Animal experts in Croatia say a bear has learned how to trick people to let him in by knocking at the
door.
     They believe the 220- kilogram brown bear probably learned the trick while nudging (輕推) a door
to get it to open.
     Experts have a guess that the nudging was mistaken by the owners for knocking and that the bear,
pleased by the result, repeated the trick.
     The Loknar family from Gerovo in western Croatia said the bear had knocked at their door three
times and they were now refusing to answer the door.
     ''We jumped out of the window as he came in through the door and went into the kitchen to take
some food for the first time." Mum Nevenka Loknar told a reporter from a local newspaper. "I opened
the door and saw him standing there and I didn't believe my eyes at first, then I ran for it as he walked in
as if it was the most normal- thing in the world."
     Bears are a common thing in the woods around here, but no one has ever heard of a bear that knocks
at the door.
     Mum Nevenka Loknar said, "The bear is so intelligent. It's incredible. We've tried to put up lots of
obstacles to stop him coming in, like a wire fence but he still gets through. I wouldn't be surprised if he
knew how to use wire cutters (鋼絲剪)."

1. According to experts in Croatia, how did the bear learn the trick?

A. By knocking at the door several times.
B. By accident.
C. By learning from the owner of a family.
D. By imitation.

2. What does the underlined word "it" in paragraph 5 refer to?

A. Eating at the kitchen.
B. Knocking at the door.
C. Walking into the house.
D. Answering the door.

3. It is ________ in Gerovo that a bear knocks at the door.

A. unusual
B. a troubling problem
C. common
D. an exciting experience

4. Mum Nevenka Loknar was surprised that the bear _____.

A. didn't attack her family
B. knew how to use wire cutters
C. jumped across her wire fence three times
D. was clever at getting through the obstacles

     The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates. The best tea usually comes from plants grown
on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it
encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.
    Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they
are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant,
which are the parts used for processing (加工) tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw
their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually
new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
    Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various
methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are
first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft.
After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices
which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment
(發(fā)酵)under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are
then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves. The final step is to sort and
grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.

1. In the first paragraph, the word "pruning" means        .

A. regular cutting of the plants
B. frequent watering
C. regular use of chemicals
D. growing the plants high in the mountain

2. One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that        .

A. they work harder than men do in the picking
B. they can throw their pickings more easily into the baskets
C. their fingers fit them better for the job    
D. they can more easily find the twin leaves    

3. How many processing steps for black tea are mentioned in the last paragraph?

A. Three.     
B. Four.
C. Five.
D. Six.

4. What is the writer's purpose in writing the passage?

A. To introduce various methods of tea processing.
B. To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.
C. To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.
D. To inform readers of tea growing, picking and processing.

     As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a
family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how
much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary
meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and
their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents' efforts
to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. "In general the
more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children's IQ scores," Lewis says. "And the more
children there are, the less question-asking there is."
    The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in
life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner
conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest,
who needs the most attention. "Middle children are invisible," says Lewis. "When you see someone get
up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are that it's the middle child." There is,
however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: "When the
TV is on," Lewis says, "dinner is a non-event."

1. The writer's purpose in writing the text is to          .

A. show the relationship between parents and children
B. teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table
C. report on the findings of a study
D. give information about family problems

2. By saying "Middle children are invisible" in Para. 3, Lewis means that middle children         .

A. have to help their parents to serve dinner
B. get the least attention from the family
C. are often kept away from the dinner table
D. find it hard to keep up with other children

3. Lewis' research provides an answer to the question          .

A. why TV is important in family life
B. why parents should keep good order    
C. why children in small families seem to be quieter
D. why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

4. Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

A. It is important to have the right food for children.
B. It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.
C. Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.
D. Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.

     Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them.Helping them enjoy
science can be easy; there's no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment.You only
have to share your children's curiosity.Firstly, listen to their questions.I once visited a classroom of
seven-year- olds to talk about science as a job.The children asked me "textbook questions" about
schooling, salary and whether I liked my job.When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in
silence.Finally I said, "Now that we're finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about
science?"
     After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, "Have you ever seen a grasshopper (蚱蜢) eat? When I try
eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache.Why?"
     This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
     Secondly, give them time to think.Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a
question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think.When
adults increase their "wait time" to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and
creative answers.
     Thirdly, watch your language.Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don't jump in
with "That's right" or "Very good".These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior.
But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over.Instead, keep things going by
saying,   "That's interesting" or "I'd never thought of it that way before", or coming up with more questions or ideas.
     Never push a child to "Think".It doesn't make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling
them to.What's more, this can turn a conversation into a performance.The child will try to find the answer
you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement.
     Lastly, show; don't tell.Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program.Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying
glass, and they'll understand why you want them to wash before dinner.Rather than saying that water
evaporates, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

1. According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative
    way if adults ______.

A. ask them to answer quickly
B. wait for one or two seconds after a question
C. tell them to answer the next day
D. wait at least for three seconds after a question

2. In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children
    in a science discussion?

A. The second and third.
B. The fourth and fifth.
C. The fifth and sixth.
D. The seventh.

3. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word "lists" could best be replaced by _____.

