The Cambridge Science Festival Curiosity Challenge

                             Dare to Take the Curiosity Challenge!

The Cambridge Science Festival (CSF) is pleased to inform you of the sixth annual Curiosity Challenge. The challenge invites , even dares school students between the ages of 5 and 14 to create artwork or a piece of writing that shows their curiosity how it inspires them to explore their world.

   Students are being dared to draw a picture, write an article, take a photo or write a poem that shows what they are curious about. To enter the challenge, all artwork or pieces of writing should be sent to the Cambridge Science Festival, MIT Museum, 

265 Mass Avenue,Cambridge 02139 by Friday, February 8th.

Students who enter the Curiosity Challenge and are selected as winners will be honored at a special ceremony during the CSF on Sunday, April 21st. Guest speakers will also present prizes to the students. Winning entries will be published in a book. Student entries will exhibited and prizes will be given. Families of those who take part will be included in celebration and brunch will be served.

Between March 10th and March 15th, each winner will be given the specifics of the closing ceremony and the Curiosity Challenge celebration. The program guidelines and other related information are available at :http://

cambridgesciencefestival.org.

21. Who can take part in the Curiosity Challenge?

A.  MIT artists.               B. Cambridge locals.

C. CSF winners.                  D.School students.

22. When will the prize-giving ceremony be held?

A. On April 21st.                    B. On March 10th.

C. On March 15th                     D.On February 8th .

23. What type of writing is this text?

A .An exhibition guide.             B.  An announcement. 

C.  An art show review.        D. An official report.

The thief closed his eyes as if he ____(be) dying

My husband hasn't stopped laughing about a funny thing that happened to me. It's funny now but it wasn't at the time.

Last Friday, after doing all the family shopping in town, I wanted a rest before catching the train, so I bought a newspaper and some chocolate and went into the station coffee shop － that was a cheap self-service place with long tables to sit at. I put my heavy bag down on the floor, put the newspaper and chocolate on the table to keep a place, and went to get a cup of coffee.

When I went back with the coffee, there was someone in the next seat. It was one of those wild-looking youngsters, with dark glasses and worn clothes, and hair colored bright red at the front. Not so unusual these days. What did surprise me was that he'd started to eat my chocolate!

Naturally, I was annoyed. However, to avoid trouble － and really I was rather uneasy about him － I just looked down at the front page of the newspaper, tasted my coffee and took a bit of chocolate. The boy looked at me closely. Then he took a second piece of my chocolate. I could hardly believe it. Still I didn't dare to start an argument. When he took a third piece, I felt more angry than uneasy. I thought, "Well, I shall have the last piece." And I got it.

The boy gave me a strange look, and then stood up. As he left he shouted out. "This woman's crazy!" Everyone stared. That was embarrassing enough, but it was worse when I finished my coffee and got ready to leave. My face went red － as red as his hair － when I realized I'd made a mistake. It wasn't my chocolate that he'd been taking. There was mine, unopened, just under my newspaper.

28. The woman telling the story ________.

A. wanted a newspaper and some chocolate to take home to her family

B. bought some chocolate so that she could keep a place at the table

C. had been very busy and needed some time to recover

D. always went shopping with her family on Fridays

29. When the woman saw the boy go on eating the chocolate, she felt ________.

A. more and more disappointed at losing the chocolate

B. too shy to look in the boy's direction

C. more and more angry with the boy

D. too tired to start an argument

30. The woman's face turned red ________.

A. because she realized that she had been quite wrong about the boy

B. because she realized that the boy was poor and angry

C. because she saw everyone staring at her

D. because she hated being shouted at

31. From the story we can see the woman ________.

A. was careless and selfish       B. often made mistakes

C. was being careless             D. was crazy

Asian children are becoming increasingly under-nourished or obese,a new report says.The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) joint report was released Monday.The two agencies call for better regulation of junk food and a limit on sugary drinks for children.They also call for action against malnourishment,because a lack of food has prevented children who live in poverty growing normally and healthily—or rather,hurt their development.

Dorothy Foote is a UNICEF regional nutritional specialist.She said the lack of food affects children's height and development inside their bodies.But at the same time,the area is facing "skyrocketing" levels of overweight children.

The main reason for the food problems,the report says,is there is more “junk” food available,food that does not provide nutrition.Another problem is drinks with high sugar or high trans-fat, but low nutritional value.Lack of physical activity is also part of the problem,the report says.

Foote said this is seen in nutrition across the area.She said people lack knowledge about what is needed and normal for healthy child development.

The economic growth in the area has brought "unhealthy products" to rural areas.Poor and middle-class families buy them and do not make "the right choices to use healthier foods instead."Poor feeding practices, especially for children younger than two,mean ongoing high levels of undernourishment.

