Bruce Alberts, the former President of the National Academies (USA), has now taken over as Editor-in Chief of Science. Judging by his editorial in this week’s issue Considering Science Education there could be some interesting times ahead in Science offices.
Here’s part of what Bruce has to say about science education…
I consider science education to be critically important to both science and the world, and I shall frequently deal with this topic on this page. Let’s start with a big-picture view. Science has greatly advanced our understanding of the natural world and has enabled the creation of countless medicines and useful devices. It has also led to behaviors that have improved lives. The public appreciates these practical benefits of science, and science and scientists are generally respected, even by those who are not familiar with how science works or what exactly it has discovered.
But society may less appreciate the advantage of having everyone acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that are central to practice of successful science: scientific habits of mind. These habits include a critical attitude toward established claims and a strong desire for logic and evidence. As famous astronomer Carl Sagan put it, science is our best detector (检测器). Individuals and societies clearly need a means to logically test the constant clever attempts to operate our purchasing and political decisions. They also need to challenge what is unreasonable, including the intolerance that led to so many regional and global conflicts.
So how does this relate of science education? Might it be possible to encourage, across the world, scientific habits of mind, so as to create more rational (理性的) societies everywhere? In principle, a strong expansion of science education could provide the world with such an opportunity, but only if scientists, educators, and policy-makers redefine (重新定义) the goals of science education, beginning with college-level teaching. Rather than only conveying what science has discovered about the natural world, as is done now in most countries, we should provide first all students with the knowledge and practice of how to think like a scientist.
1. Which of the following is NOT included in the “scientific habits of mind”?
A. A critical attitude toward established claims. B. A strong desire for logic.
C. A clever and active mind. D. A strong desire for evidence.
2. What does the underlined phrase “such an opportunity” refer to in the last paragraph?
A. To create more rational societies everywhere.
B. To relate decision-making to science education.
C. To encourage science education around the world.
D. To set right goals of science education.
3.In Bruce Alberts’ opinion, which is the most important in science education?
A. Offering all students enough practice to drill their mind.
B. Equipping all students with a thinking model of a scientist.
C. Telling students what science has discovered about the natural world.
D. Advising all students to challenge all established scientific achievements.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Bruce Alberts, a great science educator
B. Science education and world peace
C. The government and science education
D. Bruce Alberts’ opinion on science education
It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense. It takes the most cool – headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers don’t even seem able torecognize politeness when they see it nowadays.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadman- ship. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give – and – take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
1.The passage mainly talks about _____.
A. road politeness B. traffic jams
C. good manners D. modern drivers
2.Troubles on the road are often caused by _____ .
A. traffic jams B. the behavior of the drivers
C. great speed D. terrible road conditions
3. According to the writer, a good driver should _____.
A. beat back when forced to face rude driving
B. be able to recognize politeness when he sees it
C. encourage old ladies to cross the roads whenever they want to
D. join in traffic stream quickly however other people feel
4. The following statements are right EXCEPT that _____.
A. some modern drivers are not good at driving
B. road politeness is good sense as well as good manners
C. it is all right to have a tiger in the driver’s seat
D. a friendly driver should nod or wave thanks in answer to an act of politeness
Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English.
Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers.
You may find the information you need.
★Global English Center
＊General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
＊3-month(700yuan), 6-month(1200yuan) and one-year(2000yuan) courses.
＊Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day. Mon-Fri.
＊Experienced college English teachers.
＊Close to city center and bus stops.
Tel: 67605272 Add: 105 Zhongshan Road, 100082.
★Modern Language School
Special courses in English for business. traveling , banking , hotel management and office skills.
＊Small classes(12-16 students) on Sat.＆Sun. From 2:00-5:00pm.
＊Native English teachers from Canada and USA.
＊Language lab and computers supplied.
＊3-month course: 1,050yuan; 6-month course: 1,850yuan.
Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675Park Road.100056
Tel: 67353019
★ The 21st Century English raining Center
＊We specialize in effective teaching at all levels.
＊We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at
a cost of 800yuan.
＊We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays.
＊Entrance exams: June 1 and Dec.1.
＊Only 15-minute walk from city center.
Call 67801642 for more information.
★ The International House of English
＊Three/Six-month English courses for students of all levels at very low cost: 60yuan for 13 hours per week; convenient class hours: 9:00-12:00am and 2:00-5:00pm.
＊A four-month evening program for developing speaking skills( same cost as day classes).
＊Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers experienced in teaching English as a second/foreign language. Free sightseeing and social activities. Very close to Central Park.
For further information call 67432308.
1.You work from 9:00am to 4:00pm every day. Which schools will you choose?
A. Global English Center and Modern Language School
B. Global English Center and The International House of English
C. Modern Language School and the 21st Century English Training Center
D. The 21st Century English Training Center and The International House of English
2. You will probably prefer to go to the International House because it _____.
A. has native English teachers
B. has special course in spoken English
C. costs less than the other schools
D. offers free sightseeing and social activities
3. If you want to apply for a university in the USA, you may attend _____.
A. The 21st Century English Training Center
B. The International House of English
C. Modern Language School
D. Global English Center
4. If you take the evening program at the International House, you will pay about _____.
A. 60 yuan B. 240 yuan C. 720 yuan D. 1,000 yuan
It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble. That’s more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police Officer Floyd Hyde was on duty.
“I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville. As I got onto Highway 40, blue lights and sirens (警笛) going, I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway. The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me. He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder. ”
But Hyde couldn’t go after him. Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders, so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident. But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove, hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car. As it turned out, keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult. Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene.
Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination. At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene. His help wasn’t needed. Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird, who by this time had developed something new to panic about.
