Bananas are one of the world’s most important food crops. They are also one of the most valuable exports. Bananas do not grow from seeds. Instead, they grow from existing plants. Bananas are threatened by disease because all the plants on a farm are copies of each other. They all share the same genetic weaknesses. For example, the Cavendish banana is most popular in North American and European markets. However, some kinds of fungus organisms easily infect the Cavendish. Black Sigatoka disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. The disease is controlled on large farms by putting chemicals on the plants’ leaves. Farmers put anti-fungal chemicals on their crops up to once a week.

Another fungal disease is more serious. Panama disease attacks the roots of the banana plants. There is no chemical treatment for this disease. Infected plants must be destroyed. Panama disease has affected crops in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. There is concern that it may spread to bananas grown in the Americas. This could threaten an important export product for Central and South America.
The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain supports research on bananas. The group has headquarters in France and other offices in the major banana-growing areas of the world. The group says that more research must be done to develop improved kinds of bananas. The group says that fungal diseases mainly affect only one kind of banana. In fact, there are five hundred different kinds of bananas. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has said that the Cavendish banana represents only 10% of world production.
The U. N. agency says farmers should grow different kinds of bananas. This protects against diseases that affect only one kind. Experts warn that disease may cause the Cavendish banana to disappear. This happened earlier to another popular banana because of its genetic weakness against disease.
【小題1】What does this passage mainly tell us?

A．Bananas are the world’s most important food crops.

B．The risk to a popular banana shows need to grow other kinds.

C．There are five hundred different kinds of bananas.

D．How to grow bananas in different countries.

【小題2】Bananas are threatened by disease because　　　.

A．they grow from seeds

B．they are one of the most valuable exports

C．the only way to prevent it is to put chemicals on their leaves

D．they have genetic weaknesses against disease

【小題3】 Panama disease　　　.

A．doesn’t belong to fungal disease

B．a(chǎn)ffects the leaves of banana plants

C．destroys bananas more seriously than Black Sigatoka disease

D．has spread to bananas all over the world

【小題4】 We can infer from Paragraph 3 that　　　.

A．the center of the group is in the US

B．the Cavendish banana covers only a small part of the yield of bananas

C．the key to solving the disease is to research all kinds of bananas

D．each fungal disease affects five hundred different kinds of bananas

If you want to help children develop language and speech skills, UCLA researchers say, listening to what they have to say is just as important as talking to them.

The effect of a conversation between a child and an adult is about six times as great as the effect of adult speech input(輸入)alone, the researchers found. “Adults speaking to children helps language develop, but what matters much more is the interaction, ”said the study’s lead author, Frederick   Zimmerman, an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles.  The researchers also found that TV viewing didn’t have much of an effect—positively or negatively—as long as it wasn’t displacing conversations between an adult and a child.
The UCLA study included 275 families with children between 2 months and 48 months old.  They represented a variety of incomes and education.  The researchers found that, in an average day, children heard about 13, 000 spoken words from adults and participated in about 400 adult-child conversations a day.
Assessed separately, factors positively associated with language development included each additional 100 conversations a day and each 1, 000 words increase in the number of words spoken by adults and heard by children.  When looked at alone, TV was negatively associated with language development.  But, when these three factors were analyzed together, the only one that stood out was conversation between adults and children.
“The more a child speaks and interacts with an adult, the better idea a parent has about where the child is”, Zimmerman said. “Although it’s mostly done unconsciously, parents will provide feedback and correct mistakes.  They’ll also tailor their speech to the child.  Parents can give the children words by talking to them about what they’re doing, such as, ‘I’m putting on your pajamas now’.  But give your child the opportunity to talk, hopefully without the rest of the noise in the environment, ”she added. “If parents can carve out some conversation time—maybe at bath time or at dinner time—that’s a wonderful thing. ”
【小題1】 The researchers also found that TV viewing　　　　.

A．could have a positive effect on a child’s language development

B．had a little effect on a child’s language development

C．a(chǎn)ffected a child’s language development more negatively than positively

D．a(chǎn)ffected a child’s language development both negatively and positively

【小題2】Frederick Zimmerman would probably agree that　　　　.