The report says governments need to regulate the marketing of junk food and sugary drinks to children.It also calls for better feeding practices for infants and young children,and treatment for severely malnourished children. And it says countries should work to reduce poverty and make sure that girls stay in school.

32.The underlined word "malnourishment" in the first paragraph can be replaced by      .

A.bad education                B.poor nutrition                 C.poor family                            D.expensive food

33.The causes of Asian children's being hungry and overweight are the following expect      .

A.more junk food available                                          B.drink with high sugar or high trans-fat

C.lack of physical activity                                      D.bad food provided in the school dinning hall

34.Which group are influenced worst by poor feeding practices according to the text?

A.Primary school students.                                         B.Children under two years old.

C.Children in rural areas.                                     D.Children in poor families.

35.What's the best title for the text?

A.The reasons for children's being hungry.                 B.Why do children in Asia become overweight?

C.Asian children are facing hunger or obesity.            D.How to stop children from being overweight.

  Not only ________ a musical performance, but _______ a brief introduction to the history of Western brass instruments.

A. presented they; they gave          B. did they present; they gave 

C. did they present; did they give       D. they presented; did they give

I was going to do some shopping in Golden Eagle，but________watching TV at home because of tiredness.

A．ended up                              B．took up

C．got down                              D．settled down

  1. 当他们返回宿营地的时候，他们几乎把水用尽了。

By the time they got back to the camp,______________________________________.

  2. 那个年轻人在十三岁的时候，吸烟就上瘾。

_________________________________________ when he was 13 years old.

  3. 尽管天气寒冷，他仍旧跳进河里把落水的男孩救了上来。

________________________, he jumped into the river and pulled the fallen boy out of the water.

  4. 她的时间全部用在校内外各种各样的活动上。

_____________________ kinds of activities in and out of school.

  5. 无论什么时候遇到困难都不要气馁。

_________________________ whenever you meet with difficulties.

  6. 是那场大雨导致我的航班延误。

________________________the delay of my flight.

  7. 我不是在取笑你，我羡慕你所做的一切。

______________________________________. Instead, I admire what you did.

     Do you often feel that you haven’t afford got enough time to carry out all the plans drawn up at the beginning of the year, and a new year is drawing near unexpectedly? If you have the same feeling, you are not alone. It feels like time speeds up every year.

     Scientists claim that over thousands of years, great changes have taken place. However, time is mysterious and unique. No matter what happens in the world, time seems to turn a blind eye to the outside world. Whether it is in the past, at present, or in the future, time would not vary with the development of the world. It remains the same and operates at a relatively steady speed.

According to a recent study, smart phones，tablets and other digital products have trained our brains to process more information, causing us to think time is passing faster than it really is. Even just reading a simple advertisement on the digital device, the people who were experimented on thought time passed more quickly, compared with the other group that read a long monologue(独白)from a real book.

“It’s almost as though we^’re trying to keep step with the technology, and do things more quickly and more efficiently,” Dr. Mcoughlin from James Cook University said.“It seems like there’s something about technology itself that speeds up our pacemakers which measure the passing of time.”

Researchers note that in order to stop time from rushing by, we should reduce the time spent online and prevent the pacemaker moving fast .The findings prove what most people have known: we need to stop and smell the roses.

25. Which of the following is TRUE according to the scientists?

A. People have known clearly about time.  B. Time is something that never changes.

 C. People can change the feature of time.   D. Time usually keeps pace with our life.

26. What makes us feel that time is getting faster?

A. The healthy lifestyle.                 B. Reading a lot of books.

C. The high tech products.                D. The development of the brain.

27. What's the attitude of Dr. McLoughlin to the study?

A. Opposed.      B. Approving.      C. Doubtful.      D. Unconcerned.

28. By saying "we need to stop and smell the roses", the author means_________.

A. we must know how to plant roses 

B. it's necessary to avoid using the Internet

C. people can keep working without a break

D. we should learn to slow down and enjoy our life. 

Well, more and more companies are beginning to create products and services for teenagers. The Disney Company sells the Hannah Montans television show, music, film and merchandise(商品) to teenagers and their parents. You can get everything from branded lunchboxes and mobile phone covers, to monthly fan magazines and clothing. The High School Musical series of films is also intended for a teenage audience. So, it’s all about sales, which tells us teenagers must have more money, freedom and influence upon their parents than they’ve ever had before.

UK teenagers never used to be worried about spending money on clothes and fashion accessories(附加物). That’s changed. Now, they are much more fashion conscious and concerned about their image. In a world of television programmes that promise overnight success and fame at a young age (for example, the shows Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol), some people think it’s extremely important to look fashionable.