A. any questions
B. any problems
C. questions from textbooks
D. any number of questions?

4. The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children's curiosity
     EXCEPT that adults should ______.

A. tell their children stories instead of reciting facts
B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C. be patient enough when their children answer questions
D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own

     Why do 33% of the households in the USA have cats? And how do you explain why there are 16
million more pet cats than dogs? Yes, kittens are adorable (討人喜歡的).Yes, they can grow up to be
good mousers and are very entertaining to watch.And yes, cats are independent and don't require as
much care as dogs.But research shows cats can also be caretakers for us and our families, improve our
health and teach us and our children to be kinder, gentler souls.
     Theodora Wesselman is 94 and has lived the past two years with her elderly cat, Cleo, at TigerPlace,
a retirement community in Columbia, Mo.Their enduring friendship is a classic example of how humans
and animals can become family and look out for each other.
     Wesselman visits other residents, and her children stop by, but Cleo is her best friend, she says.
They've been together nearly 21 years.
     "She sleeps on her own pillow right beside mine," Wesselman says."In the morning, she pecks on my
cheek to wake me up.It's really sweet.I pet her, tell her I love her and take her to the kitchen to prepare
her food."
     Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale (士氣;精神狀態(tài)), helps
validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves, says Rebecca Johnson, director of the
University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction.The body of research is leading
more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets.

1. According to the context, where do you think the sentence "They start and end the day together"
    should appear in the passage?

A. Between para.1 and para.2
B. Between para.2 and para.3
C. Between para.3 and para.4
D. Between para.4 and para.5

2.Which of the following words best describe the author's attitude towards keeping pet cats?

A. Favorable
B. Critical
C. Reserved
D. Doubtful

3. Why does the author take 94-year-old Theodora Wesselman as an example in the passage?

A. To show that the elderly like Theodora Wesselman in the USA have pet cats.
B. To suggest to what degree humans and pet cats can be caretakers for each other.
C. Because Theodora Wesselman has been living with a pet cat for the past two years.
D. Because Theodora Wesselman pets her cat Cleo and tells her she loves her.

4. What does "to roll out the welcome mat for pets" in the last paragraph imply?

A. To give a special welcome to pets.
B. To make the welcome mat flat on the ground for pets.
C. To open out the welcome mat for pets to sleep.
D. To wrap the welcome mat to make room for pets.

     Nearly 28% of college Students plan to seek employment using Linkedin, up from 5% last year,
according to a survey out today from employee recognition provider i Love Rewards and career-services network Experience.Slightly more than 7% plan to use Facebook, up from 5%.
     No longer do students just wait for visiting campus recruiters to learn about job possibilities. Instead
they're using digital tools to find their dream jobs, says I Love Rewards CEO Razor Suleman.Companies
need to know their online image, then update anything that is outdated, inaccurate or not inleractive (互動(dòng)的).
'The recruited have now become the recruiters," Suleman says."They are now going out and finding the
companies they want to apply for."
Students learn about employers by viewing their websites, reading Facehook and Twitter updates and
perusing ( 精讀) Linkedln profiles.Another information source: Comments by past and current employees on job-oriented websites.
    A strong digital presence is one way for employers to stand out as the search for the best and brightest
gets competitive.
     Slightly more than four in 10 employers say they will use "different" recruiting tactics (策略) to reach
Generation Y, according to a survey by job-search site Monster.com to be released today.Of those
respondents, almost 60% say social-networking sites are popular tools to reach Gen Y candidates.
     "Our reason for using social media is because that's where we think the candidates are," he says.
     The company posts updates and videos on topics such as job opportunities and the benefits of being
an employee.It also created a mobile-friendly site for those who want to apply via smart phone.
     "Younger people want to attach to you in a different way than the past," Lavery says."They want to
interact with you.They want to learn about you."
     The updated recruitment techniques take effort, but they work, he says.
     In 2010, UPS used those tactics to recruit 955 employees.The year before, it hired 29 employees
through those means.
     "It's a time investment(投資)that you have to be willing to do," he says."You can't just have a page up
there and not have content.In social media, you have to have a give and a take, or people won't be a part of your community."

1. In order to find their dream jobs, more American graduates like to use ____.

A. newspapers  
B. magazines  
C. the Internet  
D. radios

2. Why do many companies use social-networking sites to recruit graduates?

A. Because they have no other way to get in touch with graduates.
B. Because graduates tend to learn about employers through social media.
C. Because companies want to post advertisements for their products.
D. Because companies like to post videos and updates about their products.

3.The underlined word "recruit" in Paragraph 11 probably means ____.