“Just about that time,” Hyde says, “I saw fire coming out from under that car, with blue smoke and oil going everywhere. He’d blown his engine. Now he had to stop. ”
“After I arrested him, I asked him why he was running. He told me he didn’t have a driver’s license.”
That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty — a thousand dollars for the new engine — not to mention the charges for driving without a license, attempting to run away, and dangerous driving.
1. Why did the driver of the Firebird suddenly speed down the highway?
A. Because he was racing with another driver on the road.
B. Because he realized he had to hurry to the accident scene.
C. Because he wanted to overtake other cars on the shoulder.
D. Because he thought the police officer wanted to stop him.
2. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Someone else was taking care of the injured person.
B. The Pontiac reached its destination at the accident scene.
C. Hyde knew where he was going by following the right car.
D. The policeman was running after a speeder on Highway 40.
3.The driver of the Firebird _____.
A. took a wrong turn on the way B. had some trouble with his car
C. was stopped by the police officer D. paid for the expenses of the accident
4. What is probably the best title for the article?
A. Losing His Way? B. Fun All the Way?
C. Going My Way? D. Help on the Way?
My dad was never the kind to offer many words of love or encouragement. But we knew he loved us... he just had his own way of showing it.
When I was a teen, we were seasonal campers at a family campground almost an hour outside the city where we lived. Each family had their own campsite with water and electric, and you basically parked your camper there from May through October. Most "Seasonals" visited them every weekend during those months, with the occasional weeklong stay. There were plenty of other kids who camped seasonally each weekend, and they came to be some of my closest friends. Of course, many of them were boys.
We kids paired up with our little boyfriends or girlfriends, and we'd hold hands as we'd walk around the campground. We'd play ping-pong, have some snacks, and play songs. Most weekends were pretty similar, but the couples would change. You'd see so-and-so with a different so-and-so than they were with the weekend before. You know how it is when you're a teen — a three-week relationship is a really long time.
So, needless to say, my teen years were spent with quite a few different boys. But every single one of them had something in common... they'd all received The Evil Eye.
The Evil Eye was a magical sort of thing. One simple look from my dad, and the boy immediately knew not to mess with me. It was as if he could send his warnings through invisible laser（激光）beams that shot directly from his eyes to the boys' brains.
"You will not put your hands on my daughter... You will not kiss my daughter... You will not even whisper sweet nothings into my daughter's ear."
I remember one night in particular, walking with a boy around the campground after dark. We came from one direction, and my dad from the other. The boy and my dad locked eyes for a brief second, then the boy dropped my hand like a hot potato and turned away, giving me a quick, "See ya later."
Yes, the Evil Eye. Best way ever to keep wandering teen boy hands away from your daughters.
1.The Evil Eye in the passage implies that _____.
A. Dad gets angry easily B. Dad’s eyes are like evil’s
C. Dad’s eyes are ugly-looking D. Dad’s eyes are protective to his daughter
2. The underlined words “mess with” in paragraph 5 most probably means _____.
A. make untidy B. cause trouble C. get married to D. talk to
3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. As teenagers, we went camping every weekend.
B. We made lots of friends during the seasonal camping.
C. We had regular boyfriends or girlfriends and enjoyed ourselves.
D. The boy dropped my hand and turned away because he loved The Evil Eye.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author _____.
A. is a teenage girl who loves her father
B. is a teenage boy who hates his father
C. is now an adult who has come to understand her father’s love
D. used to be a naughty boy who changed girlfriends now and then
One day, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of bircks left over! 36 carry the bricks down by hand I decided to lower them by a pulley（滑车）, which fortunately was _37 to the side of the building on the sixth floor.
Fastening the rope at the ground level, I went up to the roof and _38 the bricks into a barrel (桶). Then I went back to the _39 and untied the rope, 40 it tightly to insure a __41__ fall of the 500 punds of bricks. You know, I only weighed 135 pounds. Due to my __42 _ at being pulled off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and _43 to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I went on at a rather _44 _ rate up the building.
Near the third floor, I met the barrel __45 , which made my collarbone（锁骨）broken, __46 _ only slightly, I didn’t stop. At approximately（大约）the same time, the barrel _47__ the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. 48 the bricks, the barrel now weighed about 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight of 135 pounds. _49 you might imagine, I began a rapid down.
Also near the _50 _ floor, I met the barrel coming up, which made my legs broken. The encounter（相遇）with the _ 51 _ slowed me enough to reduce my _52 when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and 53 , only three vertebrae（椎骨）were broken. However, as I __54__there on the bricks in pain, unable to move, and _55 the barrel six stories above, I again lost my presence of mind. I let go of the rope!
1. A. Rather than B. Other than C. Better than D. Instead of
2.A. connected B. attached C. added D. joined
3. A. brought B. carried C. loaded D. took
4. A. ceiling B. floor C. roof D. ground
5.A. grabbing B. pulling C. fastening D. holding
6. A. sudden B. quick C. slow D. peaceful
7. A. carelessness B. surprise C. excitement D. joy
8.A. forgot B. had C. took D. began
9. A. slow B. rapid C. strange D. special
10. A. coming down B. going up C. going down D. coming up
11. A. Slowed B. Calmed C. Relaxed D. Cooled
12.A. fell B. beat C. hit D. knocked
13. A. Besides B. Without C. With D. Beyond
14. A. As B. When C. While D. Which
15. A. first B. ground C. second D. third
16. A. bricks B. barrel C. pulley D. rope
17. A. pain B. weight C. injuries D. speed
18. A. unluckily B. surely C. undoubtedly D. fortunately
19. A. sat B. lay C. stood D. bent
20. A. noticed B. remembered C. watched D.saw
