Imagine you’re in a dark room, running your fingers over a smooth surface in search of a single dot the size of this period, How high do you think the dot must be for your finger to feel it?
Scientists have determined that the human finger is so sensitive it can detect a surface bump just one micron（l0^－6m）"high． The human eye, by contrast, can't tell anything much smaller than100 microns．No wonder we rely on touch rather than eyesight when faced with a new roll of toilet paper．
Biologically, touch is the mother of all sensory（感覺的） systems．It is an ancient sense in evolution: even the simplest single-celled living things can feel when something brushes up against them and will respond by moving closer or pulling away． It is the first sense aroused during a baby’s development and the last to weaken at life's peak． Patients in a deep coma （昏迷）who seem otherwise lost to the world will show skin reaction when touched by a nurse．
“Touch ,is so central to what we are that we almost cannot imagine ourselves without it,” said Chris Dijkerman．“It's 'not like eyesight, where you close your eyes and you don't see anything． You can't do that with touch．It's always there．"
Long ignored in favor of the sensory heavyweights of eyesight and hearing, the study of touch lately:: has been gaining new concern among scientists．They're exploring the effects of recently reported false touch impressions, of people being made to feel as though they had three arms, for example, with the hope of gaining the true understanding of how the mind works．
Others are turning to touch for more practical purposes: to build better touch screen instruments and robot hands, a more well-rounded virtual life．�！癟here's a fair amount of research into new ways of offloading information onto our sense of touch," said Lynette Jones． "To have your cell phone buzzing （making a low sound） as opposed to ringing turned out to have a lot of advantages in．some situations．"
Touch is our most active sense, our means of seizing the world and experiencing it 'first hand． Dr．Susan Lederman pointed out that while we can become aware of something by seeing or hear,ing7;-．from a distance and without really trying, if we want to learn about something by means of touch, we must make a move．We must rub the cloth, or pet the cat． Touching is a two-way street, and that's not true for seeing or hearing． If you have a soft object and you squeeze it, you change its shape． The physical world reacts back．"
Our hands are smart and can do many tasks automatically - button a shirt, fit a key in a lock, play the; piano for others．Dr．Lederman and her colleagues have shown that blindfolded subjects can easily recognize a wide range of common -objects placed．in their hands．But on some feeling tasks, touch is all thumbs （very clumsy）． When people are given a raised line drawing of a common object, they're puzzled．“If all we've got is outline information;" Dr．Lederman said,．“no weight, no texture, no temperature information, well, we're very, very bad with that．"
Touch also turns out to be easy to fool, Among the sensory tricks now being investigated is something called the Pinocchio illusion． Researchers have found that if they shake the band of the biceps（二頭�。�, many people report feeling that their forearm is getting 'longer, their hand floating ever further from their elbow（肘）． And if they are told to touch the forefinger of the shaken arm to the tip of their nose, they feel as though their nose was lengthening, too． 
小題1:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?   

A．Our eyes are more sensitive than our fingers．

B．Our fingers are more sensitive than our eyes．

C．Our eyes are more sensitive than our ears．

D．Our noses are less sensitive than our ears．

小題2:The sense that is firstly awaked during a child's development is the sense of        ．

A．sight

B．taste

C．hearing

D．touch

小題3:The underlined sentence “You can't do that with touch” here means “You can't        ”．

A．close your skin

B．close your eyes '

C．touch anything

D．see anything

小題4:Scientists are lately getting interested in the following except      ．

A．living a well-rounded virtual life

B．understanding how the mind works

C．favoring eyesight and hearing

D．building better 'touch screen objects

小題5:In the view of       , movement is needed when we want to know something by touching．

A．the author	B．Chris Dijkerman
C．Lynette Jones	D．Susan Lederman

I am a psychologist. I first met Timothy, a quiet, overweight eleven­year­old boy, when his mother brought him to me to discuss his declining grades. A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that his self-esteem (自尊) and general happiness were falling right along with them.
I asked about Timothy’s typical day. He awoke every morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home around four thirty each afternoon. He then had a quick snack, followed by either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor. He finished dinner at 7 pm, and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours. Quickly doing the math in my head, I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a day at a writing desk.
What if Timothy spent thirteen hours a day at a sewing machine instead of a desk? We would immediately be shocked, because that would be called children being horribly mistreated. Timothy was far from being mistreated, but the mountain of homework he faced daily resulted in a similar consequence — he was being robbed of his childhood. In fact, Timothy had no time to do anything he truly enjoyed, such as playing video games, watching movies, or playing board games with his friends.
Play, however, is a crucial part of healthy child development. It affects children’s creativity, their social skills, and even their brain development. The absence of play, physical exercise, and free­from social interaction takes a serious toll on many children. It can also cause significant health problems like childhood obesity, sleep problems and depression.
Experts in the field recommend the minutes children spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their grade level. As a fifth­grader, Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes a day of homework (instead of three times that amount). Having an extra two hours an evening to play, relax, or see a friend would soundly benefit any child’s life quality.
小題1:What did the writer think of Timothy after learning about his typical day__________?

