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      What will power your house in the future? Nuclear, wind, or solar power? According to scientists at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, it might be leaves -but artificial ones.
      Natural leaves are able to change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis (光
合作用). Now researchers have found a way to imitate this seemingly simple process.
     The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special
silicon chip (硅片) with catalysts (催化劑). Similar to natural leaves, it can split water into hydrogen
and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a
fuel cell (電池), which uses those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of a house
or beside the house.
     Though the leaf is only about the shape of a poker card, scientists claimed that it is promising to be an
inexpensive source of electricity in developing countries. "One can imagine villages in India and Africa not
long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology," said Docera at a
conference of the American Chemical Society.
     An artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but was too expensive
and unstable for practical use. The new leaf, by contrast, is made of cheap materials, easy to use and
highly stable. In laboratory studies, Nocera showed that an artificial leaf prorotype (原型) could operate
continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.
     The wonderful improvements come from Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful new,
inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation (轉(zhuǎn)換) inside the leaf more
efficient with water and sunlight. Right now, the new leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out
photosynthesis than a natural one. Besides, the device can run in whatever water is available; that is, it
doesn't need pure water. This is important for some countries that don't have access to pure water.
     With the goal to "make each home its own power station" and "giving energy to the poor", scientists
believe that the new application could be widely used in developing countries, especially in India and
rural China.

1. Which of the following order correctly shows how the artificial leaf is used to produce electricity?
a. artificial leaves split water into hydrogen and oxygen
b. the hydrogen and oxygen gases are stored in a fuel cell
c. the artificial leaves are put in water
d. the fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity

A. cbad  
B. cabd  
C. bcad  
D. cadb

2. Which of the following statements about new artificial leaves is TRUE according to the article?

A. They are inexpensive but unstable.
B. They are as efficient at carrying out photosynthesis as natural leaves.
C. They can work only in pure water.
D. They need several catalysts to help them work efficiently.

3. The aim of the scientists at MIT in developing the new artificial leaves is to        .

A. build-up more power stations in the world
B. provide cheaper energy for developing countries
C. offer people in developing countries access to pure water
D. gain a deeper understanding of the photosynthesis process

4. What is the main point of the article?

A. Introduction to the history of artificial leaves.
B. An invention copying photosynthesis.
C. Giving energy to the poor.
D. A mixture of water power and solar energy.

     What exactly is intelligence? There aren't any easy answers. Despite the progress that has been made
in genetics and psychology, human intelligence has remained one of the most controversial areas of
modern science,until now, that is, for the discovery of a gene (基因) linked to intelligence has made the
experts think again.
     Robert Plomin of the Institute of Psychiatry in London and his colleagues in the US have been looking
into genetic make-up. From their research, they have discovered that a slightly different gene is more
common in those with a high IQ. Plomin analyzed DNA from two groups of 51 children aged between 6
and 15. What he found was that the first group had an IQ of 136, putting them in the top 5% of the
population, while the other group had an average IQ of 103. An analysis of their genes showed that 32%
of children in the higher group had the gene in question, while only 16% in the second group did.
However, there is a lot more research to be done, and Plomin himself is cautious at this early stage. He
suggests that there are probably many genes that contribute to intelligence, rather than just one.
     Several studies have shown a strong link between IQ and career success, although some
psychologists remain unconvinced about this. Professor Michael Rowe, who has written a book called
Genius Explained, is one of these. "The people with the highest IQs are not usually the ones who do
best in their careers."
     Many psychologists now believe that when it comes to intelligence, IQ isn't everything. Many
alternative views have been put forward recently. One example is the idea of multiple intelligences, which
was developed in the 1980s by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. This offers a much broader
view than the IQ theory, including creativity and communication skills as relevant factors(因素) in
intelligence.
     Tony Buzan, brain expert and author of Master your Memory, is enthusiastic about this belief, arguing
that true geniuses(天才) do indeed appear to combine high levels of each type of intelligence. He lists
Alexander the Great, Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein as examples. At the same time, Buzan believes
that everyone can develop their intelligence, only if they take the trouble to exercise their brain. Perhaps
there's hope for us all!

