What is the color of the universe? Astronomers had not answered this question until two months ago. That
is when two American astronomers reported on their study of all the light in the universe. They said that the
universe would appear to the human eyes to be a light greenish color.
      Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, reported their finding
in January. They presented the research at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. They said that
finding the color of the universe was not part of their more serious scientific research. They did it for fun.
     However, earlier this month, the scientists admitted making a mistake. They said their finding was much
more colorful than it should have been. They now say the light from our universe is closer to white. It is more
like a milky or creamy white color.
      Their study attempted to show what people might see if they could observe the universe from far away.
     The scientists found the average color by combining light from about two-hundred-thousand star systems.
Their information came from an observatory in New South Wales, Australia. The scientists gave a number
value to the colors of the different star systems. Then they added the numbers together and found the average
measurement. The scientists used this average to identify the color of the universe. They said it was a very
pretty light green. Many newspapers and television stations reported their finding.
     Other scientists and color engineers attempted to reproduce the result. Mark Fairchild of the Rochester
Institute discovered a mistake in the computer software program used by the Johns Hopkins scientists.
      When the mistake was corrected, the results changed. The new color of the universe is much less colorful.
It is very close to white.

1. The color of the universe is _____.

A. close to white
B. black
C. blue
D. light greenish

2. The two scientists found the color of the universe by _____.

A. combining light from about 200,000 star systems
B. observing at an observatory in India
C .making long-term scientific research
D. using computer software programs

3. Who found the true color of the universe?

A. Karl Glazebrook.
B. Ivan Baldry.
C. Mark Fairchild
D. Johns Hopkins.

4. This passage mainly tells us ______.

A. what the color of the universe is
B. the light from our universe is a light greenish color
C. the new color of the universe is much more colorful
D. the finding of the color of the universe is difficult

     It's natural to greet friends with a smile and a wave. When you do this, your face and body work together
to show your friends that you're happy to see them. But what happens if your face and body send mixed
messages? Scientists have recently deal with these questions. They found that when a person is looking at your
face, he or she might not believe what he or she sees if your body language doesn't match the feeling that your
face shows.
     Studying such mixed messages is nothing new for scientists. Previously, they had found that the tone of a
person's voice can be more important than the words that are spoken. For example, most people tend not to
believe a person who says in a flat voice,"I'm so excited."
     When it came to emotions conveyed by facial expressions and body language, most scientists suspected
that the face was more important. To test if this was true, psychologists from the Netherlands and Boston
showed people a number of pictures of isolated faces and isolated bodies (with faces blurred out) that showed
anger or fear. They also showed pictures in which angry or scared faces were paired with angry or scared
bodies.
     An angry face had low eyebrows and tight lips. A scared face had high eyebrows and a slightly open
mouth. An angry body had arms back and shoulders at an angle, as if ready to fight. A scared body had arms
forward and shoulders square, as if ready to defend.
     Using the pictures, the researchers asked people to quickly press a button that matched the correct facial
emotion: anger or fear. When people looked only at faces, they chose the right emotion about 81 percent of
the time. But when people looked at a mismatched picture-a scared face with an angry body, for example-they
correctly guessed the emotion on the face only 64 percent of the time.
     These results told the researchers that mixed signals can confuse people. Even when people pay attention
to the face, body language subtly influences which emotion they read.
     So, your body language is important for telling people how you feel. And if you want to be understood, it
helps to avoid sending mixed messages.

1. What's the best title of the passage? ( No more than 5 words)
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. What question have scientists recently dealt with? ( No more than 15 words)
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please explain the underlined word"confused" in English. ( No more than 5 words)
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why do people tend to look at other's faces to know their real feelings when their body language
doesn't match the feelings their faces show? ( No more than 30 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. What did most scientists suspect according to the passage? ( No more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

     When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that
eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are
interested in what the bears leave behind; their poop (排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown
at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy
from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass (有機燃料) when
they are used as an energy source.
     Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists
something about breaking down biomass. Pandas - or at least the bacteria in their stomachs - are very good at
getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda
has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.
     Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two
pandas. Ya Ya and Le Le living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break
down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains
bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.
     Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and
then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn
biomass - like grass or other plants - into fuel.
     Brown says she doesn't mind handling panda poop."It's probably the most pleasant material to work with,"
she says,"My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it
has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it."

1. The importance of studying panda poop is _______.

A. to explore a new way to get energy from plants
B. to create a renewable energy from plants
C. to learn a lesson of energy from panda poop
D. to figure out how the bacteria work for us mankind

2. The process of the panda poop project can be described as ______.
a. Identify the chemicals helpful to break down biomass.
b. Find the bacteria in panda poop which break down bamboo.
c. Reproduce the chemicals in the lab to turn biomass into energy.
d. Analyze how the bacteria in panda poop work in panda's stomach.

A. a, b, d, e
B. a, d, c, b
C. b, d, a, c
D. b, a, d, c

3. What does the author mainly want to express in the 2nd paragraph?

A. Pandas don't digest bamboo the same way as cows.
B. Pandas are capable of getting energy using stomachs.
C. Scientists have learn something new from panda poop.
D. Pandas can get energy from bamboo more efficiently.