A．Timothy was very hard­working.

B．Timothy was being mistreated.

C．Timothy had a heavy burden.

D．Timothy was enjoying his childhood.

小題2:Which of the following statements best describes the writer’s opinion________?

A．Children should be allowed enough time to play.

B．Playing board games works better than playing video games.

C．The more they play, the more creative children will become.

D．The depression caused by homework makes children unwilling to play.

小題3:According to the passage, how long should a third­grader spend a day doing homework________?

A．About ten minutes.	B．No more than twenty minutes.
C．No more than thirty minutes.	D．About fifty minutes.

Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap. Some call it the summer learning setback（退步）. Simply speaking, it means the longer kids are out of school, the more they forget. The only thing they might gain is weight.
Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar. Students get winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation. Some schools follow a year-round calendar. They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time, with a few weeks off in between. The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than three thousand such schools at last count. They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states.
But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year-round school is generally the same as in a traditional school. Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said, “Year-round schools don't really solve the problem of the summer learning setback. They simply spread it out across the year.”
Across the country, research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students. Experts say this can be prevented. They note that many schools and local governments offer programs that can help.
But calling them “summer school” could be a problem. The director of the summer learning center at Johns Hopkins, Ron Fairchild, said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term “summer school”. In American culture, the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood. The parents welcomed other terms like “summer camp”, “enrichment”, “extra time” and “hands-on learning”.
小題1:According to the first paragraph the summer learning gap          .

A．helps children to gain weight

B．leads children to work harder

C．improves children’s memories

D．a(chǎn)ffects children’s regular studies

小題2:Compared to traditional schools, students in the year-round ones           .

A．perform better and have more learning gains

B．have much less time for relaxation every year

C．have generally the same number of class days

D．hold more classes with more free weeks off

小題3:Which of the following statements is true?

A．Students from poor families often fall behind after the vacation.

B．Year-round schools can solve the problem of the learning gap.

C．There are schools in each state following a year-round calendar.

D．Nothing can help the students who fall behind after the vacation.

小題4:Why did almost all parents dislike the term “summer school”?

A．They cherish the children’s rights of freedom very much.

B．They are worried about the quality of the “summer school”.

C．They want their children to be forced to make up the gap.

D．They can’t afford the further study during vacation.

小題5:What would be the best title of this passage?

A．Opening Summer Camps

B．Forbidding Summer Schools

C．Spreading Year-Round Education

D．Minding the Summer Learning Gap

Students who date in middle school have significantly worse study skills. They are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use as their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
"Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence, but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships," said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade.
Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts. He found some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had consistently the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
"At all points in time, teachers rated the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,” according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
"Dating a classmate may have the same emotional complications of dating a co-worker," Orpinas said, "When the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps witness the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and divert attention from studying.”
“Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school,” Orpinas concluded.
小題1:According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____

A．have poorer academic performances

B．be more likely to hurl others

C．enjoy better school lives

D．a(chǎn)re less likely to use alcohol and tobacco

小題2:When doing his study, Orpinas_____.

A．followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade

B．completed a survey and a report each year

C．completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts

D．found that the students’ study skills have connection with their frequency of dating

小題3:Study skills may include the following behaviors and qualities Except_____

A．being diligent	B．being well organized
C． being kind and helpful	D．finishing assigned schoolwork

小題4:What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?

A．They don’t want to see each other any longer.

B．Their attention to studying will be affected.

C．They will miss their ex-partners sometimes

D．They will think it reasonable to get depressed.