1. What is the topic of the passage?

A. The relationship between genes and intelligence.
B. IQ benefits a lot from high intelligence.
C. How to develop intelligence.
D. What makes intelligence.

2. Why does the author use data in Paragraph 2?

A. To make a suggestion.
B. To draw a conclusion.
C. To prove an idea.
D. To give an example.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Robert Plomin confirms genes have something in common.
B. Howard Gardner thinks intelligence includes various factors.
C. Michael Rowe approves of a strong link between IQ and career.
D. Tony Buzan agrees geniuses exercise brain to improve intelligence.

4. What does the underlined word "This" in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. The development of intelligence.
B. The idea of multiple intelligences.
C. IQ isn't everything for intelligence.
D. Alternative views have been put forward.

     Loma just had to get in touch with someone:"I had to tell my best friend something important. I tried
calling her but I couldn't get through. So I sent her an e-mail and then I spoke to her on MSN. Without
technology I would not have been able to tell her. "
    Staying connected with friends and family is important for us. That's why we asked our readers to tell
us how cell-phones, e-mail, blogs, text messaging, and personal pages help them keep in touch. More
than 1,500 responded.
     Most of them told us they couldn't live without technology:80％of teens said they need technology to
stay in touch. Almost 30％said they'd be completely out of their friends without their cell-phones and
other methods of communication.
     What do they do when they've got news they need to share now? Most teens say they try to reach
their friends by phone. But if they don't reach them, they use QQ, e-mails, and text messaging to get the
words out.
     Lots of people use one way of communication-like text messaging-to get a friend's attention and then
use another where they can talk more. "My friends and I always tell each other everything that happens.
So I send them text messages to tell them to come online so we can talk about it," said Sabeiha.
     "When planning to get together with friends", Julian said, "the easiest and fastest way I know is to
send a text message to my contact group." Jocelyn said. "If I want to go to see a movie with a few friends, I usually send text message to them. By telephone, you have to call every single friend one by one. But
text messaging allows you to send the same message to as many as you'd like, which saves a lot of time. "

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. E-mails.    
B. Blogs.        
C. Personal pages.    
D. Personal letters.

2. What do most young people use first when they have news to tell their friends?

A. MSN.      
B. QQ.           
C. Phones.          
D. Text message.

3. The underlined part "get the words out" means"      ".

A. send the message              
B. send the e-mail
C. talk with their friends            
D. meet their friends

4. In which part of a newspaper can you find this passage?

A. Sport.      
B. Education.    
C. Technology.      
D. Culture.

      Whales, like dolphins, belong to a group of mammals (哺乳動(dòng)物) called “cetaceans”. This
namecomes from a Latin word meaning “l(fā)arge sea animal”. There are at least seventy-five kinds
of cetaceans. Scientists divide the various kinds into two major groups - baleen whales, which do
not have teeth, and toothed whales, which have teeth.    
     Whales have the same basic shape as fish, but they differ from fish in many ways. The most
noticeable difference is the tail. Fish have vertical (垂直的) tail fins(鰭), but whales have horizontal
tail fins. Fish breathe by means of gills (腮), while whales have lungs (肺) and must come to the
surface to breathe. But they can hold their breath for long periods.  
     Like other mammals, whales give birth to live young and feed them with milk produced by the
mother’s body. Most fish, however, lay eggs and do not feed their young. Whales are also
warm-blooded - that is, their body temperature remains about the same all the time. Almost all fish
are cold-blooded. Their body temperature changes with changes in the temperature of the water.  
     Whales have a highly developed brain and they are highly advanced life forms. They sing to their
young, engage in complex family relationships, and their communication skills are fine.
     In December 2005, a whale, after being rescued from fishing nets, didn’t just swim back to deep
water. It hung around and touched each of the divers with its mouth. “Knowing that it was free, it
stopped about a foot away from me, pushed me around a little bit and had some fun,” said dive
master James Moskito. He thought it was “one of the most fantastic moments” of his life.    

