There is a lot of talk these days about how kids should be interested in science. Here’s an area of science for everyone, and these cool new books might inspire you to discover your inner scientist.
Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled by Catherine Thimmesh, 58 pages, ages 9-12
Seeing a picture or a model of a dinosaur, do you wonder how anybody knows what they look like? After all, nobody has seen a living dinosaur. This book explains how scientists and artists work together to re-create dinosaurs. As scientific discoveries have been made, the models have changed. Scientific tests may one day expose what a dinosaur’s coloring was, but now artists have to use their imagination to determine how these huge creatures looked.
Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson, 128 pages, ages 10-13
This book takes readers back to the beginnings of space exploration—thousands of years ago, when people began star observation—and forward to today’s search for planets in distant parts of the Milky Way. Along with history lessons, readers get 21 activities, such as making a black hole and creating a model of Albert Einstein’s universe using a T-shirt. The activities are perfect for cold winter days.
Ultimate Bugopedia by Darlyne Murawski and Nancy Honovich, 272 pages, ages 7 and older
If you’re always on the lookout for butterflies, this book is for you. Hundreds of color photos of common and unusual insects fill this hardcover. There are fascinating stories related to the photos. For example, do you know an insect feeds on the tears of Asian cattle? There’s a question-and-answer section with an insect scientist and advice on how to help preserve endangered insects.
Journey Into the Invisible by Christine Schlitt, 80 pages, ages 9-12
If you use a magnifying（放大的）glass, you know a leaf looks quite different. This book explains what microscopes do and then shows what happens to things around the house when watched with this amazing scientific tool. The bacteria in your mouth, when magnified 20,000 times, look a bit like swimming pool noodles. Fascinating photos are paired with suggestions about how to learn about the world around you, just by looking a little closer. Kids interested in pre-historical animals might read ______.
| A．Ultimate Bugopedia |
| B．Beyond the Solar System |
| C．Journey Into the Invisible |
| D．Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled |
Beyond the Solar System is mainly about ______.
| A．space exploration |
| B．the Milky Way |
| C．history lessons |
| D．Albert Einstein’s universe |
From the passage, we can learn that ______.
| A．butterflies are fond of the tears of Asian cattle |
| B．scientists have discovered the dinosaur’s coloring |
| C．microscopes can present you with an amazing world |
| D．man has explored the black hole for thousands of years |
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
| A．compare features of different books |
| B．inspire people to become scientists |
| C．teach children some knowledge of science |
| D．recommend new science books to children |
The London 20120lympics are being praised as a sporting and logistical(后勤)success，but the influence on economy is far less certain．Some London tourist attractions，businesses and hotels reported that their business actually fell during the Games．But as Olly Barratt reports from London，the overall UK economy is looking for long-term results．
Showing an Olympic-sized party like this cost the UK almost l 5 billion dollars．But while spectators went to east London’S Olympic Park，central London has been much quieter than。normal． Arthur lRason，a central London stallholder，said，“Am I taking less? Yeah，I’m taking less．There’S no question about it．”
Restaurants were among businesses that reported lower takings than normal at this time of year．And one tourism trade association says a survey of its members found the Games had had a negative influence all over the UK．But during the recent recession(不景气)，British officials still insist the Games were worth it．Boris Johnson，Mayor of London said，“I think it’S been an amazing display of what you can do if you plan and you work for years and years on a project．
And I think it’s a great advertisement for British engineering and British industry．" The government hopes the Games will be a great help to the British brand worldwide，and they are also an opportunity to sweet-talk potential investors from all over the world．And a fall in takings for some attractions should not have come as a surprise．Where is the London’S Olympic Park located?
| A．Central London． | B．East London． |
| C．West London． | D．Outside London． |
Mayor of London thinks the Games’effect on British economy is——．
| A．positive | B．disappointing |
| C．negative | D．uncertain |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The British government did badly in organizing the Games． |
| B．Businesses in central London were improved during the Games． |
| C．Most British businessmen thought poorly of the London Games． |
| D．Most British officials were worried about the future of British economy． |
Three—quarters of a million tourists flock to the white beaches every year，but this booming industry has come at a price．Poisonous smoke rising from open fires，rubbish made up of plastic bottles，packets…it’S a far cry from the white sands，clear waters and palm trees that we associate with the Maldives(马尔代夫)，the paradise island holiday destination set in the Indian Ocean．
of its 200 inhabited islands，which are spread across an area of"35，000 square miles，99 are good resorts(旅游胜地)．So many tourists come every year，more than double the local population．Of these，over l 00，000 travel from the U K．The capital，Mal6，is four times more densely populated than London．Given these facts，it’S hardly surprising that the Maldives has a waste disposal problem．
Y ears a90，when the tourists left，the government had to deal with a stream of rubbish．Their solution was to turn one of the islands into a dumping ground．Four miles west of Mal6 is the country’s dumping ground，Thilafushi．What you are seeing here is a view of the Maldives on which no honeymooners will ever clap eyes．Each visitor produces 3．5 kg of waste per day．The country dumps more than 330 tons of rubbish on the island every day．
Now，since many waste boats，fed up with waiting seven hours or more，directly offload their goods into the sea，the government of the Maldives has banned the dumping of waste on the island．S0，the waste boats ship the rubbish to India instead．What is the main cause of the waste disposal problem?
