For more than six million American children, coming home after school means coming home to an empty house. Some deal with the situation by watching TV. But all of them have something in common. They spend part of their time alone. They're called latchkey children, They're children who look after themselves while their parents work outside. Lynette Long was once the headmaster of an elementary school. She said, “We had a school rule against wearing jewelry. A lot of the kids bed chains around their necks with keys attached. 1 was often telling them to put them inside their shirts. There were so many keys that it never came to my mind what they meant.” Slowly , she learned they were house keys.
She and her husband began talking to the children who had them. They learned of the effect working parents had on their children. Fear is the biggest problem faced by the children at home alone. One in each three latchkey children the Longs talked to are reported to be scared. Many had nightmares and were worried about their own safety.
The most common way latchkey children deal with their fears is by hiding. It might be in a shower stall under a bed, in a closet. The second is TV. They’ll often play it at high volume.
It ‘s hard to get numbers on latchkey children and most patents are slow to admit they leave their children alone.
| A．are growing in numbers |
| B．suffer problems from being left alone |
| C．watch too much TV during the day |
| D．are also found in middle schools |
| A．tiredness | B．freedom |
| C．loneliness | D．fear |
| A．We had a school rule against wearing jewelry. |
| B．A lot of kids had chains around their necks. |
| C．I was often telling them to put their keys inside their shirts. |
| D．She learned the chains around their necks were house keys. |
| A．night suit | B．night habit |
| C．terrible dreams at night | D．staying up at night |
| A．latchkey children enjoy being left alone |
| B．latchkey children try to hide their feeling |
| C．latchkey children often watch TV with their parents |
| D．it's difficult to find out how many latchkey children there |
Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．
Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．
Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain． |
| B． Bee population has been increasing． |
| C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine． |
| D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers． |
After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel________.
| A．annoyed | B．angry | C．nervous | D．excited |
Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?
| A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination |
| B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination |
| C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar |
| D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory |
What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?
| A．Science | B．Education |
| C．Culture | D．Sports |
Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．It can be inferred from the text that_______．
| A．many children lack love from parents |
| B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand |
| C．robots are the most useful to children |
| D．robots do better than people in healthcare |
It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.
| A．Japan is suffering economy depression |
| B．the robots are of poor design |
| C．the production of robots costs a lot |
| D．the future market is worrying |
What is the author’s attitude towards the robots referred to?
| A．Unsatisfied． | B．Doubtful． |
| C．Favorable． | D．Regretful． |
Kenji Croman has broken his bones，his shoulder and elbow, and nearly drowned several times．He’s also had three close encounters with sharks over the years．A 10-foot wave landed directly on top of him five years ago，bending his body to the point that he actually kicked himself in the head．”I literally heard every bone in my body crack．”he said．
Croman has been photographing ocean waves since 2008，sometimes risking his life to get that perfect shot at the surf break．Despite the risks and certain injuries that come with wave photography, the Hawaii resident，body surfer and former competitive swimmer wouldn’t do anything else．The 36-year-old photographer loves the thrill of meeting breaking waves head on，shooting waves as his interest and shooting surfers to pay the bills．
The process of photographing waves requires more than just swimming out to where the surf breaks and waiting，he says．The night before a photo shoot Croman checks Surfline.com，a website and the coastal camera network that provides live and predicted ocean weather information，to see what the winds，waves and tide will be like at certain times．Croman has both a primary camera and a backup for emergencies．He goes without a wetsuit and uses heavy duty underwater housing to protect his camera．There is no great way for him to protect himself．He admits there are probably protective clothes he should be wearing，but there is little he could have done to decrease the impact of the 10-foot wave that crashed on top of him．
The hardest part of Croman’s job is staying calm in the face of breaking waves when his initial reaction is to panic and swim away．At most．Croman will take two to three shots of a single wave．”I've shot waves for so many years now that I see the wave in slow movement，”he said．What do we know about Kenji Croman’s job from the first paragraph?
| A．It is a game of death． |
| B．It is full of mysteries． |
| C．It requires patience． |
| D．It calls for courage． |
How does Kenji Croman make a living?
