Brian Greene, a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, has created an online science education platform. He tries to “build a bridge” with things you know about, and then “bring you across that bridge to the strange place of modern physics.”
Recently I had a chance to ask Greene about wormholes (a hole which some scientists think might exist, connecting parts of space and time that are not usually connected ), time travel and other mysteries of the universe. I asked him a million-dollar question: What if I went through a wormhole and prevented my parents from meeting? “Most of us believe that the universe makes sense,” Greene said. Although there are several interesting theories about time travel, he
added, the laws of physics would probably prevent something so illogical from taking place. The good news is that the time paradox（悖论） is open for future physicists to solve.
When asked how physics could become more exciting for kids, Greene said that books by Stephen Weinberg, Leonard Susskind, and other physicists, “make it a great time for people who want to learn about big ideas but aren’t yet ready, perhaps, to learn math.”
When I pointed out that some students still might find physics boring, Greene said that the key is to teach them about things that are strange. “The basic stuff is important, ”Greene said. “But I think it’s really important to also describe the more modern ideas, things like black holes and the Big Bang. If kids have those ideas in mind, then at least some of them will be excited to learn all the details．”
Greene has followed Albert Einstein’s lead in trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. Now he wants kids to do the same. As Greene said, physics is “not just a matter of solving problems in an exam.” It’s about experimenting, showing an interest in strange phenomena（现象）-- and having fun!
1.A million-dollar question is probably very .
A. direct B. difficult
C. personal D. long
2.The books by Weinberg and Susskind .
A. are boring to read B. are mainly about math
C. are popular science books D. are only popular among kids
3.According to Paragraph 4, which of the following does Greene agree with?
A. Modern physics is a boring subject.
B. Interest plays an important role in studying.
C. It is not necessary to learn all about physics.
D. It is easy to describe black holes and the Big Bang.
4.In the last paragraph, Greene hopes that .
A. kids can love science and physics B. kids can do well in physics exams
C. kids can have fun with experiments D. kids can find more strange things in life
As an oceanographer（海洋学家）， I’ve spent many years developing robots to explore the ocean, and now we’re putting that technology to use in our JASON Project, a program that’s designed to inspire students and get them interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In theaters throughout the country, we bring kids together and send back to them on large screens our live explorations of large areas of the globe. Not only are the kids observers, but they can operate robots moving across the area while broadcasting images back to them. The kids have the sensation(感受） of really being at the site with us.
I believe advances in robot technology will one day be the key to a new kind of travel. In the next 10 or 15 years, people will have rooms in their houses that will be able to simulate (模拟) other environment. I like to call this rooms “home domes” -- small theaters with screens and advanced equipment that can reproduce the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of a desert. or a forest. Hand in hand with these rooms, I can see a market for travel robots located in countries around the world. You could rent (租)a robot working in a rain forest, then go into your home dome, where you yourself operate the robot’s movements. The equipment in the room will receive the sensations in the robot’s environment and simulate them for you.
Today, much of the world’s population never travels more than 50 or 60 miles from home. And even a person with enough time can see only a part of the earth’s sights. But this new way of travel will cost so much less in both time and money and allow people to see a lot more of the globe. And simulated travel will also help protect our planet. You can’t take large groups of tourists to look at Dian Fossey’s gorillas（大程猩）． But a small robot, with no animal smell, can get very close to a gorilla and send the sights, sounds, and smells back to a million people.
1.The main purpose of the JASON Project is to .
A. design robots B. educate children
C. explore the world D. improve technology
2.Without going outside, people in “home domes”can .
A. enjoy a guided trip B. get very close to nature
C. develop and operate robots D. send images back to scientists
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the future of robot technology?
A. Uncaring. B. Doubtful.
C. Hopeful. D. Dissatisfied.
4.According to the text, simulated travel .
A. has been widely accepted B. costs lots of time and money
C. is harmful to the environment D. is time-and money-saving
My first impression of Miss Vicki was a highly authoritative(权威的) person towering over me. She spoke in a loud voice and the earth shook whenever she marched. That was in the first year of high school. She was a knowledgeable literature teacher then. However, during my first year in school, she struck terror into my heart(使我胆战心惊). And everyone else’s of course. Just the mention of her name made the most unruly classes silent.
