to teach them time.” The children grow up with this handicap and become adults-and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course-it’s the Flick Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.

The Flick Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely “takes their imagination” by presenting the “hour” hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the “minute” hand as a tall blue boy named Flick. Flick points to related “blue” minutes on the dial, while Flak points to “red” hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.

The watch comes equipped with a standard battery and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flick Flak, calls it “childproof: if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing machine.” The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.

1.From the news report we know that ______.

A．parents are patient when teaching children time

B．parents have little idea of how to teach children time

C．children are likely to learn time quickly

D．children enjoy wearing the Flick Flak watch

2.The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.

A．children will be on time if they have not learnt how to tell time

B．a Flick Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time

C．the Flick Flak can take children’s imagination

D．children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches

3.The underlined word handicap (Para. 1) means ______.

A．displeasure        B．discouragement     C．disappointment     D．disadvantage

4.The United State sales manager calls the new watch “childproof” because ______.

A．it is designed to teach children to be on time

B．it proves to be effective in teaching children time

C．it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children

D．it is the children’s favorite watch

When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.

    “What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun.”

    And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it and our patience paid off.”

    Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri.

    At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.

    Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.

“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids(小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”

    A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”

1.What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?

A. He is fond of watching Jupiter.

B. He is from a scientist family.

C. He dislikes working with Paul Butler.

D. He is interested in finding life in outer space.

2.Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?

A. The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.

B. The planet is close to star 55Cancri.

C. The planet proves to be a gas planet.

D. The planet is as large as Jupiter.

3.Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler began to find new planets in ____.

A.1995       B.1985      C.2002       D.1981

4.Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55Cancri system because ____.

A. he has found the system similar to the solar system.

B. he has discovered an Earth-like planet there.

C. he has discovered a rocky planet there.

D. he has found signs of life in the system

5.“But we stuck with it”( in Paragraph 3) means ____.

A. they felt discouraged               B. they carried on with it

C. they failed in their attempt          D. they made some progress

“Time is a problem for children,” states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries “learn time slowly” because “they don’t wear watches” and “parents don’t really know how to teach them time.” The children grow up with this handicap and become adults-and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course-it’s the Flick Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.
The Flick Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely “takes their imagination” by presenting the “hour” hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the “minute” hand as a tall blue boy named Flick. Flick points to related “blue” minutes on the dial, while Flak points to “red” hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.
The watch comes equipped with a standard battery and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flick Flak, calls it “childproof: if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing machine.” The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.
【小题1】From the news report we know that ______.

Bicycle lights may not exactly be a problem that needs solving, but the following can be said about most of them ---- they’re easily stolen if left on an unattended bike. People riding at dusk can forget to turn them on, and those same people can forget to turn them off when they reach their destination. Well, the makers of the Blink/ Steady Bike Light have set out to address all of those shortcomings.

The waterproof(防水的) Blink/ Steady is so far only available as a tail light, although a head light is on the way. It’s fixed onto the bike’s seat post. A built- in photosensor(感光器) tells when it’s become dark enough for the light to be required, and allows it to come on once you begin the riding. According to the producers, it isn’t fooled by things such as headlights or streetlights. The light also contains an accelerometer, also known as a motion sensor, which can tell when the bike is in motion.

Between the two sensors, this means the light will come on only once it’s dark enough, and the bike is moving. Even when stopped at red lights, the small movements of the rider will reportedly be enough to keep the light activated---- it’ll go out after 30 seconds of complete inactivity. While this does mean that the two sensors are continuously powered up, they go into a very low---- power sleep pattern when the bike is sitting, unused.

Light is provided by two5- watt LEDs, seeable over a range of 180 degrees. And power comes from two AAA batteries, which provided up to 200 hours of continuous run time. The designers and engineers behind the Blink/ Steady are now raising money for its commercial production. About US $95 will get you one if they become available.

1.The first paragraph is mainly to mean that______.

A. bicycle lights are worth a research

B. bicycle lights are not a problem at all

C. bicycle lights are easy to deal with

D. bicycle lights are difficult to turn off

2.According to the text, the Blink/Steady Bike Light is sensitive to______.

A. the weather       B. streetlights      C. headlights      D. natural light

3.Why is there an accelerometer in the Blink/ Steady Bike Light?

A. To protect the bike against water.

B. To tell if the bike is moving.

C. To make the bike easy to ride.

D. To judge the speed of the bike.

4.What can be inferred about the Blink/ Steady Bike Light?

A. It will be turned off immediately if the bike stops.

B. The traffic lights have no effect on the light.

C. It won’t use any power if the bike is unused.

D. It must meet two requirements if it comes on.

–Is there an express to Beijing tonight?

-- There ______be , but you’d better call the booking office to make sure.’