小題5:Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is_____

A．supportive

B．positive

C．negative

D．indifferent

After record increase in over 40 countries, Universal Robots’ lightweight robotic arms are now making their US debut (首次露面) at this year’s International Manufacturing Trade Show (IMTS) in Chicago.
The UR5 robotic arm made by Universal Robots has been announced officially “The world’s most innovative (創(chuàng)新的) robot” by The International Federation of Robotics and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Robotics and Automation Society. The US audience will now see the award-winning robot — along with its big brother UR10 — for the first time.
The UR5 and UR10 robotic arms are aimed at small-sized companies that thought robots were too expensive and hard to operate in existing production. The robotic arms are easily moved around the production area and present a simple user interface (界面) which lets workers quickly operate them.
Esben Ostergaard, founder and CTO (Chief Technical Officer) at Universal Robots, explains how the robots were designed to be as user?friendly as possible:
“We decided to make programming easy by developing a user interface worked together with a “teaching function” allowing the user to simply took hold of the robot arm and show it how a movement should be done. The robot can work in any production process very quickly. Our experience shows this is generally done in a few hours.”
The robots weigh as little as 40 pounds, making it possible for them to be moved around the production area to do different tasks. The UR5 can handle a load of up to 5 kilos (11 pounds), the UR10, 10 kilos (22 pounds). As soon as a worker touches the robot arm and uses a force of at least 150 Newton, the robot arm will automatically stop operating.
小題1:According to the text, the UR5 robotic arm _____.

A．was designed by IEEE

B．is aimed at small companies

C．has won a number of awards

D．made its appearance in 40 countries

小題2:The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to _____.

A．the programme	B．the user interface
C．the robot arm	D．the “teaching function”

小題3:What’s the text mainly about?

A．An introduction to Universal Robots’ new robots.

B．The difference between the UR5 and the UR10.

C．Why the UR5 and the UR10 were invented.

D．How to operate the UR5 and the UR10.

For many students in the UK today, deciding whether or not to go to university can be as much about affordability as it is about ambition and aspiration.
In the past, students in the UK could apply to a university or college. They were sure that even if they came from a low income family, their tuition fees and some of their living (or maintenance) costs would be covered by a local authority grant(撥款). A university education was, in a financial sense, open to all and the number of students attending university grew yearly.
Sadly, it seems, those days are long gone. The turning point came in 1998, when the Labour Government introduced tuition fees of ￡1,000 a year and, instead of giving students a maintenance grant, asked them to cover their own living expenses with a repayable student loan. Only students on the lowest incomes were entitled to a grant.
The flood gates had been opened. As time passed, the ceiling on tuition fees rose, and although applicants from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales still qualified for varying levels of subsidy(補貼), by 2009/10 students in England often found themselves facing tuition fees over￡3,000 a year.
In 2011 the Government announced that, from 2012, universities could charge fees of up to ￡9,000 a year. Although the Government sweetened the pill by stating that postgraduates did not have to begin repaying their student loans until they were earning more than ￡21,000 a year, the news created over-dissatisfaction. Many students argued that it was unfair that students should have to begin their work life loaded with huge debt, while others complained that the changes would bring back a class divide to university education. These views were reflected in the number of students applying for a university place, which by January 2012 fell by more than 22,000. The Universities Minister, David Willetts, stood by the decision to increase tuition fees, saying that they would not “put universities’ finance on a bearable footing” and that they would accelerate “a stronger focus on high quality teaching.”
小題1:From the first paragraph, we can infer that _____ in attending university.

A．a(chǎn)ffordability plays more important roles than ambition and aspiration

B．a(chǎn)mbition and aspiration are more important than affordability

C．a(chǎn)ffordability is as important as ambition and aspiration

D．a(chǎn)mbition and aspiration make a greater difference

小題2:We can put the sentence “But the biggest change was still to come” at the beginning of Paragraph _____.

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

小題3:The underlined part “sweetened the pill” in the last paragraph possibly means_____.

A．made a sweet pill	B．made the change appear good
C．increased the pill	D．reduced the pill

小題4:The writer _____ the change about university education fees.

A．is in favor of	B．is opposed to
C．takes no notice of	D．is neither for nor against