| A．By taking swimming races． |
| B．By teaching photography． |
| C．By shooting surfers． |
| D．By surfing waves． |
Why does Kenji Croman check the websites like Surfline.com?
| A．To get better prepared for shooting． |
| B．To predict something about weather． |
| C．To learn more about surfing waves． |
| D．To buy better equipment for safety． |
What would be the best title of the text?
| A．Taking adventures around the ocean |
| B．Risking his life for the perfect wave |
| C．Making preparations for life risks |
| D．Appreciating breaking waves in danger |
A green roof is a roof of a building that is covered with vegetation over a waterproof membrane (防水膜). It is a proper method of growing plants on the roof and does not refer to the mere green color of the roof. People benefit a lot from these green roofing systems, and they are gaining popularity day by day.
Human beings have occupied major areas of land and transformed them into huge buildings, which has severely affected the environment and the natural habitat of bird and insects. Green roofing compensates for that. It creates a natural habitat for creatures like bees, grasshoppers and other insects.
Modern roofs need a lot of energy to control the temperatures in winter and summer. However, green roofs reduce the amount of energy required for controlling temperatures, thus making them energy-efficient. As green roofing is highly energy-efficient, it can act as a encouragement for people who are interested in green roofing systems and their benefits. It will increase the market value of the building and fetch the owner a great share of profit.
As the vegetation requires a water supply, there is a inbuilt water preservation layer in the green roof system. This layer helps to keep the rainwater. It makes full use of the rainwater and prevents wastage. During heavy rains, the water runs off the flat roof. The green roof prevents this overflow by slowing down the volume of running water.
Green roofs can compensate for the lost greenery in urban areas and increase the artistic value of an area. Your building will look beautiful, coated with green vegetation. Green roofs can serve as local community garden and create a natural atmosphere, giving physical and psychological benefits like reducing stress levels in people and keeping them physically fit. Besides, people can start their own small-scale cultivation (栽培)and experience the pleasure
of gardening.What do we know about a green roof?
| A．It is painted green for a specific purpose |
| B．It uses solar energy to produce electricity |
| C．it is designed for kids to enjoy themselves |
| D．it is covered with grass, flowers or other plants |
Mr. Black who owns two buildings is interested in the green roofing system probably because_____.
| A．it can solve the problem of air pollution |
| B．it produces more energy to power the buildings |
| C．it creates natural habitats for birds and insects |
| D．it can save him spending a lot of money on energy |
How do the plants on green roofs get watered?
| A．Rainwater is often kept in the green roof system for later use |
| B．They mainly make use of the wasted water in people’s lives |
| C．The plants on green roofs usually need little water |
| D．People have to water the plants from time to time |
According to the last paragraph, a green roof is a place _____.
| A．where people can get close to nature |
| B．where people can relax and enjoy gardening |
| C．where people can hold all kinds of activities |
| D．where people can stay away from the city life |
The Knowledge Society
According to American economist Peter Drucker, every few hundred years in Western history a sharp transformation takes place in which society rearranges itself. One such period happened between 1455 and 1517, beginning with the invention of the printing press, and included the Renaissance, the European discovery of America, a reawakening of science, and the Protestant Reformation. All these events had significant effects on the development of Western society. The next period lasted from the American Revolution and the Perfection of the steam engine in 1776 until Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. During this time, the Industrial Revolution took place, public schools systems were established on a large scale, the first modern university was founded in Berlin in 1809, and both capitalism and communism emerged as economic and political ideologies. Again, society had been altered.Drucker suggested that another services to them.Those are the events which happened between 1455 and 1517 EXCEPT __________.
| A．the Industrial Revolution |
| B．the invention of the printing press. |
| C．the European discovery of America. |
| D．a reawakening of science and the Protestant Reformation. |
What is the major characteristic of the new society today ?
| A．Labor will be the basis of wealth. |
| B．Class conflict will appear. |
| C．Knowledge will be used as an economic resource. |
| D．People who provide various types of services must be socially and economically disadvantaged. |
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