Baekeland and Hartmann report that the " short sleepers"  had been more or less average in  their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 0r so, the men voluntarily  began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other  activities. These men tended to regard their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines.
In general, these "short sleepers" appeared ambitious, active, energetic and cheerful. They  stuck to their opinions, and were very sure about their job choices..They often held several jobs at  once, or worked full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear "normal"  or " acceptable"  to their friends and colleagues.
When asked to remember their dreams,  the " short sleepers"  did poorly. More than this,  they seemed to prefer not remembering. Similarly, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was not to admit that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away.
The sleep patterns of the " short sleepers"  were similar to,  but less extreme than,  sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic  (躁狂者).
The "long sleepers" were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hanmann report that these young men have been lengthy sleepers since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concemed when sometimes they didn't have their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to remember their dreams much better than the  " short sleepers".      Many of the "long sleepers" were shy, anxious, quiet, nervous, passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves ( particularly in social situations) . Several openly stated that sleep was an escape from their daily problems.
【小題1】From the passage, we can leam that           .

A．"short sleepers" need less sleep by nature

B．"long sleepers" sleep a longer period of time during the day

C．many "long sleepers" preserve their sleeping habit formed during their childhood

D．many " short sleepers" have to reduce their nightly sleep time because of busy work

【小題2】Many "short sleepers" are likely to hold the view that _____.

A．sleep is a good way to escape from the reality

B．sleep is not so important as their daily activities

C．sleep affects their judgment on some important things

D．sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles

【小題3】 It can be learned from the passage that the"short sleepers" _____.

A．do not know how to relax properly

B．a(chǎn)re more unlikely to run into mental problems

C．a(chǎn)re full of energy even under the pressures of life

D．often pay little attention to the consequences of inadequate sleep

【小題4】 When sometimes they cannot enjoy adequate sleep, the "long sleepers" might ______.

A．a(chǎn)ppear disturbed	B．become energetic
C．feel dissatisfied	D．be extremely unhappy

Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron there is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid.
It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along.   
【小題1】Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?

A．They thought spinach made them strong.

B．They thought Popeye was funny.

C．Spinach had a lot of iron.

D．People liked folic acid.

【小題2】A research group told people that spinach______.

A．made Popeye strong

B．was a green vegetable

C．had less iron than other green vegetables

D．had more iron than other green vegetables

【小題3】The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from______.

A．iron

B．folic acid

C．spinach

D．exercise

【小題4】Folic acid is ______.

A．something in food

B．a(chǎn) vegetable

C．dangerous

D．a(chǎn) certain kind of spinach

New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (嚙齒動(dòng)物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物種) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (減少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Some new studies about animals.

B．People’s wrong ideas about animals.

C．Why the number of animals has dropped.

D．The importance of protecting animals.

【小題2】 According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.

A．a(chǎn)re less clever than rodents

B．can find their home

C．can read maps

D．a(chǎn)re good planners

【小題3】When young fish are looking for a home, they like to _____.

A．live in a noisy environment

B．live in areas close to their parents

C．choose the reefs which are quiet

D．choose other kinds of fish as neighbors

【小題4】 Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?

A．The species of grass in grasslands.

B．The species of trees in grasslands.

C．The number of flowers in grasslands.

D．The number of animals in grasslands.

【小題5】In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?

A．Geography.

B．Culture.

C．Travel.

D．Nature

In the near future, we may be using our eyes to operate our smart-phones and tablets, even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja.
The Gaze Group has been developing eye-controlled computer technology for nearly 20 years. But those devices have been firstly designed to help those with disabilities, and are very expensive.
“After a while, we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market way,” says Gaze’s Sune Alstrup Johansen. “where everybody would have this available."
Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company, the Eye Tribe, which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level.
The technology works with the help of the computing device toward the user’s face. After making sure of the user’s eye movements, the technology is then able to easily find where a person’s eyes are moving, and then allow the eyes to control a cursor(光標(biāo)).
“Our software can then determine the location of the eyes and know where you’re looking on the screen to make sure what you’re looking at, ” reads an explanation on the Eye Tribe site.
There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years, particularly in the gaming world. Recently Xbox released the Kinect device, which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands, legs and voices. But still, most of these devices have been more of a gimmick than a practical way to use one’s hands to control a mobile device. Johansen said a replaceable filter(濾光器)would be a cheap, convenient way for most consumers.
And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create such a product for the average user, making the eye-controlled technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for physically disabled users.
For more articles on modern science，please CLICK here．
【小題1】Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A．An introduction of eye-controlling technology

B．An introduction of a new device.

C．An introduction of smart-phones

D．An introduction of a new technology for the disabled.