There has been much discussion recently about reducing the weight of English in China's high-stake tests such as the national college entrance examination. It is argued by some applauding the recent change to reduce the importance of English in tests so that it will lead students to focus more on learning Chinese. The TV program Writing in Chinese has exposed the problem that students and the general public cannot write in Chinese as they used to do.
Some blame the design of the curriculum for giving English an equal or greater amount of emphasis, which might have contributed to the failure in teaching Chinese. But this is probably not a fair accusation since children in English speaking countries cannot spell either.
I doubt that studying English in itself hurts the study of Chinese. In fact, high achievers in English or another foreign language are more likely to be high achievers in Chinese. It has been proved many times in recent Chinese history that those capable of using a foreign language are also masters in their mother tongue. Qian Zhongshu, Lu Xun and Lin Yutang are just a few examples.
Another trend of thought for curriculum reform is related to the perception of "worth". It is true that English is one of the subjects that students do spend too much time on, with pitiful results. This makes some doubt if it is worth giving it priority. But this is not a sound argument either as students still need to study things that matter more to their future in spite of challenges learning English presents to them.
Improvements in Chinese language education should not be achieved by sacrificing another important subject. There should be a robust(健康的) foreign language education program, as a foreign language improves a student's future job prospects. Bashing(抨擊) English education as a waste of time or using it as a goat for failures in Chinese education are both harmful tendencies.
To be constructive, we ought to start a dialogue on ways to make improvements in learning outcomes so that students' time learning English is spent more effectively. There are a few things that could improve English education, such as assessment design，learner motivation and teaching style，
I am sure there are many other areas where changes can greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of English learning. The public discourse at present is a little oversimplified. People are arguing for or against English having less weight in major tests, when the dialogue should be taken a step further, to the improvement of learning or teaching methods that may benefit the teaching of other subjects as well, Chinese included.
小題1:In paragraph 3 Qian Zhongshu, Lu Xun and Lin Yutang are mentioned to _____.

A．show respect for their capabilities of learning languages

B．prove English and Chinese are not contradictory

C．confirm the importance of learning English in China

D．tell the readers English Education is to blame

小題2:According to the passage, which of the following statements is right?

A．The TV program Writing in Chinese is very popular at present.

B．Good results of learning English are not worth so much time.

C．Some are in favor of attaching less importance to English in exams.

D．Sacrificing English can improve Chinese language education.

小題3:In the writer’s opinion, what should be done to solve the argument?

A．Increasing time spent in learning Chinese.

B．Increasing time spent in learning English.

C．Reducing the weight of English in examinations.

D．Improving the learning outcomes effectively.

小題4:Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．English education is still important in China.

B．Chinese education is more important in China.

C．English contributes to the failure in teaching Chinese

D．Ways to make improvements in learning Chinese.

Space is where our future is — trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from comets(彗星) and stars, there is little else out there. But, since our space journey started we have left so much trash（垃圾） there that scientists are now concerned that if we don't clean it up, we may all be in mortal （致命的）danger.
The first piece of space junk was created in 1964, when the American satellite Vanguard I stopped operating and lost its connection with the ground center. However, since it kept orbiting around the Earth without any consequences, scientists became increasingly comfortable abandoning（拋棄） things that no longer served any useful purpose in space.
It is estimated （估計）that there are now over 500,000 pieces of man-made trash orbiting the Earth at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour. The junk varies from tiny pieces of paint chipped off rockets to cameras, huge fuel tanks, and even odd items like the million-dollar tool kit that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn Piper lost during a spacewalk.
The major problem with the space trash is that it may hit working satellites and damage traveling spacecraft(飛船). Moreover, pieces of junk may collide（碰撞） with each other and break into pieces which fall back to the Earth. To avoid this, scientists have invented several ways for clearing the sky. Ground stations have been built to monitor larger pieces of space trash to prevent them from crashing into working satellites or space shuttles. Future plans include a cooperative effort among many nations to stop littering in space and to clean up the trash already there.
小題1:What was the first piece of man-made space trash­?

A．A camera.	B．A tool kit.
C．A fuel tank.	D．A broken satellite.

小題2:Why were scientists NOT concerned about space trash in the beginning?

A．It no longer served any useful purpose.

B．It was millions of miles away from the Earth.

C．It did not cause any problems.

D．It was regarded as similar to comets and stars.

小題3:Which of the following statements is true about space junk?­

A．It is huge, heavy machines.

B．It never changes position.

C．It floats slowly around the Earth.

D．It may cause problems for space shuttles.

小題4:What has been done about the space trash problem­?
A, Scientists have cleaned up most of the trash.
B. Large pieces of space trash are being closely watched.
C. Many nations have worked together to stop polluting space.
D. Ground stations are built to help store the trash properly in space.

