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(好奇). 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(薪水) 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(符合逻辑的), complete and cre ative 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(行为). 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(目标) 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(放大镜), and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates(蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is _______.

A. to let them see the world around

B. to share the children’s curiosity

C. to explain difficult phrases about science

D. to supply the children with lab equipment

In the last sentenc e 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

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.

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(背诵) 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

A punctual person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment.

The unpunctual man, on the other hand, never does what he has to do at the proper time. He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. A lost thing may be found again, but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things. In fact, time is life itself. The unpunctual man is forever wasting and mismanaging his most valuable asset(财产)as well as others’. The unpunctual person is always complaining that he finds no time to answer letters, or return calls or keep appointments promptly. But the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time and seldom complains of want of it. He knows that he cannot get through his huge amount of work unless he faithfully keeps every piece of work when it has to be attended to.

Failure to be punctual in keeping one’s appointments is a sign of disrespect towards others. If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time, he keeps all the other guests waiting for him. Usually this will be regarded as a great disrespect to the host and all other guests present.

Unpunctuality, moreover, is very harmful when it comes to do one’s duty, whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are put in charge of important tasks failed to be at their proper places at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men.

According to the passage, the main reason that a person is always unpunctual is that____.

A. he has more work to do than other people

B. he is always in a hurry when he works

C. he doesn’t care much about time

D. he always mismanages and wastes his time

What does the underlined word mean?

A. in time     B. be late    C. on time    D. at times

According to the third paragraph, when you are invited to dinner, you should arrive

There ____.

A. after other guests have arrived     B. at the appointed time

C. before all other guests           D. after the host has got things ready

Which of the following statements best describes the harm of unpunctuality?

A. If you are an unpunctual person, you cannot be in charge of any important task.

B. Unpunctuality may bring about heavy losses for both public and private affairs

C. If your friends know that you are unpunctual, they may not see you again.

 D. Unpunctuality may make you miss a lot of appointments and lose friends.

What sounds or impressions are you making on the people around you? Think about it. Your words, phrases, even your message may soon be forgotten but believe me, good or   1   , your melody music.

An odd choice of phrase? Not really. The dictionary   2   melody? as a succession of sounds, and what is life other than the combining and blending of a succession of movements and sounds.

Just as a musical composition affects the moods and emotions of people who hear it, so too does the way you live your   3   .

Think of your life as a   4   sheet of manuscript paper. Only the rhythm is there ------it is    5   to you to create the harmony. Naturally you will want your composition to be a   6   , a chart buster' even a Symphony - something to be remembered with pleasure.

So where to   7   ? YOU MUST BEGIN WITH YOURSELF. Have the right   8   , enjoy life, - and most importantly, be optimistic about the future.

Be really   9   in other people. Make a conscience effort to bring peace and happiness into other people's lives.

  10   situations that generate excessive ambition, envy, anger

and pride. They are all   11   of peace and will play ruin with your harmony.

  12   has been said that if these emotions or feelings were forgotten, the world would live in permanent peace. Well, to banish（消除） them from the world is probably aiming a bit high but it shouldn't be too   13   to rid them from your own life.

Develop features such as smart, social, and sensitivity. These attributes are invaluable in enhancing not only your own life but the lives of those around you.

Everything you do has an   14   on those around you. The way you move, whether you   15   or frown. You are capable of making someone's day bright or miserable.

Take time to    16    other people. If there are too many discords & not enough harmony in their lives,   17   them to have a brighter outlook.

Throughout the world most people are striving for   18   .

From the family unit   19   around the dinner table to world leaders at the conference table, the name of the game is the pursuit of peace.

So, let us all play our part in composing the rhythm of life by consciously choosing peace and harmony in our daily lives to   20   a harmonious Universe.