【小題2】The underlined word “gimmick” probably means ___________.

A．a(chǎn) way

B．a(chǎn) trick

C．a(chǎn) lie

D．a(chǎn) dream

【小題3】According to the passage, we can learn that ___________.

A．the eye-controlling technology was first developed for the blind

B．the present developing of the technology will bring no good

C．the eye-controlling technology is only intended for the disabled people

D．there is no such a phone as we can use only with our eyes at present

【小題4】This passage is probably taken from ___________.

A．a(chǎn)n experiment report	B．a(chǎn) science fiction
C．a(chǎn) science website	D．a(chǎn) school textbook

A regular drop in the sun’s radiation(輻射) can cause unusually cold winters in parts of North America and Europe, scientists say, a finding that could improve long-range forecasts and help countries prepare for snowstorms.
Scientists have known for a long time that the sun has an 11-year cycle during which radiation measured by sunspots on the surface reaches a peak then falls. But explaining a clear connection to weather is harder.
“Our research confirms the observed connection between solar change and regional winter climate,” lead author Sarah Ineson of the UK Met Office told the reporters in an email. The study was published in the magazine Nature Geoscience on Monday.
The researchers found that the reducing of ultraviolet(UV，紫外線) radiation from the sun can affect high-altitude wind patterns in the Northern Hemisphere(半球), causing cold winters.
“While UV levels won’t tell us what the day-to-day weather will do, they show us the bright future of improved forecasts for winter conditions for months and even years ahead. These forecasts play an important role in long-term possibility planning,” Ineson, a climate scientist, said.
Ineson and colleagues from Imperial College London and the University of Oxford used satellite data that more accurately(精確的) measures UV radiation from the sun and found a much greater change than previously thought.
They found that in years of low activity, unusually cold air forms high in the atmosphere over the tropics. This causes a redistribution(重新分配) of heat in the atmosphere, making easterly winds that bring freezing weather and snowstorms to northern Europe and the United States and milder weather to Canada and the Mediterranean.
When solar UV radiation is stronger, the opposite occurs.
More study was needed, though. A key uncertainty in the experiment lay in the satellite data used, because it covers only a few years. “So questions remain concerning both accuracy(精確) and also applicability to other solar cycles,” she said.
【小題1】The new finding claims cold winters in the North Hemisphere can be caused by ______.

A．a(chǎn) sharp rise in the amount of sunspots

B．a(chǎn) drop in the sun’s UV radiation

C．a(chǎn) complex computer model simulation

D．a(chǎn) clear link between the sun and the earth

【小題2】 It has long been known by scientists that ______.

A．UV radiation can affect high-altitude wind patterns

B．there’s a clear connection between the sun’s activity and weather

C．the sun’s radiation reaches a peak every eleven years

D．they can predict day-to-day weather conditions from UV levels

【小題3】What will happen if the sun turns into years of high activity according to the finding?

A．Canada and the Mediterranean will have milder weather.

B．The whole Northern Hemisphere will suffer from extreme winter days.

C．Freezing cold weather will appear in northern Europe.

D．Burning hot weather will appear in the United States.

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

A．researchers have analyzed the data collected in eleven years

B．long-term weather conditions can be accurately predicted depending on UV levels

C．the research doesn’t seem correct and true enough due to limited satellite data used

D．climate scientists have just begun their research in severe weather forecast

Do you know mulch? Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil. It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste. Farmers may keep the remains of corn or other crops on top of the soil. This creates mulch on the soil surface. The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage. Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants. It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants. It also limits temperature changes in the soil. And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds, from growing.
Organic mulch improves the condition of soil. As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard. This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil. It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants. It also provides good environment for earthworms and other helpful living things in the soil.
It is easy to find organic mulch materials. Cut-up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used. Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from news- papers works well in controlling weeds.
The best time to add mulch depends on your goal. Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air. This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result, mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer. In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil. The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives. Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem. The animals will probably find another place to live.
【小題1】The author tells us the following EXCEPT ______.

A．what mulch is and its advantages

B．the best time to add mulch

C．the bad effects of mulch

D．what can be mulch on the soil surface

【小題2】 The following can be used as organic materials to make mulch EXCEPT ______.

A．tree barks

B．plastic

C．grass cuttings

D．cut-up leaves

【小題3】 The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that organic mulch can ______.

A．improve the condition of soil

B．improve the ability of the soil to hold water

C．provide a good environment for earthworms

D．improve the growth of roots and increase the movement of water through the soil

【小題4】 From the last paragraph, we know ______.