4. What does Professor Brown think of working with panda poop?

A. Enjoyable.
B. Challenging.
C. Inspiring.
D. Sick.

     Scientists used to explore (探測 ) on the surface of the ocean. Now they are exploring below the surface,
too. They want to know about ocean water and the plant and animal life deep in the ocean.
     In 1934 the scientist William Beebe dived 3,000 feet below the surface in a hollow steel ball. In 1935
August Piccard dived 10,330 feet. In 1960 his son Jean dived to a depth of 35 ,800 feet.
     All these early dives were deep. But the divers could not stay down for very long. They had to come back
up to the surface after a few seconds. Scientists needed to stay down longer to study life below surface.
Gradually they succeeded. Cousteau, a Frenchman, was able to keep down to a depth of 36 feet for one month
and to a depth of 90 feet for a week.
     Now scientists are developing even better equipment. With this new equipment, man can stay below the
surface for days or even weeks. In 1962 Cousteau set up a research station 35 feet below the surface. Then,
in 1964,he set up another station on the ocean floor of the Red Sea. This was the first undersea station to
operate without help from the surface.
     Many countries are now studying undersea living. The former Soviet Union has an undersea laboratory in
the Crimean Sea. The United States has a laboratory 50 feet down on the ocean floor off the Virgin Islands. In
1970 five men lived there for two weeks. Then a team of five women scientists stayed in the laboratory. Next
came other teams of men. All were there to explore the ocean depths and to make plans for the use of its
resources. Scientists hope to find enough mineral, vegetable, and animal wealth there to provide food for the
entire world.

1. In order to _____,scientists are exploring below the surface of the ocean.

A. know about the ocean water deep in the ocean
B. stay down longer to study life of the plant and animal below the surface
C. know about the plant and animal life deep in the ocean
D. both A and C

2. Who made the deepest dive?

A. William Beebe.
B. August Piccard.
C. Jean Piccard.
D. Cousteau.

3. Who set up the first undersea station?

A. A Frenchman.
B. An American.
C. A Russian.
D. The passage made no mention.

4. Which of the following statement is true?

A. The early divers could not stay down for very long.
B. Up to now only five women scientists have stayed in the undersea laboratory.
C. The purpose of setting up the undersea laboratories is to make plans for the use
    of the resources in the ocean.
D. None of the above is true.

5. The author wants to tell us _____. 

A. that scientists try to explore the ocean depths
B. that scientists try to make use of resources in the ocean
C. about the secret of the plant and animal life in the ocean
D. both A and B

     If the sun has enough power to warm and light the whole earth, it must have enough power to do other
things, too. Can we use the sun's abundant energy to supply electricity,or at least to perform the functions
which electricity or other types of power usually perform? The answer is yes.
      For example, people have been using the reflected heat of the sun to cook for many years. Solar cookers
have been built with several curved mirrors reflecting the sun and focusing its heat on the cooking component.
This equipment can be used just like a gas or electric stove: it is more expensive to make but it does not need
any fuel. So costs nothing to use. Another possibility of using solar energy is in house heating.
      The form of energy we use most is electricity, and every day more is needed. But electricity has to be
made, too, and to make it, are required-oil, gas and nowadays even uranium(鈾).
     The question which worries everyone today is: how long will these fuels last? Nobody knows it for sure,
but most experts think it will soon be difficult to obtain sufficient electricity from these sources. It is possible
that the sun can make a contribution here, too.
     Solar power has already been used to produce terrific heat. In Southern France a solar furnace( huge
stove) has been built, where temperatures reach more than 3,000 ℃. This furnace is only used for experiments
at present, but could be used to produce steam for a power station.

1. What is the main idea of the passage? ( Please answer within 10 words. )
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Which sentence in the passage can he replaced by the following one?
    The sun can also make it possible for us to get a large quantity of electricity instead of from other fuels.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please fill in the blank in the passage with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.
   ( Please answer within 10 words. )
_________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Which can last longer, the ordinary fuels or the solar energy? What shall we do to have enough electricity?
    ( Please answer within 30 words. )
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the passage into Chinese.
________________________________________________________________________________________

     Every year when the Italian artist Michelangelo's (1475－1564, 意大利文藝復(fù)興時期著名雕刻家、畫家、
建筑師) birthday comes around, computer users all over the world are filled with fear (害怕) and use their
computers with care. Some may even choose not to turn on their computers on March 3. All this fear and care
are just because a deadly computer virus is ready to cause damages (破壞) on that day.
     What's a computer virus then? Why do people get so afraid of it?
     A computer virus is, in fact, a little program that is put into other programs and that does something bad.
It is called a virus because, like any real-life viruses such as AIDs virus, it reproduces itself. And when these
programs are run, the virus is brought to life. It hides itself in your computer system waiting for the right
moment to make damages. And at the same time it keeps producing itself by copying itself onto other programs.
     The Michelangelo virus waits until the artist's birthday comes around, and then it will wake up to do very
bad things like destroying you files (毀壞文檔). So next time when you turn on your computer, look out for
computer viruses!