A．parents should let their children talk most of the time

B．children should watch TV programs selectively

C．the conversation between parents and children should be two-way

D．it’s no good for parents to correct their children’s mistakes when they are speaking

【小題3】 We can conclude from the last paragraph that　　　　.

A．parents should let a child repeat what he or she says

B．bath time or dinner time is the best chance for parents to talk to a child

C．parent-child conversation can be carried out at any proper time

D．parents should leave a child talking alone

【小題4】 What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Talk with kids, not at them

B．Let your children voice their own opinions

C．How to develop a child’s language ability

D．The importance of early child language development

【小題5】The underlined word “tailor” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by　　　　.

A．control	B．improve
C．pass	D．a(chǎn)djust

　　It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?
Viti Levu—Great Fiji—is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded.  And with a climate(氣候)that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
　　Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events, from war dances to religious(宗教的)songs, from market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji.  And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional(傳統(tǒng)的)sharing of yaqona—a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?
【小題1】 Where is the international airport of Fiji?

A．In Suva	B．In Sydney
C．On the island of Vatoa	D．On the island of Viti Levu

【小題2】 What does the text tell us about Fijian people?

A．They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.

B．They stick to a traditional way of life.

C．They like to travel from place to place.

D．They love taking adventures abroad.

【小題3】 One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is　　　.

A．its comfortable hotels

B．its good weather all year round

C．its exciting football matches

D．its religious beliefs

【小題4】Where can we most probably read this text?

A．In a personal diary

B．In a science report

C．In a travel magazine

D．In a geography textbook

At first sight the planet Mars(火星)does not appear very welcoming to any kind of life. It has very little oxygen and water, the temperature at night is below 50 degrees and winds of 100 miles(161 kilometers)per hour cause severe dust storms. However, the surface of the planet seems to show that water flowed across it at some time in the past, and it is believed that there would be enough ice at the poles to cover the planet with water if it melted. Although there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists think there may have been some form of life a long time ago. At that time, the planet had active volcanoes(火山); the atmosphere was thicker and warmer; and there was water. In fact, in some ways the Mars may have been similar to the Earth, where life exists.

Some people believe that the Mars could support life in the future if the right conditions were produced. The first step would be to warm the planet using certain gases which trap the Sun’s heat in the planet’s atmosphere. With warmth, water and carbon dioxide, simple plants could begin to grow. These plants could slowly make the Mars fit to live on. It is judged that the whole process might take between
100, 000 and 200, 000 years. In the meantime, people could begin to live on the planet in a special closed environment. They would provide a lot of useful information about conditions on the Mars and the problems connected with living there.
【小題1】 According to the passage, the planet Mars has no　　　on it.

A．winds	B．dust
C．mountains	D．a(chǎn)nimals

【小題2】It is believed that on the Mars now　　　.

A．there is a large amount of ice at the poles

B．there is a thicker and warmer atmosphere

C．there are some kinds of simple plants

D．there are many active volcanoes

【小題3】 What is the topic of Paragraph 2?

A．Certain gases should be used to warm the Mars.

B．Plants should be grown to make the Mars fit to live on.

C．The Mars could support life on right conditions in the future.

D．People could live on the Mars in a special closed environment.

【小題4】 The most suitable title for the passage is　　　.

A．No Life on the Mars

B．Study of the Mars

C．The Possibility of Life on the Mars

D．Future Conditions on the Mars

Has been a dream for 30 years but now the world’s first flying car is set to hit the roads this year.

Ever since the “Back to the Future” movies lit up our screens in the 1980s, designers have dreamt of cars that could take to the sky at the push of a button(按鈕). And now pilots can order their own “roadable” plane for just￡127, 000.
The plane, which has fold-out wings that span 17. 5 feet, can be up to 115 mph. Back on the land, it can also travel at “highway speeds” in car mode(模式).
Fuelling(加燃料)the 19 feet long plane couldn’t be simpler—you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up.
A spokeswoman said, “You can keep your ‘light-sport airplane’ in your garage. But because it needs a short runway to take to the air, you will have to drive to your local airport, fly up to 460 miles, land and drive directly to your destination(目的地). You will always be ready to drive or fly. ”
The spokeswoman added, “Never let bad weather change your trip. You can simply divert(使轉(zhuǎn)向)and continue on the ground until the weather clears. ”
There’s no risk to you—this is only the chance for you to be the first at your home field to unfold(展開(kāi))your wings and fly into the future.
【小題1】According to the text, the “roadable” plane　　　.