(   ) 1. A. wrong B. false   C. bad           D. harmful

(   ) 2. A. defines        B. thinks        C. regards      D. acts

(   ) 3. B. school B. home        C. life           D. college

(   ) 4. A. blank   B. used   C. full           D. deserted

(   ) 5. A. ready   B. decided     C. possible     D. up

(   ) 6. A. failure        B. success      C. model       D. mess

(   ) 7. A. do              B. write C. make D. begin

(   ) 8. A. attitude       B. type          C. mood        D. opinion

(   ) 9. A. enthusiastic        B. mild   C. interested   D. cautious

(   ) 10. A. Choose      B. Discover    C. Avoid        D. Design

(   ) 11. A. enemies     B. friends      C. conditions D. helps

(   ) 12. A. Which       B. It              C. What D. These

(   ) 13. A. easy   B. willing      C. difficult     D. terrifying

(   ) 14. A. effort        B. mark C. damage     D. effect

(   ) 15. A. smile        B. cry            C. shout D. talk

(   ) 16. A. attack        B. listen to     C. change      D. interview

(   ) 17. A. encourage B. defeat        C. train   D. stop

(   ) 18. A. war    B. peace        C. fight D. talk

(   ) 19. A. arranged    B. reached     C. seated        D. loaded

(   ) 20. A. create        B. invent       C. seek   D. protect

The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the fanning culture of China. In the farming economy （经济）, oxen are the major animals pulling plows （犁）.

 Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing.  In fact, they are seen as "boats on land" for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures.

In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who1ire in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar （农历）, and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human.

Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.

The words "boats an land" underlined in Paragraph 2 refer to __

A. animals for taking goods                   B. creatures for pulling plows

C. treasures of the folk culture              D. tools in the farming economy

From the third paragraph, we know that __

A. oxen are no more important today than in the past

B. ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup

C. oxen are treated as human in some areas of China

D. people run with oxen to shake off diseases every month

Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs?

A. The special role of oxen in frowning.

B. People's respect and love for oxen.

C. The practical value of an ox's body.

D. The contribution of oxen to the economy.

Why does the author write the text?

A. To stress the importance of oxen in farming.

B. To introduce the Chinese folk culture.

C. To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox.

D. To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen.

Why do women earn less than men?

Women earn less than men. For example, in 1988 the hourly wages of women in the U.S. were 16% less than those of men. The gap between male and female incomes varies with age. The gap between the labor incomes of young women and young men is much smaller than that between middle-aged women and men. It is also clear that jobs in which women are concentrated pay less. The larger the number of workers in an industry who are women, the lower the average wages.

Why do women earn less than men? Are the differences explained by the fact that women are looked down upon? If so, the government has to intervene, to force the employers to pay equal wages to equal jobs. however, there is no agreement among economists about the causes of the gap. One view argues that women on the average have chosen low-paying jobs in which workers enjoy the freedom of entering and leaving the labor force, which reduces their years of experience relative to men. Other people say the gap can also be explained by the difference in educational background which is shown in the difference in the marginal product between men and women.

Much of the gap, however, has not been fully explained. It might be the result of some bias against women. It is this part that has produced calls for government action. What would happen if the government did intervene to increase the wages paid to women? One possibility is that incomes for women as a group might actually decline. An increase in wage decreases the quantity of labor input demanded, resulting in decreased employment as the rate of hiring new workers declines. The result will be a surplus of labor. Those who can find jobs might be better off while those who had jobs might find themselves out of work.

The difference in labor incomes is most obvious between _______.

A. young men and young women

B. young women in the same industry

C. middle-aged men and middle-aged women

D. middle-aged women in the same industry

Some economists believe women earn less than men partly because ______.

A. women are less experienced than men

B. women are only provided with low-paying jobs

C. women have much freedom in selecting their jobs

D. there is more than enough women in the labor force

Which of the following cannot be inferred from the second paragraph?

A. Women receive less education than men.

B. Women are not as productive as men.

C. Levels of education are closely related to productivity.

D. Goods produced by women are not as good as those by men.

What does the author suggest that the government should do for women workers?

A. To ensure equal pay for women.

B. To explain why women are paid less.

C. To force employers to hire more women.

D. No solution is clearly suggested.

What would happen if women’s wages were raised?

A. Input of capital would be increased.

B. The unemployment rate would go up.

C. Those that have jobs would become better off.

D. Women as a group would earn more than before.