Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Italy．They were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago．These violins sound better than any others．They even sound better than violins made today．Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins．But they aren’t the same．Musicians still prefer the old ones．No one really knows why these old Italian violins are so special, but many people think they have an answer．

Some people think it is the age of the violins．They say that today’s violins will also sound wonderful someday．But there is a problem here．Not all old violins sound wonderful．Only those from Cremona are special．So age cannot be the answer．There must be something different about Cremona or those Italian violin makers．

Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood．The wood of the violin is very important．It must be from certain kinds of trees．It must not be too young or too old．Perhaps the violin makers of Cremons knew something special about wood for violins．

But the kind of wood may not be so important．It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way．Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully．It has to be the right size and shape．The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin．Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians．Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood．

Size and shape may not be the answer either．Scientists measured these old violins very carefully．They can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape．But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one．Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny．It also helps the sound of the instrument．No one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish．So no one can make the same varnish today．

There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona．Their secret may be lost forever．Young musicians today hope this is not true．They need fine violins．But there aren’t very many of the old violins left．Also, the old violins are very expensive．Recently, a famous old Italian violin was sold for about US $ 300,000!

This passage is about _______．

　   A．making violins 　　　　　            B．musical   instruments

　   C．scientific ideas 　　　　              D．the old Italian violins

The best violins _______．

       A．are made with modern techniques 　    B．were lost   many years ago

       C．were made in Italy 200 years ago       D．were made by scientists．

Some people think that modem violins ______．

       A．will sound better in the future 　   B．will sound worse in the future

       C．sound wonderful naturally          D．will never be as old as those from Cremona

Violins made today _______．

　   A．look the same as the old ones

　   B．sound the same as the old ones

　   C．are better than the old ones　

       D．have the same varnish as the old ones

Today, housework has been made much easier by electrical _____.

　　A. facilities 　　　B. appliances 　　　C. instruments 　　　D. equipment

Mary Masterman hasn't decided where she will attend college, but when she does, she'll have plenty of money to pay for it. The 17-year-old took home a $100,000 scholarship Tuesday as the top winner of the 2007 Intel Science Talent Search.

"It was a complete surprise," said the senior at Westmoore High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "I wasn't expecting it." Masterman earned first place at this year's competition by building a low-budget spectrograph (摄谱仪)— an instrument that identifies the unique characteristics, or "fingerprints," of different molecules. Spectrographs are used in a variety of fields, including astronomy, medicine, and law enforcement. They can sense the presence of explosives or drugs, and they can also help determine the age of a piece of artwork.

Normally, the cost of a spectrograph can run as high as $100,000．Mary, however, built her device—which she crafted from lenses, a laser, aluminum (铝) tubing, and a camera—for just $300．"I wanted to build one that was lower-costing so it would be more available to anyone interested in spectrography," she said.

Sticking to a budget was only half the battle. Getting the machine to work was another challenge. "I had to keep coming up with creative ways to adjust or change something," Mary admitted. "It took three months to build and another three months before it actually functioned properly."

Mary competed with more than 1,700 other high school seniors in this year's science challenge. Forty finalists were invited to Washington, D.C., where they presented their projects at the National Institute of Science. In all, 10 students took home awards for their innovative projects.

1．What’s the best title of the passage?

　 A．Oklahoma teen comes to a great invention

　 B．Science competition for high school students

　 C．The 2007 Intel Science Talent Search

　 D．Oklahoma teen wins science scholarship

2．_____ is the biggest difference between Mary’s spectrograph and the normal one?

　 A．Use fields B．Function　　 C．The cost 　　 D．The size

3．How long did it take Mary to put his spectrograph into use?

　 A．Three months. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．Half a year. 　

　 C．About a year.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．Several years.

4．It can be inferred that the Intel Science Talent Search is _____.

　 A．a high-tech research institute of fine instruments

　 B．an institute of science based in Washington, D.C.

　 C．a most highly regarded science competition for high school students

　 D．the nation's oldest award for the top scientists with great achievements

After years of searching, a truth seeker was told to go to a cave, in which he would find a well. “Ask the well what is 　36 , ” he was advised, “and the well reveal (告诉，揭露) it to you.” Having found the well, the seeker asked that most basic and important 　37 . And from the depths came the answer: “Go to the village crossroad, and there you shall find what you are seeking.”

Full of 　38 the man ran to the crossroad to 　39 only three rather uninteresting shops. One shop was selling pieces of metal, another sold 　40 , and thin wires were for sale in the third. Nothing and no one there seemed to 　41 much to do with the revelation of truth.

Disappointed, the seeker returned to the well to demand an 　42 , but he was told only: “You will 　43 　in the future.”

As years went by, the 　44 of his experience at the well gradually 　45 until one night, while he was walking, the sound of sitar (西塔琴) music 　46 his attention. It was wonderful and it was 　47 with great skill and inspiration.

Deeply 48 , the truth seeker felt drawn towards the 　49 . He looked at the fingers dancing over the strings. And then suddenly he let out a cry of joyful 　50 : the sitar was made out of wires and pieces of metal and wood just like 　51 he had once seen in the three stores.

At last he understood the 　52 of the well: we have already been given everything we need; our 　53 is to assemble (聚集) and use them in the proper way. Nothing is 　54 so long as we recognize only fragments (碎片). But as soon as the pieces are put together, something new appears, whose nature we could not have 　55 by considering the fragments alone.

21． A. truth　　　　　　　　　　 B. hope　　　　　　　　　 C. future　　　　　　　　　 D. music

22． A. fact　　　　　　　　　　　 B. reason　　　　　　　　 C. question　　　　　　　　 D. well

23． A. energy　　　　　　　　　 B. hope　　　　　　　　　 C. mystery　　　　　　　　 D. surprise

24． A. get　　　　　　　　　　　 B. count　　　　　　　　　 C. find　　　　　　　　　　　 D. open

25． A. instruments　　　　　 B. clothing　　　　　　　 C. food　　　　　　　　　　 D. wood

26． A. connect　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　　　 C. prepare　　　　　　　　 D. offer

27． A. explanation　　　　　 B. advice　　　　　　　　 C. excuse　　　　　　　　　 D. opportunity

28． A. succeed　　　　　　　　 B. discover　　　　　　　 C. pay　　　　　　　　　　　 D. understand

29． A. bitterness　　　　　　　 B. failure　　　　　　　　 C. memory　　　　　　　　 D. secret

30． A. doubled　　　　　　　　 B. forgot　　　　　　　　 C. disappeared　　　　　 D. recovered

31． A. paid　　　　　　　　　　 B. lost　　　　　　　　　　 C. split　　　　　　　　　　　 D. caught

32． A. played　　　　　　　　　 B. broadcast　　　　　　 C. enjoyed　　　　　　　　 D. conducted

33． A. annoyed　　　　　　　 B. moved　　　　　　　　 C. confused　　　　　　　 D. frightened

34． A. adviser　　　　　　　　 B. director　　　　　　　 C. composer　　　　　　　 D. player

35． A. admiration　　　　　　 B. distinction　　　　　 C. recognition　　　　　　 D. imagination

36． A. those　　　　　　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　 C. it　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. them

37． A. secret　　　　　　　　　 B. message　　　　　　　 C. theory　　　　　　　　　 D. benefit

38． A. target　　　　　　　　　 B. difficulty　　　　　　 C. task　　　　　　　　　　　 D. shortcoming

39． A. interesting　　　　　　 B. meaningful　　　　　 C. accessible　　　　　　　 D. successful

40． A. foreseen(预见)　　　 B. decided　　　　　　　 C. judged　　　　　　　　　 D. formed