A．can fly in the sky at “highway speeds” in car mode

B．is a kind of car with fold-out wings

C．is a little difficult to fuel

D．can only travel on the highway

【小題2】We can infer that in the “Back to the Future” movies　　　.

A．there are some skillful pilots

B．pilots have no cars to drive

C．pilots can’t afford a “roadable” plane

D．cars can fly in the sky

【小題3】What does the underlined word “it” in the 5th paragraph refer to?

A．Light-sport airplane.

B．Your garage.

C．The local airport.

D．A petrol station.

【小題4】The last sentence of the text aims to　　　.

A．call for people to buy the “roadable” plane

B．show people the use of the “roadable” plane

C．tell people only the “roadable” plane can fly in the future

D．a(chǎn)sk people to unfold their wings and fly into the future

【小題5】If you meet with a thunderstorm in your “roadable” plane in the skies, you can　　　.

A．land in a nearby airport until it clears

B．turn back home until it clears

C．land and drive on the ground

D．fly high up to 460 miles

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London  and Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that bees learn to fly the shortest possible route between flowers even if they discover the flowers in a different order. Bees are effectively solving the “traveling salesman problem”, and they are the first creatures found to do this.

The traveling salesman must find the shortest route that allows him to visit all locations on his route. Computers solve it by comparing the length of all possible routes and choosing the shortest, and it can keep computers busy for days. However, bees solve it without computer assistance using a brain the size of grass seed. Dr. Nigel Raine, from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway explains, “Bees solve traveling salesman problems every day. They visit flowers at multiple locations and because bees use lots of energy to fly, they find a route which keeps flying to a minimum. ”
The team used the computer to control artificial flowers to test whether bees would follow a route defined by the order in which they discovered the flowers or if they would find the shortest route. After exploring the location of the flowers, bees quickly learned to fly the shortest route.
As well as improving our understanding of how bees move around the landscape pollinating(授粉)crops and wild flowers, this research, which is due to be published in The American Naturalist, has other applications. Our lifestyle relies on networks such as traffic on the roads, information flow on the Web and business supply chains. By understanding how bees can solve their problems with such a tiny brain, we can improve our management of these everyday networks without needing lots of computer time. Dr. Raine adds, “Despite their tiny brains, bees are capable of extraordinary feats of behavior. We need to understand how they can solve the traveling salesman problem without a computer. ”
【小題1】 What would be the best title of the passage?

A．Bees help salesmen travel

B．Tiny-brained bees solve a complex mathematical problem

C．How bees discover the flowers

D．How to solve the “traveling salesman problem”

【小題2】We may infer from the second paragraph that the “traveling salesman problem” 　　　.

A．can be solved by a computer easily

B．can’t even be solved by a computer

C．can puzzle both people and computers

D．remains to be solved by scientists

【小題3】 The main purpose of the last paragraph is to　　　.

A．provide further proof for the research

B．tell us how bees can fly the shortest route between flowers

C．tell us how the research about bees’ flying route was conducted

D．explain the importance of the research

【小題4】 It can be concluded from the passage that　　　.

A．a(chǎn)ll creatures are smarter than computers

B．the research about bees’ flying route can be applied to many fields

C．our networks are more complex than bees’ ones

D．with the help of the computer we can find out how bees can solve the “traveling salesman problem”