A. fire    
B. attract  
C. contact    
D. employ

4. From what Lavery says, we can conclude that ____.

A. it is very easy for a company to hire graduates through social media
B. a company has to make great efforts to find the best graduates
C. a company doesn't have to update the information about it
D. graduates are afraid to communicate with the boss of the company

     What makes a person a scientist? Does he have ways or tools of learning that are different from those
of others?
     The answer is"no". It isn't the tools a scientist uses but how he uses these tools that makes him a
scientist. You will probably agree that knowing how to use a power is important to a carpenter(木匠).
You will probably agree,too,that knowing how to investigate(調(diào)查) ,how to discover information,is
important to everyone. The scientist,however,goes one step further;he must be sure that he has a
reasonable answer to his questions and that his answer he gets to many questions is into a large set of
ideas about how the world works.
     The scientist's knowledge must be exact. There's no room for half right or right just half the time.  He
must be as nearly right as the conditions permit. What works under one set of conditions at one time must work under the same conditions at other times.  If the conditions are different,any changes the scientist
observes in a demonstration(實(shí)證) must be explained by the changes in the conditions. This is one reason why investigations are important in science. Albert Einstein,who developed the Theory of Relativity,
amved at this theory through mathematics. The accuracy (正確性) of his mathematics was later tested
through investigation.  Einstein's ideas were proved to be correct.  A scientist uses many tools for
measurements.  Then the measurements are used to make mathematical calculations (計(jì)算) that may test
his investigations.

1. What makes a scientist according to the passage?

A. The tools he uses.                            
B. His ways of learning.
C. The way he uses his tools.                      
D. The various tools he uses.

2."…knowing how to investigate,how to discover information,is important to everyone.
    "The writer says this toshow

A.  the importance of information
B. the difference between scientists and ordinary people
C.  the importance of thinking
D. the difference between carpenters and ordinary people

3. A sound scientific.theory should be one that _________.

A. works under one set of conditions at one time and also works under the same conditions at other times
B. doesn't allow any change even under different conditions
C. can only work under one condition
D. can be used for many purposes

4.  What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Scientists are different from ordinary people.
B.  The Theory of Relativity.
C.  Exactness is the core(核心) of science.      
D.  Exactness and way of using tools are the keys to making of a scientist.

      What will life in the future be like?Will it be much better than it is now? And what will we be able to
do 10,20 or 30 years later? Let's just close our eyes and think !
     Genetic Engineering
       Cenetic engineering will help us create the perfect human.  Babies will grow up to do slam dunks like Yao Ming or look like Cecilia Cheung.
         Also,we will be able to mix( 雜交)  plants and animals !  But do you want your dog to be a tree?
     The Dead
          In the future,we will be able to bring the dead back to life.  Then each family can meet and talk
with its dead family members. It will be like living with ghosts.
    On television people will see Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Confucius, Elvis Presley, and
Shakespeare talking with each other!
     Long-Iiving People
      Over the next 20 t0 50 years,it will become harder to tell the difference between human and machine. All body parts will be replaceable.We will then be able to make fake (假的) people.
       We will make a copy of ourselves,so we will appear to be alive long after we are dead.  A few
decades later,people will find ways to transfer (轉(zhuǎn)移)  their spirit (精神 )  to the new body.
Nanobots
      We will be able to build nanobots (納米機(jī)器人) to travel through our body. Also,nanobots will be
used when we are sick.
      For example,when we have a stomachache,we will swallow a very small robot and it will travel
through our stomach,taking video of what's happening there.  Then we can show the video to help the doctor diagnose (診斷)  our problem.
Computers
     Computers help us remember,calculate,and enjoy ourselves. In the future,computers will be able to
show their feelings. They will be able to think better than the human mind.
     After television became popular,many people soon became couch potatoes. It is not surprising that
many people have become overweight; and things will get worse in the future !
      We will be more and more interested in computers and the Internet,spending more and more time in
front of computers and forget what our real needs are.  Many of us will become super couch potatoes
and weight 250kg!

1. Which of the following dream can Genetic Engineering make come true? 

A. Plants can be mixed with animals.
B. The dead can come back to life.
C. All body parts will be replaceable.
D. Computers can think.

2.  People in the future will live longer because of the following reasons EXCEPT

A. we can replace our broken parts by good ones
B. we can make a copy of ourselves
C. we can create perfect human 
D. we can find ways to transfer our spirit

3. "Couch potatoes"refer to _________.  

A. special potatoes
B. people who like eating potatoes
C. people who like sitting in couch
D. people who spend much time watching TV

4. What cause(s) people's overweight in the future? 

A. Genetic Engineering.          
B. Nanobots.
C. Computers.          
D. Potatoes.

1. By "permissive period in education" the author means a time ________.       

A. when children are allowed to do what they wish to
B. when everything can be taught at school
C. when every child can be educated
D. when chldren are permitted to receive education

 2. The main idea of the passage is that _______ .      

A. parents should leave their children alone
B. kids should have more activities at school
C. it's time to be more strict with our kids
D. parents should always set a good example to their kids