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. 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 and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’ve 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, complete and creative 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. 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 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.

1．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

2．In the last sentence 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

3．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

4．In which 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.

5．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 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 new idea called “business at the speed of thought” is quite popular in our business world. It makes quick marketing progress, but it also presents a terribly dangerous way to run a company. Here’re the main points: The businesses today that will succeed are those able to jump around in high spirits. Chances must be seized immediately and decisions made quickly. Everyone needs more immediate answers, and the window of expected response to any questions has dropped from weeks to days even to hours.

The problem with this way of thinking is that too often such quickness comes at the expense of properly understanding the details of a situation. Sure, the networked society allows us to gather information within a short time, but does it really speed up our ability to make better decisions? How do you balance the need for speed with sharp and correct thinking? That’s the puzzler on the minds of a lot of people these days, including Future Shock author, Alvin Toffler, who studies the idea in our cover story. It’s also a subject of a new study by Kepner Tregoe. It reports that 77 percent of managers believe that during the past three years the number of decisions they made each workday has increased. But 85 percent of those same people say the time given to making those decisions has either decreased or stayed the same. Result: Speed kills. Different opinions are not shared. Other choices are dismissed too easily. Aims never seem to be clear. On the contrary, good records aren’t kept about how successful decisions are made. If your company really does well, the Kepner report suggests taking apart the decision-making process and figuring out what you did right. Study your successes, as well as your failures. Fast decision-making is a necessity sometimes-no question about that. But decisions are only as good as the brains that go into them. By that measure, many of today’s decisions are weak and could cut some companies off at the knees. Business may be keeping the quickness of thought, but it’s going to be torn to pieces if managers are not thinking with great care and patience.

1．The underlined word “window” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _________.

       A．a period of time (during which an activity can or must take place)

       B．means (of observing and learning about people)

       C．opening (in the wall or roof of a building, car)

       D．screen (on which a film is shown)

2．The Kepner report shows that _________.

       A．managers should make efforts to pay attention to the weaknesses of fast decision-making

       B．when mangers make a decision, they should make full use of their brains

       C．if mangers don’t think quickly, business may be torn to bits

       D．managers should make records of successful decisions

3．What is the author’s attitude towards quick decision-making?

       A．Quick decision-making has proved of great help in marketing.

       B．The fact of quick decision-making does business much good.

       C．Quick decision-making makes some managers work harder.

       D．The idea of quick decision-making has some disadvantages.

    ‘How lucky you are to be a doctor…’ Anyone who’s a doctor is right out of luck, I thought. Anyone who’s studying medicine should have his head examined.

You may think I want to change my job. Well, at the moment I do. As one of my friends says－even doctors have a few friends－it’s all experience. Experience! I don’t need such experience. I need a warm, comfortable, undisturbed bed all my own. I need it badly. I need all telephones to be thrown down the nearest well, that’s what I need.

All these thoughts fly round my head as I drive my Mini(微型汽车) through the foggy streets of East London at 3:45 a.m. on a December morning. I am a ministering angel in a Mini with a heavy coat and a bag of medicines. As I speed down Lea Bridge in the dark at this horrible morning hour, the heater first blowing hot then cold, my back aching from the car-seat, I do not feel like a ministering angel. I wish I were on the beach in southern France. Call me a bad doctor if you like. Call me what you will. But don’t call me at half past three on a December morning for an ear-ache that you have had for two weeks.

Of course, being a doctor isn’t really all bad. We do have our moments. Once in a while people are ill, once in a while you can help, once in a while you get given a cup of tea and rock-hard cake at two o’clock in the morning－then you worry if you have done everything. But all too often ‘everything’ is a repetitious rule: look, listen, feel, tap. Pills, infection(注射), phone, ambulance(救护车), away to the next.

And then there is always the cool, warm voice of the girl on the switchboard of the emergency bed service who will get your patient into hospital for you－the pleasant voice that comes to you as you stand in the cold, dark, smelly, dirty telephone box somewhere in a dangerous section of town. Oh, it has its moments, this life does.

1．According to the sentence “Anyone who’s studying medicine should have his head examined,” we know that __________.

       A．a medical student should have a very good memory

       B．a doctor must be mentally strong so that he can meet any difficult situation

       C．the writer thinks that those who want to be doctors are crazy

       D．to be a doctor is a challenge for people’s mental health

2．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

       A．The writer wishes he could have a quiet, undisturbed night in bed at home.

       B．One of his friends says that being a doctor helps one gain all sorts of experience.

       C．He hates the telephone as a modern means of communication.

       D．He is not happy with the small and uncomfortable car he is driving.

3．The statement “We do have our moments” could best be replaced by “_______”.

       A．we doctors are called at a moment’s notice to see people who need medical treatment

       B．usually we are glad that we can do something to help the sick

       C．sometimes we find people are thankful for our help

       D．there are chances that doctors find their work rewarding and satisfying

4．From the whole passage we know that the writer __________.

       A．is a bad doctor, unwilling to make a house call during the night-time

       B．is so dissatisfied with his job that he wishes to find a new one

       C．is satisfied with his job but he hates to be called out unnecessarily

       D．thinks a doctor can enjoy certain special rights whether he felt lucky or not

在最近一次主题为“中学生是否应该在课余时间上网”的英语班会上，同学们对上网的利弊争论不休，不能统一。假定你是班长，请你根据下列信息，作总结性发言。

注意：1．发言的开头已给出。

2．词数不少于60。

Attention, please! I’m going to give you a summary of today’s discussion about whether we should go online in our spare time.

从A、B、C、D四个选项中，找出其划线部分与所给单词的划线部分读音相同的选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

例：have

       A．gave              B．save              C．hat                D．made

答案是C.

1．consideration              

       A．allowance            B．operation             C．consult                D．appoint

2．shallow                                                   

       A．appointed            B．adopt                 C．appropriate          D．packet

3．selfish                    

       A．cosy               B．accuse                C．bonus                 D．acquisition

4．motherland              

A．throat                  B．southern              C．thirst                   D．through

5．existence               

       A．expense           B．excited            C．experiment         D．exactly

The education of ____ young is always ____hot and serious topic in modern society.

A．the; /       B．a; the   C．/; the       D．the; a

Will you help me out with this mathematical problem? I _ ___ it.  

A．am going for                                              B．am stuck with 

C．am blamed for                              D．am caring for

---He is in his late 40s now and still single.

---It’s high time he ____ himself a wife and settled down.

A．has to get         B．will get                C．got            D．gets

Having retired from business, he now ____ himself with the welfare of the disabled.

A．adapts         B．charges      C．associates      D．occupies

As a blind person, I was refused by more than forty law firms, ____ my good academic performance in Harvard College.

A．in want of                                                  B．in spite of           

C．in favor of                                      D．in honor of