DNA left at a crime scene could be used in the future to build up a picture of an offender’s face, it was revealed tonight.
A first step towards genetic mugshots has been taken by researchers in the US who link specific DNA markers with face shape. To identify the genes, they focused on known mutations(突變) that cause changes of the face and head. Normal versions of these genes were found to influence individual features. For instance, one gene affected the lips, another the shape and configuration of bones around the eyes, and a third the appearance of the mid-face and skull. In total, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
Lead scientist Professor Mark Shriver, from Pennsylvania State University, said: “We use DNA to match to an individual or identify an individual, but you can get so much more from DNA. Currently we can’t go from DNA to a face, or from a face to DNA, but it should be possible.” The implications are far reaching, raising the possibility of creating a data bank of facial types based on genetic markers. DNA from a crime scene could then be used to produce a rough image of the face of an offender or victim. Such genetic mugshots may be more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” based on witnesses’ recollections. Other uses of the technique might include proving the identity of fathers in paternity cases, or visualising our remote ancestors from fossil DNA.
The scientists wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics: “Such predictive modelling could be forensically useful; for example, DNA left at crime scenes could be tested and faces predicted in order to help to narrow the pool of potential suspects. Further, our methods could be used to predict the facial features of descendants, deceased ancestors, and even extinct human species. In addition, these methods could prove to be useful diagnostic tools.” The team developed a model which first established a range of physical face shapes from people of mixed West African and European ancestry from the US, Brazil and Cape Verde. Measurements were taken of thousands of point co-ordinates on grids placed over 3D images of the faces.
Statistical methods were then used to determine the relationship between facial differences and the effects of gender, ethnic ancestry and individual gene variants.
【小題1】The underlined word “mugshots” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.

A．different faces

B．characteristics

C．pictures of faces

D．genders

【小題2】What can be inferred from the passage?
A. DNA has been used to build up a picture of an offender’s face.
B. It may be much easier to catch criminals with the help of DNA.
C. In all, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
D. One gene can affect more than one part of your face.
【小題3】According to Professor Mark Shriver, we know_________.

A．they can merely match to an individual or identify an individual

B．there is a possibility of going from DNA to a face

C．DNA could be used to produce a rough image of an offender’s face

D．this technology is more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits”

【小題4】What is the most possible title of the passage?

A．Creating a data bank of DNA

B．Recognizing the DNA of criminals

C．Predicting the location of offence using DNA

D．Building image of offender’s face from DNA

DNA left at a crime scene could be used in the future to build up a picture of an offender’s face, it was revealed tonight.
A first step towards genetic mugshots has been taken by researchers in the US who link specific DNA markers with face shape. To identify the genes, they focused on known mutations(突變) that cause changes of the face and head. Normal versions of these genes were found to influence individual features. For instance, one gene affected the lips, another the shape and configuration of bones around the eyes, and a third the appearance of the mid-face and skull. In total, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
Lead scientist Professor Mark Shriver, from Pennsylvania State University, said: “We use DNA to match to an individual or identify an individual, but you can get so much more from DNA. Currently we can’t go from DNA to a face, or from a face to DNA, but it should be possible.” The implications are far reaching, raising the possibility of creating a data bank of facial types based on genetic markers. DNA from a crime scene could then be used to produce a rough image of the face of an offender or victim. Such genetic mugshots may be more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” based on witnesses’ recollections. Other uses of the technique might include proving the identity of fathers in paternity cases, or visualising our remote ancestors from fossil DNA.
The scientists wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics: “Such predictive modelling could be forensically useful; for example, DNA left at crime scenes could be tested and faces predicted in order to help to narrow the pool of potential suspects. Further, our methods could be used to predict the facial features of descendants, deceased ancestors, and even extinct human species. In addition, these methods could prove to be useful diagnostic tools.” The team developed a model which first established a range of physical face shapes from people of mixed West African and European ancestry from the US, Brazil and Cape Verde. Measurements were taken of thousands of point co-ordinates on grids placed over 3D images of the faces.
Statistical methods were then used to determine the relationship between facial differences and the effects of gender, ethnic ancestry and individual gene variants.
【小題1】The underlined word “mugshots” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.

A．different faces

B．characteristics

C．pictures of faces

D．genders

【小題2】What can be inferred from the passage?
A. DNA has been used to build up a picture of an offender’s face.
B. It may be much easier to catch criminals with the help of DNA.
C. In all, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
D. One gene can affect more than one part of your face.
【小題3】According to Professor Mark Shriver, we know_________.

A．they can merely match to an individual or identify an individual

B．there is a possibility of going from DNA to a face

C．DNA could be used to produce a rough image of an offender’s face

D．this technology is more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits”

【小題4】What is the most possible title of the passage?