These days it’s cheaper to throw that broken DVD player, cell-phone or TV out and buy a new one. This “ replace-rather-than-repair” mentality is polluting the planet with electronic waste. According to the UN Environment Program, we are throwing away an estimated 50 million metric tonnes of electronics waste    (e-waste) per year. But this is not ordinary garbage. Our electronics leak harmful heavy metals — such as mercury and arsenic — along with equally poisonous chemicals that end up in our soil and eventually our water.
You’ve probably participated in a community recycling event and left feeling good about shipping off that old computer to be recycled. Chances are it was shipped overseas where it’s polluting someone else’community.
Guiyu city in Southeastern China has become known as the e-waste city where low-paid workers use whatever means available to remove electronics in hopes of recovering the copper, microchips, aluminum, gold and silver and plastic that can be resold. Any leftover waste is simply thrown into the nearby river or piled up high in the streets, poisoning the children growing up here.
So what can you do with your e-waste? Robert Houghton, President and founder of Redemtech, an asset management and recovery firm, recommends you vote with your dollar. Buy from companies who have a take-back program that guarantees your discarde electronics are handled proper.
“ Consumers want to do business with companies who are demonstrably    good with corporate responsibility and dealing with e-waste, ” said Houghton.
There are   plenty of charitable   organizations that will    take your  used electronics and donate them for charitable causes:
? Electronic Recycling  Association (Canada) (ERA) collects old    computers for donation to libraries and other organizations across Canada.
? eBay’s Rethink Initiative pairs up consumers with businesses that refurbish (再磨光)old computers for donation.
? TechSoup has a thorough   listing of resources for those who would  like   to donate or recycle hardware，buy recycled hardware or find a refurbisher.
? The Charitable    Recycling Program  accepts all cell-phones    and    has a listing of charities it helps with its program.
? Call2 Recycle has set up drop off points across Canada in a number of stores. You can drop off your cell-phone and also your rechargeable batteries from handheld electronic products.
小題1:When there is something wrong with electronics, what is a popular trend among people nowadays?

A．To keep a DIY way.	B．To put them away themselves.
C．To purchase what they like.	D．To donate them to charities.

小題2:Guiyu city in Southeastern China is mentioned here to show us ____.

A．there is an ideal place in the world for e-waste

B．there is a good example in the world for recycling

C．the recycling events in Canada benefit people overseas

D．people should find a scientific and thorough way to recycle

小題3:In the     writer’s opinion, who can first shoulder the   great responsibility to guarantee e-waste is handled proper in the future?

A．The UN Environment Program.

B．Consumers who buy electronics.

C．President and founder of Redemtech.

D．Guiyu city in Southeastern China.

小題4:In Canada, which charity organization will    most possibly take all  your unwanted electronics?

A．Call2 Recycle.	B．TechSoup.
C．eBay’s Rethink Initiative.	D．Electronic Recycling Association.

Going Green
For career（職業(yè)） changers thinking about growth and advancement potential, forget the blue-collar and white-collar categories: Green is the way to go. According to Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Progress, careers that promote environmental responsibility will become main stream within a decade. “The growth in green careers will be like the Internet boom, which not only created new jobs, but also had an influence on the overall economy（經(jīng)濟）,” he says.
The increasing environmental problems and need for eco-friendly products and services are creating a new job section of green-collar jobs. Many countries of the world have realized the importance and need for energy-saving products and services. It is expected that by 2025 about 25% of the jobs in developed countries will be of green-collar jobs. Doesn’t the data look promising for the future?
Green-collar jobs have become a bright career chances for all. And jobs will pop up at every income level, from environmental manager to gardener. For example, many countries including the United States have understood that fossil fuels have negative effect on the environment which can later become a serious danger to mankind. As a result, possibilities are being explored to find alternatives to satisfy demands in a better way. The increasing demand of newer resources（資源） has creating the need for experts and researchers who can find better ways to deal with the ongoing needs. In addition, in order to meet the increasing demands of environment-friendly equipment, both green product designer and educated and trained workers are needed. Management of environmental organizations also demands a large number of environmental managers. 
Where can you find green-collar jobs? Internet is undoubtedly the best way to find information on almost any matter. Nowadays, different kinds of jobs are being posted online. Search through a couple of job websites to look for a bright future in energy conversion and recycling of waste management. Check regularly and find the right work for yourself. People who read newspapers can also find different kinds of green-collar jobs.
小題1:Why does Bracken Hendricks mention the Internet Boom in Paragraph One?

A．To explain the importance of technology.

B．To provide evidence of his recent research.

C．To indicate the bright future of green careers.

D．To inform us of the way of finding green-collar jobs.

小題2:Which of the following probably creates green-collar jobs?

A．Promoting services.

B．Training employees.

C．Consuming fossil fuels.

D．Developing new resources.

小題3:What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?

A．The requirements for green employees.

B．The development of the green industry.

C．The economic influence of green careers.

D．The job chances in the environmental industry.

小題4:The passage is written to _______.

A．discuss eco-friendly services

B．introduce promising career chances

C．suggest ways of saving energy at work

D．explain the best method of finding jobs