A．the best time to add mulch is in spring and summer

B．the best time to add mulch is after the coldest weather arrives

C．the best time to add mulch is exactly the same time of each year

D．choosing the best time to add mulch can avoid attracting small animals

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 which make 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，arrived 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.
【小題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.

【小題2】“...knowing how to investigate，how to discover information，is important to everyone.” The writer says this to show_______.

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

【小題3】 A sound（合理的） 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．leave no room for improvement.

D．can be used for many purposes

【小題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.

American researchers found females are the more talkative sex because of a special “l(fā)anguage protein(蛋白質(zhì))” in the brain.
The study, conducted by neuroscientists （神經(jīng)學(xué)家）and psychologist from the University of Maryland, concluded that women talked more because they had more of the Foxp2 protein. The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that higher levels were found among humans that were women but in rats that were males. Their findings came after it was previously claimed that ladies speak about 20,000 words a day – over 13,000 more than men. “This study is one of the first to report a sex difference in the expression of a language-associated protein in humans or animals,” said Prof Margaret McCarthy, who led the study. In their study, the researchers attempted to determine what might make male rats more vocal than their female friends. 
They separated four-day-old rats from their mothers and then counted the number of times they cried out in the “ultrasonic range”, the frequencies higher than humans can hear, over five minutes. While both sexes called out hundreds of cries, the males called out twice as often, they found. But when the pups were returned to their mother’s cage, she fussed over her sons first. Tests conducted on the parts of the brain known to be associated with vocalcalls showed the male pups have up to twice as much Foxp2 protein as the females. The researchers then increased the production in the brains of female pups and reduced it in males. This led to the female rats crying out more often and their mothers showing more interest to them. In contrast, males became less “talkative”.
The researchers then tested samples from ten children, aged between three and five, which showed that females had up to 30 per cent more of the Foxp2 protein than males, in a brain area key to language in humans.
“Based on our observations, we assume higher levels of Foxp2 in girls and higher levels of Foxp2 in male rats is an indication that Foxp2 protein levels are associated with the more communicative sex,” said Prof McCarthy.
“Our results imply Foxp2 as a component of the neurobiological basis of sex differences in vocal communication in mammals. ”
【小題1】From the second paragraph, we can learn that ________.

A．women always speak more words than men

B．men and male rats have low levels of language protein

C．women and male rats have similar levels of Foxp2

D．McCarthy isn’t the first to find females more talkative

【小題2】The underlined phrase “fussed over” in the third paragraph probably means______.

A．paid attention to

B．related to

C．put pressure on

D．counted on

【小題3】The researchers carried out the experiments on rats in order to _______.

A．test which part of the brain is key to language in rats and humans

B．prove the levels of Foxp2 protein in humans and rats are different

C．determine the reason why female rats are more talkative than male rats

D．discover the association between Foxp2protein and vocal communication

【小題4】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage ?

A．Tests on humans and rats

B．Why women are the talkative sex

C．Sex differences in Foxp2 protein

D．Foxp2 protein determines oral ability

Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.
“Storm at Sea”, a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.
As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise—it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath—perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿) nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic (共生的) existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.
【小題1】Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is______.

A．a(chǎn)lways energetic	B．lacking in liveliness
C．shaped like a square	D．favored by ancient poets

【小題2】 What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?

A．To describe the movement of the waves.

B．To show the strength of the storm.

C．To represent the vitality of the ocean.

D．To prove the vastness of the sea.

【小題3】In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to______.

A．a(chǎn) beautiful and poetic place	B．a(chǎn) flesh and blood person
C．a(chǎn) wonderful world	D．a(chǎn) lovely animal

Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously, Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer.” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said. “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.” “Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead.” A new message appeared on the screen: “ENTER NAMES
VOYAGER 1:…
VOYAGER 2:…”
Mark’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED (自動(dòng)回收程序已啟動(dòng)).”
The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.
But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒) , until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION (目的地)：MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025.”
【小題1】Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?

A．He wanted to take a voyage.	B．He wanted to practice his skill.
C．He was so much attracted by it.	D．He was eager to do an experiment.

【小題2】Where did the boys’ father most likely work?

A．In an electronic factory.

B．In a computer company.

C．In a scientific research center.

D．In an information processing center.

【小題3】 Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of______.

A．a(chǎn) computer game	B．a(chǎn) company website
C．a(chǎn) software producer	D．a(chǎn)n astronomy

【小題4】Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?

A．He was afraid of being scolded.

B．He didn’t like the loud noise and light.

C．He didn’t want to play games any more.

D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen.

【小題5】 What happened to the boys at the end of the story? 

A．Theywereblownintotheair.

B．Theyweresenttoanotherplanet.

C．Theywerehiddeninthestronglight.

D．Theywerecarriedawaytoanothercountry.