1. According to Paragraph 1, which of the following shows the correct relationship?

A. Mammals are a type of cetacean.  
B. Cetaceans are not a type of mammal.
C. Whales belong to the cetacean family.
D. Mammals are a type of whale.

2. Which of the following is NOT a difference between whales and fish?

A. Whales breathe by means of lungs.  
B. Whales have tail fins.
C. Whales feed their young with milk.  
D. A whale’s body temperature nearly doesn’t change.

3. What are Paragraphs 2 and 3 mainly about?

A. How whales catch their food.  
B. How whales live in the ocean.    
C. The differences between whales and fish.  
D. Whales are highly advanced life forms.

4. Why didn’t the whale swim back to the sea after it was saved?

A. It lost its way in the sea.    
B. It was seriously wounded.
C. It was frightened by the divers.
D. It wanted to thank the divers

     On a one-acre site alongside many shrimp boats stands a $2.2 million assembly（組合體）
of pipes, sheds , and humming machinery - a plant in Texas to make sea water suitable to drink. 
     The plant is an experimental project built as the former of the state’s $150 million, full-scale
sea water desalination （脫鹽）plant planned for construction in 2010.
     Desalting sea water is expensive, mostly because of the energy required. The cost runs at
about $650 per acre-foot, but it only costs $200 to purify（凈化） the same amount of fresh
water.
     However, it is a growing field around the world as drinkable water becomes less and less in
the earth.
     About two-thirds of the world’s desalinated water is produced in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and
North Africa. Perth, Australia, is looking to meet a third of its fresh water demand by removing
salt from sea water.
     In March, Israel showed off its plant at the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon that can process
87 million gallons of fresh water a day. Singapore opened a sea water desalination plant in 2005
hoping it will meet at least 10 percent of its water needs. Two months ago, General Electric Co.
announced a $220 million contract to build a plant in South Africa.
     Global output is still relatively minute - less than 0.1 percent of all drinking water. But according
to a recent report by Global Water Intelligence, the worldwide desalination industry is expected to
grow 140 percent over the next ten years, with $25 billion in investment by 2010, or $56 billion
by 2015.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Some countries stopped desalinating sea water because it’s too expensive.
B. Singapore is the only country that has put desalinating sea water into practice.
C. Purifying fresh water is much cheaper than desalinating sea water.
D. Desalinating sea water should be controlled by the government.

2. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Many countries are trying to desalt sea water.
B. How sea water is turned into fresh water.
C. The present and future of desalting sea water.
D. The world is in great need of fresh water.

3. The word “minute” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means “_____”.

A. exact        
B. close        
C. real        
D. tiny

4. The author’s attitude towards the desalination industry can be described as _____.

A. pessimistic    
B. optimistic    
C. satisfied    
D. worried

     Let's say you took violin lessons all through elementary school, but you haven't got the instrument out
of its case for years. Were all those lessons a waste of your parents' money because you didn't become a
violinist?
     Even though it has been a long time since you played the violin, a new study shows that as little as one
year of music training can have a positive impact (影響) on your brain that will last the rest of your life.
     In an experiment, researchers compared children who had taken music lessons to those who hadn't.
Laurel Trainor, who studies music and the mind, discovered that the musically-trained children had better
brain responses in certain sound recognition exams. Trainor's findings show the possibility that musical
education can actually improve the brain's hearing cortex(大腦皮層). "The study's results show that
music training affects attention and memory, and helps children develop learning skills. In this way music
training might lead to better learning across a number of fields," Trainor said in a statement. The effects
of music education are even more obvious on children with difficulty in reading and writing and other
language-related disabilities.
      So, whether you can play a good piece of music or not, it's likely that your years of music lessons
have prepared your brain for all the speeches, emails, and adult conversations that are part of your life
today. We should help make sure that children today have the same opportunities for music, and help
out by volunteering with or donating instruments to your school's music education department.