Nevertheless, the two years of junior high passed by rather quickly. Soon, I went to senior high class. I had worked hard and gotten the subject combination that I wished for. Together with a group of old friends, I soon settled down in class comfortably.
To everyone’s surprise, she was fortunate enough to be my teacher that year. I was shocked when I heard the news. This time round, however, I decided not to hide in terror whenever she was near. I decided to face the fact that we were going to meet each other for the next 365 days. Instead of trying too hard to lick her boots, I tried my best to my natural self in front of her.
Still, I could not shake off the ice-cold impression that she put in my heart. True, her jokes sometimes sent me into fits of laughter, yet at other times these jokes simply fell flat the moment she told them. My lovely class, however, was already ready to laugh at the right time of her amusing stories. After all, we would not want to run the risk of provoking(激怒) her.
Unluckily, life was not to remain boring. One day we received news that Miss Vicki was to leave Singapore for the Philippines where she would take part in a voluntary teaching program for the poor. We did not know what to say actually. All of us cried at the airport.
1.During the first year in school, the author thought Miss Vicki was .
A. proud but patient B. beautiful but strict
C. scholarly but serious D. humorous but single-minded
2.What does the underlined phrase “lick her boots” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Win her favor. B. Embarrass her.
C. Argue with her. D. Follow her closely.
3.What can we learn from Paragraph 4 ?
A. Miss Vicki was a good joke teller.
B. Miss Vicki’s jokes were always boring.
C. Students liked Miss Vicki’s class very much.
D. Students pretended to laugh to please Miss Vicki.
4.What can we infer about Miss Vicki from the last paragraph?
A. She was fired by the school.
B. She was not accepted by the students.
C. She was unwilling to leave her students.
D. She had a strong sense of social responsibility.
Scholastic Art: What is your job?
Jayson Fann: I build human-sized nests all over the world.
SA: Can people sit in your nests?
JF: Yes! People have dinner parties in my nests. They read and relax in them. Some of my nests even have several rooms. My nests are even used as hotel rooms.
SA: How do you make a nest?
JF: First, I make a design for the nest. Then I review the design with my client（客户）. After the design is final, I collect wood and work with a team to build it.
SA: What do you use to make your nests?
JF：I use eucalyptus（按树）wood， which is soft and easy to bend when it is young and freshly cut. But when it dries, it becomes extremely hard. So it holds its shape and can support weight. But the structure’s strength also comes from the engineering -- how I weave the wood, and how I join major sections by bolting（用螺栓固定）them together.
SA: What makes a great nest design?
JF: Placement is important. The lines of the branches（树枝） create movement and energy, resulting in a cleaner, simpler background -- such as smooth stone or the sky -- which really fits the nest. For me, it’s all about balance.
SA: What skills do you need for your job?
JF: You have to be able to draw and use different artistic tools. But you also have to know how to speak to people -- your clients and the people who work for you.
SA: What inspires you?
IF: I love to see how other artists, like Andy Goldsworthy, take common and natural materials and make something special with them.
SA: What is the best part of your job?
JF: I get to be creative in a way that doesn’t harm the environment!
1.Jayson Fann’s nests are .
A. used for different purposes B. completely made of wood
C. usually built at his home D. just used for exhibition
2.When Jayson Fann makes a nest, he usually .
A. builds it on his own
B. places it on a eucalyptus tree
C. asks his client to design it first
D. takes its surroundings into consideration
3.Jayson Fann is actually .
A. an animal lover B. a fashion designer
C. a famous engineer D. an environmental artist
昨天我们班级进行了一场辩论，关于是否有必要每天进行体能锻炼。有的同学认为每天锻炼身体的时间可以拿来学习或者休息，这样能取得更好的成绩；另外一些同学则认为锻炼能增强体质，提高学习效率。请写一遍文章描述这场辩论并发表自己的观点。
注意：1.文中不得出现真实的姓名或班级；
2.字数不少于100词。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文，文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Yesterday was my birthday, but many of my classmates sent me presents. My mother prepares a tea party for me. It was the third time that we have held a tea party. I invited all my classmate to attend it. They began the tea party at half past six. There was cold drinks and deliciously food. We ate, talked and laughed. We felt that we were happiest men in the world. Time was passed quickly. The clock on the wall struck nine. We had to say “Good-bye” with each other.