So what does teenage fashion look like? Well, it’s quite horrible really, but then I’m a bit too old to appreciate it, I suppose. It’s lots of brightly coloured materials, particularly pink, and usually plain, not patterned. There are plenty of bows, necklaces and bracelets(手镯), too. It’s all very cute(可爱的), if that’s your taste.

Surely none of the above is a good thing, is it? Can it really be healthy for us to encourage kids to be like adults at such a young age? Are we stealing childhoods in return for a bit of profit? Well, the UK government is certainly concerned, and for that reason has strict laws preventing companies from explicitly(明确地) marketing their products and services at children.

Even the rest of UK society is concerned. Now that people are aware of the problem, there is a popular backlash(强烈反应) against the exploitation(利用) of children by commercial marketing.

39. It can be inferred from the passage that the teenagers nowadays         .

A. often ask their parents to buy things for them

B. always have more than enough money on their clothes

C. can’t enjoy their childhood though they are rich in material

D. are satisfied with their material life and worry about nothing

40. The author of the passage          .

A. supports teenage fashion quite a lot

B. is fond of brightly colored materials that are to his taste

C. thinks it illegal to make profits by selling things to kids

D. is strongly against marketing products and services at children

41. The passage is mainly about           .

A. British teenagers who are interested in fashions

B. UK companies targeting products at children

C. a social problem concerning teenagers in the UK

D. products that aim at young people in England

 So that explains why you caught a cold. You _______out last night without a coat.

A. shouldn’t have gone    B. mustn’t have gone

C. couldn’t have gone    D. mightn’t have gone

Learning a second language

    Nowadays, more and more people are learning a second language. So why should we invest time in learning a second language? Is it worth it? What are the benefits of learning a second language? Let us see.

36    

  If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you to communicate with them better. It may also help you to make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts. Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chance of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips.

    37   

  Needless to say, being able to speak a foreign language, for example, the Japanese, would benefit you a lot when you are travelling to Japan. Being able to speak the language of the target country will save you a lot of communication trouble and inconvenience.    38  

 Education

  If you are a high school student or a college student who is interested in going abroad for further education, then you will, in all possibility, have to learn the language of the country where you wish to move to, for further studies. _  39  _

__    40  __

  Learning a second language can help in broadening one’s horizon, it can help in learning about the culture of that particular country and it can pave the way for new interests and hobbies. Not only can you enjoy forms of art and literature connected with the new language, but you can also meet new people, make new friends and develop long-lasting relationships…all on the basis of learning a new language.

A．Travel

B．Career

C.  Personal Growth

D．Challenging Yourself

E. You may be required to study a particular language at school, college or university.

F. If you are fond of tourism, then knowledge of the local language is a must-have to avoid bad experiences or discomfort.

G. In some cases or countries, being able to speak that country’s national language is a must for students wishing to pursue education in that country.

 Between the two parts of the concert is an interval,_______ the audience can buy ice-cream.

       A. which                B. where                            C. when               D. why

51. The project,_____________( accomplish) by the end of 2010, has expanded the city’s telephone network to cover 1,000,000 users.

52. He received a medal in reward for his____________ (brave)

53. “Didn’t you have a good time at the party?” she looked at me and asked in ___________. ( astonish )

54. Antarctica was the last continent ___________. ( discover)

55. ___________ (establish) in 1990, the HSK test was initially meant for those learners who regard Chinese as a second or foreign language.

56. On ____________ (see) her mother , she burst into tears.

57. After more than ten days of searching，the missing lady was found at last, ____________(没有意识). ( conscious ).

58. Everybody sang high praise for her __________(devote) to the cause of education.

59. By the time I got to the  station , the train ___________(go).

60. The little girl showed no anxiety before the competition. She seemed ______( prepare) for it pretty well.

 I don't like dogs. I'm always afraid of ______________.

A. to be bitten         B. biting           C. to bite              D. being bitten

Many years ago,I was working as a psychologist at a children's institution in England.One day an adolescent boy_41_in my office.His headmaster had_42_him to me."David,"he wrote,"is very sad since both his parents died. He refuses to talk and I'm very_43_about him.Can you help?"

How could I help him?There are human tragedies psychology doesn't have the_44_to.Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen_45_.

The first two times we met,David didn't say a word.I_46_we play a game of chess the third time he came.He _47_.After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon in_48_.It's not easy to cheat in chess,_49_I made sure David won once or twice.It seemed as if he enjoyed my_50_.But why did he never talk with me?

"Perhaps he_51_needs someone to share his pain with,"I_52_.Some months later,I sat staring at David's head, while he was bent_53_the chessboard.Suddenly,he looked up at me.

"It's your_54_,"he said.