1. The Italian artist Michelangelo _____.

A. was born six centuries ago
B. was born on March 3, 1475
C. died six centuries ago
D. died on March 3, 1564

2. Why are computer users full of fear on March 3? Because _____.

A. it is the birthday of a famous Italian artist
B. a kind of computer virus will come on that day
C. a deadly computer virus called "the Michelangelo virus" will wake up and then damages that day
D. something will easily go wrong with computers

3. In fact, a computer virus is _____.

A. a program which can be put into computers with some damages to them
B. a kind of real-life virus
C. a kind of virus like AIDS virus
D. also a kind of program which is placed into other programs and which makes damages

4. In fact, a computer virus is ready to cause damages _____.

A. any day
B. only on March 3
C. on Fridays
D. only on some famous artists' birthdays

     Thailand is an amazing place to teach English. But times are changing and Footprints is looking for the best
and the brightest to fill the teaching positions. As of March 2009, the Teachers Council introduced the following amendments (修改) to ensure that all teachers in Thailand have a minimum (最小) number of Education course credits along with their bachelor' s degree.
     The following teaching requirements apply to (適用于) English teachers in Thailand:
      ●A foreign teacher with a Bachelor of Education degree is required to take a 20-hour course about Thai
culture in order to have a work permit to English teachers in Thailand.
     ●A foreign teacher with any other degree than a Bachelor of Education degree will be required to either:
      ☆ pass an exam on several aspects of education ( nearly impossible without Education Courses) or
      ☆ complete a prescribed (規(guī)定的) set of education courses through an approved Thai University
      ●A foreign teacher must be a native English speaker with an Australian, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand,
South African, British or American passport.
      If the foreign person is employed teaching while completing the courses, they'll have to take night and
weekend courses. The courses take almost one year to complete. The cost for the courses is 60,000 baht.
     Upon completing the courses, the teacher will have earned the right to apply for a teaching license in
Thailand and will then have the right to apply for a work permit to teach in Thailand. The problem is that this
teaching license and these teaching credits are only valuable in Thailand.

1. The text mainly intends to _____ .

A. introduce the education system of Thailand
B. make advertisements for Footprints
C. show the requirements to teach English in Thailand
D. make an introduction to the Teachers Council in Thailand

2. If a foreign person wants to teach in Thailand, having a Bachelor of Education degree is  _____.

A. a big advantage
B. a must
C. useless
D. unnecessary

3. It can be inferred from the text that _____.

A. to apply for a job of teaching English in Thailand is a Simple task
B. foreigners can choose any university in Thailand to complete education courses
C. one should have a general idea of the Thai customs to teach English in Thailand
D. the teaching license in Thailand can also be used in many other countries

4. To get a teaching license in Thailand, a foreign person must _____.

A. apply for a work permit first
B. take weekend education courses
C. complete education courses in English-speaking countries
D. have English as his/her mother tongue

     Many people easily feel disappointed whenever they fail in their business. The failures may lead them to
pessimism (悲觀主義). The following saying" Failure is the mother of success" has been used to encourage
these sorts of people.
     At first," everything is difficult at the beginning". When we start carrying out a certain plan, although it is
carefully planned, we still meet some unexpected difficulties. For example, a farmer tried to sow a new kind
of seeds. To his disappointment, the new seeds did not produce him a good crop as expected, while his
neighbor farmer sowed the same seeds but harvested better. Our unfortunate farmer did not lose hope and was
determined to find out the causes of his failure: he tried to better his soil and finally succeeded in collecting 5
tons of rice per hectare.
     If you lose one go, try another. The patience and persistence (堅持) are important. Drawing experience
from failures, finally we'll succeed. Our success comes from our determination after failures. Demosthenes,
the greatest Athenian orator (雄辯家 ), before becoming famous, had to suffer so many failures. The audience
paid little attention to his political speeches because of his weak voice. He determined to get rid of this defect.
Day after day, he went to the sea, shouting with very loud sounds of waves and in the end he got a convincing (令人信服的) voice.
     The above saying is quite right when used in pupils' lives. If you are weak at certain subjects, don't be
disappointed. Go on with your study. You should learn more from your friends, your teachers and others and
listen to their advice. In this way, you can get over your defects and weaknesses.

1. This passage is most probably written for ______.

A. parents
B. teachers
C. students
D. businessmen

2. We can learn from the passage that ______.

A. the value of failures is to get experience from them
B. he who laughs last laughs best
C. you can't judge a book by its cover
D. all successes are followed by failures

3. The underlined word" defect" in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to" ______ .

A. weakness
B. power
C. idea
D. thought

4. The saying "Failure is the mother of success" can serve as a guide for those who____.

A. dare not carry out a certain plan
B. show pessimism after their failures
C. don't know what the saying means
D. have never failed before in their lives