A．Creating a data bank of DNA

B．Recognizing the DNA of criminals

C．Predicting the location of offence using DNA

D．Building image of offender’s face from DNA

The first robot rover to land on the Moon in nearly 40 years, China's Jade Rabbit, has begun sending back photos, with shots of its lunar lander(登月飛行器). Jade Rabbit rolled down a ramp lowered by the lander and on to the volcanic plain known as Sinus Iridum at 04：35 Beijing time on Saturday (20：35 GMT)．It moved to a spot a few metres away, its historic short journey recorded by the lander. On Sunday evening the two machines began photographing each other. A Chinese flag is clearly visible on the Jade Rabbit as it stands deployed on the Moon's surface.

Ma Xingrui, chief mander of China's lunar programme, declared the mission (任務(wù))a “plete success”. The first soft landing on the Moon since 1976 is the latest step in China's ambitious space programme, says BBC science reporter Paul Rincon.
The lander will operate there for a year, while the rover is expected to work for some three months. The Chang'e­3 mission landed some 12 days after being launched atop a Chinese­developed Long March 3B rocket from Xichang in the country's south. The official Xinhua news service reported that the lander began its descent(下降)on Saturday just after 13：00 GMT, touching down in Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows) 11 minutes later. “I was lucky enough to see a prototype rover(原型月球車) in Shanghai a few years ago ­ it's a wonderful technological achievement to have landed，” Prof Andrew Coates, from UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory, told BBC News.
Chang'e­3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface, and the first to go there in more than 40 years. The last was an 840kg (1,900lb) Soviet vehicle known as Lunokhod­2, which was kept warm by polonium(釙)­210. But the six­wheeled Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload(復(fù)雜的有效負(fù)荷), including ground­penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust.
【小題1】What does the text mainly talk about?

A．China's space and aeronautics industry develops quickly.

B．The importance of China's space and aeronautics industry.

C．China's Jade Rabbit Moon rover sends back first photos.

D．Chang'e­3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface.

【小題2】After ________ years' hard and scientific work, the first soft landing on the Moon has made such great progress.

A．nearly 40	B．37
C．64	D．more than 40

【小題3】The purpose that the Chinese moon rover has visited the moon is to ________.

A．do some research about the moon

B．be the first settler on the moon

C．to plant the Chinese flag onto the moon

D．send a lovely jade rabbit onto the moon

【小題4】From the text, we know that the lander began its descent on Saturday just after ________ Beijing time.

A．13：00	B．20：00
C．22：00	D．21：00

Google has been collecting tons of data about smartphone usage around the world.  Here are some of the most surprising and interesting facts：
Android is most popular in Japan, with 55% of respondents(調(diào)查對(duì)象) using it, compared with 39% for iOS.Android is also number one in a few other countries, including New Zealand (41%), the US(40%), and China (38%)．
iOS is farthest ahead in Switzerland, with 52% usage vs 23% for Android.Other countries where iOS is far ahead include Australia (49% vs 25% Android), Canada (45% vs 23% Android and 23% Blackberry),  and France (43% vs 25% Android)．
In Egypt, Windows Mobile is far more popular than iOS.13% of survey respondents use the Microsoft smartphone platform, behind Symbian (19%) and Android (14%). iOS is very far down at 4%.
Mobile social networking is biggest in Mexico and Argentina, where 74% and 73% of users visit a social network daily.But mobile­social is weak in Japan where 34% of users never visit a social network on their phone, and this figure rises to 41% in Brazil.
Watching video is most popular in Saudi Arabia, with 59% of respondents doing it daily.Number two is Egypt, with 41%.
Chinese users shop from their phones.59% of Chinese users do this, compared with only 41% in second­place Egypt.Chinese users also love to write reviews.41% of them write a review of a local business after looking it up on their smartphone.Number two, Japan, is far behind, with only 24% of respondents doing this.
。
【小題1】Which of the following best describes the usage of the smartphone operating systems in Egypt?

A．Windows Mobile＞iOS＞Symbian＞Android

B．Android＞W(wǎng)indows Mobile＞iOS＞Symbian

C．iOS＞Android＞Symbian＞W(wǎng)indows Mobile

D．Symbian＞Android＞W(wǎng)indows Mobile＞iOS

【小題2】In which of the following countries is mobile social networking least popular?

A．Brazil.	B．Japan.
C．Mexico.	D．Argentina.

【小題3】In which section of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?

A．Health.	B．Environment.
C．Technology.	D．Entertainment.