After that day,David started talking.He Got friends in school and joined a bicycle club.He wrote me_55_a few times about how he would try to get into university.The letters_56_after some time.I knew he had really started to live a(n)_57_life.He needn't write me any more to tell me that.

Maybe I gave David something.At least I_58_a lot from him.For example,David showed me_59_one—without any words—can reach out to another person.All it_60_is a hug,a shoulder to cry on,a friendly touch and an ear that listens.

41.A.turned out             B.showed up             C.stood out             D.called up

42.A.led                B.drove                 C.reminded              D.referred

43.A.disappointed           B.dissatisfied          C.concerned             D.confused

44.A.medicine          B.answer                C.method                D.hope

45.A.closely                B.regretfully           C.pitifully                 D.tearfully

46.A.remembered         B.suggested             C.announced            D.demanded

47.A.refused                B.nodded            C.allowed              D.admitted

48.A.silence                B.excitement        C.turn                 D.time

49.A.although           B.because           C.but                  D.if

50.A.humor              B.experience        C.wisdom                D.company

51.A.firstly                B.simply            C.similarly                 D.hardly

52.A.found             B.doubted           C.thought               D.predicted

53.A.on                 B.off               C.down                  D.over

54.A.fault                  B.time                  C.way                  D.tum

55.A.promises          B.letters           C.opinions              D.choices

56.A.remained               B.continued             C.stopped               D.lost

57.A.normal             B.comfortable       C.poor                  D.rich

58.A.saw                    B.learnt            C.asked                 D.expected

59.A.when               B.whether               C.how                   D.why

60.A.matters                B.takes                 C.leaves                D.gets

When I was in the sixth grade, I became a big Korean pop fan. Almost half the students at my middle school were Korean and almost all of them listened to Korean music, especially K-pop. I had never been interested in it. It sounded too strange to me, but all changed in the sixth grade when the huge hit Gee came out. All my friends were singing the chorus and imitating the dance. Gee fever sucked(使卷入) me into K-pop. It became my life. I listened to K-pop non-stop and filled my iPod with it. In a month, I had memorized the names of countless members of boy and girl bands and stuck pictures of my singer “boyfriends” on my walls. I would ditch my weekend art and maths classes and go to concerts with my friends. This would always result in my mom shouting that I was wasting my life. My mom thought K-pop was trash(垃圾) and wanted me to like classical music as she did. But classical music made me sleepy.

Every day during middle school I went to a K-pop gossip and news site called allkpop.com. On this site I learned that I could audition(试音)to become a singer in a K-pop band. The shining clothes, thousands of screaming fans and hearing them call my name seemed much more exciting than being a middle school student. Becoming a K-pop star was all I wanted.  

I started watching the audition videos of current stars and reading blog posts from people who had auditioned. They explained much about the audition. This made me want to audition even more. After watching those videos, I saw that most of the current stars weren’t that amazing in their auditions and didn't think of myself as a good singer. “ But if they could do it, I could do that too.” I thought.

21. What caused the author to fall in love with K-pop?   

    A. Her Korean                                     B. A new style of dance   

    C. Her classmates’ influence             D. The popularity of Gee 

22. The underlined word “ditch” in Paragraph 1 probably means______.

A. forget             B. attend                C. skip             D. hate 

23. What do we know about the author’s mother?    

A. She has no interest in music.       B. She has a low opinion of K-pop. 

C. She doesn’t care about her daughter D. She prefers K-pop to classical music.

24. After visiting allkpop.com, the author_______.    

A. dreamed of becoming a pop singer     

B. called the manager of the news site 

C. contacted people who had auditioned

D. knew she would never become a singer

25. The author thought she could become a good singer because _______.

A. she had a special talent for music.

B. she had been given singing lessons.

C. she firmly believed she could improve singing through training.

D. her performance at the studio was satisfying.

Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways. 36      . Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report. 37       Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process. 38          

The following methods may work best for you.

●Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

●Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

● Write your notes in your own words.

● 39         

● Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. 40       

A. Use words ，not complete sentences.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. You must write your notes on separate paper.

D. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later.

E. you will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes. 

G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

 During the last three decades, the number of people participating in physical fitness programs _____ sharply.

A. was increasing    B. has increased   C. had increased      D. will be increasing

 I will never forget the days        we spent together at a small village near the Yangtze River.

   A. that              B. when             C. where            D. what

假定你是学生李华。今年9月将赴美国进修学习4个月。请给你的美国笔友Peter写一封邮件，希望他能帮你找一个合租房。要点如下：

1.对房子的要求； 2.对室友的要求；3.表达感谢。 

注意：1.词数：100左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3.开头和结尾己为你写好，不计入总词数。

Dear Peter,

I am writing to ask a favor of you.                                                                                      

  Looking forward to your early reply.

Yours,

Li Hua