1. Compared with children who haven't taken music lessons, musically-trained children _______.

A. sing better          
B. do better in exams  
C. recognize sounds better   
D. response more quickly

2. According to the study, we know musical education can _____.

A. change the structure of the brain
B. improve children's learning skills
C. help children focus their attention
D.  provide more memorizing methods

3. What can we learn from the text?

A. Adults should also take some music lessons.
B. The author has taken violin lessons when he was young.
C. Even a day's music training can affect the human brain.
D. Music training can also help children with certain disabilities.

     The bar-tailed godwit (斑尾鷸) has just broken its own record for the world's longest non-stop flight,
including humans in planes, according to a report made by Lund University Press. The bird can fly
non-stop for eight days, while the most impressive man-made airplane can only remain in the sky for 82
hours without a stop.
     The bar-tailed godwit's journey, from Alaska to New Zealand, covers over 6,835 miles. It completes
this trip twice a year, in autumn going to New Zealand, and in spring back to Alaska. The tireless bird
ends the trip without stopping once for food or rest. All other birds can only finish trips that are twice as
short as what the bar-tailed godwit travels.
     One reason for the bar-tailed godwit's success is that it has made the best use of its fuel, which is only 0.41 percent of its body weight over each hour of any given long flight. Hedenstrom, a professor from
Lund University, says, "This figure is extremely low compared with other birds." The bird also has a
special body shape that helps it fly easily. It stores body fat and protein to manage its trips. It also travels
fast, compared to other birds and animals.
     Many questions remain about this bird record holder that never gets lost in the air. Researchers
wonder whether it has an inside compass (指南針) that helps it to know the direction. Please watch how
beautiful bar-tailed godwits look as they come in for a landing, along with other birds.

1. For the flight from Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit _____.

A. doesn't need to stop to eat
B. is afraid of hot weather
C. seems very tired at last
D. should fly less than 7000 metres

2. The main reason why the bar-tailed godwit can break the record is that it ______.

A. eats little food every hour
B. has a special body shape
C. stores much water in its body  
D. has very light body weight

3. The last paragraph tells us that ________.

A. researchers have understood the bird very well
B. the bird has a very good sense of direction
C. there are still many who doubt the bird's ability
D. the bird has an inner compass

4. What is the text mainly about?

A. A bird that breaks the record for the longest non-stop flight.
B. Birds and airplanes that can fly over a long distance.
C. Reasons for the bar-tailed godwit's long-distance flight.
D. An introduction to long-distance flights of birds and humans.

     A recent survey made by BUPA, an international healthcare provider, shows that 54 percent of
Chinese people aged between 45 and 54 consider themselves old, while 28 percent say that the thought
of getting old upsets them. 25 percent are afraid of getting old, and a third worry about life in old age.
     BUPA made the survey among 12,262 people from 12 countries over 2 months, starting in June
2010. The survey shows that 72 percent of international participants (參加者) aged over 65 don't feel
old and that 67 percent still feel healthy. On the other hand, 65 percent of Chinese feel old even before
reaching 60. About one third of those surveyed in China said they have enough savings (存款), and 46
percent are insured (參加保險(xiǎn)). Around 60 percent of the Chinese participants hope they will be taken
care of by family members.
     According to the survey, the French hold the most positive attitude towards getting old, with 32
percent of them considering age 80 and up old. 17 percent of Brazilians look forward to old age,
compared with 3 percent globally. Indians are not bothered by old age, as 70 percent said that they don't
feel that they will be affected by old age and 71 percent say they have already made preparations for this
stage of life. The illnesses that most people around the world are worried about are cancer and
Alzheimer's disease.

1. According to the survey, many Chinese people surveyed feel old before they are ______.

A. 50 year old  
B. 60 years old  
C. 70 years old  
D. 80 years old

2. Most of Chinese people surveyed expect help from _________.

A. the government      
B. family members
C. insurance companies    
D. healthcare providers

3. Who are the youngest at heart according to the survey?

A. The Indians.
B. The Brazilians
C. The French  
D. The Chinese

4. Why are the Indians not afraid of getting old?

A. Because they have got ready for old age.
B. Because old people are respected in India.
C. Because getting old means enjoying life.
D. Because they will get more help from society.