| A．The big local population． | B．Too many waste boats． |
| C．The large number of tourists． | D．Open fires on the islands． |
The underlined part can probably be replaced by“——”．
| A．it’s quite similar to | B．it’S a long distance from |
| C．it’s a loud shout from | D．it’S totally different from |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．It iS much more crowded in Mal6 than in London． |
| B．Another island will be used as a dumping ground． |
| C．No honeymooners are willing to visit the Maldives． |
| D．Waste on islands will be offloaded directly into the sea． |
What’S the author’S purpose in writing the text?
| A．To attract more tourists to the Maldives． |
| B．To state the waste disposal problem in the Maldives． |
| C．To call on us to protect the environment． |
| D．To explain the causes of pollution in the Maldives． |
Captain Henry，a 98"year—old American retired fisherman，has become a first—time author．having written and published his autobiography In a Fisherman’s Language after learning to read at the age of 91．
Mr.Henry spent most of his life without even his closest family members knowing he wasilliterate(不识字的)．Forced to quit school in the third grade to take odd jobs，he kept the secret close to his chest，only telling his late wife．Henry’s granddaughter，Marlisa，told reporters how he used tricks，like waiting for others to order at restaurants first，to avoid the issue．
A family dispute(纠纷)in his 90s，she said，aroused his desire for education．“He signed a document he could not read about where he was going to live， Marlisa said．Starting with his name，he eventually moved on to the ABC’s and children’s books．He put them down since his wife fell ill．After the tragic loss of his wife，、he went back to reading and began to log his life．He wrote about his family’s voyage from Portugal to the US，how he went on to captain a boat，and his many journeys at sea．
His life stories have become so popular that nearly 800 copies were sold in the first two weeks after the book’s release．One thousand more have since been printed as requests for the book flood in from as far as Germany．And now even Hollywood producers have approached Mr．Henry about buying the rights to his life story for a big screen adaptation．
The family also now has a book agent and a deal in the works to publish a second edition．Meanwhile，the family says they are reconnecting and closer than ever as a result of Henry’s．1ate—life efforts．.“Everyone has a story，”Marlisa said．“It teaches that when you’re down and out． never give up.”When did Henry begin writing his life story?
| A．When he was 91 years old． | B．After his wife passed away． |
| C．When he was 98 years old． | D．After he retired from work． |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Hollywood wishes to make a movie out of his book． |
| B．Henry never told anyone that he couldn’t read or write． |
| C．Henry began his reading with some famous novels． |
| D．Henry’s book was well-received only by Americans． |
How did Henry’s family benefit from his writing?
A．The family got more money from the 2nd edition．
B．The family ties were rebuilt and strengthened．
C．His family moved from Portugal to the USA．
D．His family story has been made into a movie．What message can Henry’s story give us?
| A．Great minds think alike． | B．Every coin has two sides． |
| C．Practice makes perfect． | D．One is never too old to learn． |
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May. According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.
| A．her 10th book is much better |
| B．her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected |
| C．the media is surprised at her works |
| D．she likes being recognized by her readers |
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
| A．She published a poetry textbook. |
| B．She used to teach Denise Levertov. |
| C．She started a poets’ group with others. |
| D．She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley. |
What can we learn about “Versed”?
| A．It consists of three parts. |
| B．It is mainly about the American army. |
| C．It is a book published two decades ago |
| D．It partly concerns the poet’s own life. |
What can we learn from the text?
A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. “Versed” has been awarded twice.
Young women are more adventurous than young men when travelling abroad in gap years．One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries during a year out and travels alone, according to new research．
By contrast, the majority of their male counterparts（地位相当者） visit only one country and tend to travel in groups, says a survey by the Gap Year company, which provides information and services for students considering taking a year out．
More women than men say that their prime reason for taking time off is to see the world and experience different cultures．Men are more likely to rank “having fun” higher on their list of priorities．Women are more likely to value the challenge of a foreign trip, and many cited reasons such as learning a language and meeting new people．
The more adventurous gap years taken by women seem to work to their benefit; more than three quarters of those surveyed have reported increased confidence, self-reliance（自立） and independence, whereas only half of the men had that experience．
The research also shows that women are more likely to do voluntary work while travelling, with more than one in ten helping with teaching or development projects．One of the reasons given for this is a wish to see the country in an authentic light．
A greater proportion of women than men face objections or criticism from their families over their gapyear plans．Among the men surveyed, lack of money is the main barrier to travel．
Carolyn Martin, a doctor from London,is a typically confident female traveller．Starting in Cape Town, she travelled around southern Africa and Australia with a string of unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs．
“I had one job chasing elephants off the runway in Africa by banging a stick against a pan，” she recalled．“It was OK but one day I did get chased by one．”
She said that she had travelled alone because “you meet more people”．By referring to “gap year” the writer means ________．
| A．a gap you come across after leaving high school |
| B．a time when you are caught in a dilemma between work and study |
| C．a period after you find a job upon your graduation from college |
| D．a year off between high school and college for certain purposes |
In the third paragraph, the underlined word “priorities” most probably means ________
| A．selections | B．attractions | C．preferences | D．projects |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Men students will travel less during the gap year because of their part-time jobs． |
| B．Women students will travel more but face more objections． |
| C．The article suggests that women travelling alone will have dangerous experiences． |
| D．Men students prefer to travel inside their own country to going abroad． |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Girls Get the Best out of Gap Years |
| B．Boys Lack Courage in Gap Years |
| C．For Fun or for Adventure? |
| D．Young Women Are More Adventurous |
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