The Cambridge Science Festival Curiosity Challenge

Dare to Take the Curiosity Challenge!

The Cambridge Science Festival (CSF) is pleased to inform you of the sixth annual Curiosity Challenge. The challenge invites, even dares school students between the ages of 5 and 14 to create artwork or a piece of writing that shows their curiosity how it inspires them to explore their world.

Students are being dared to draw a picture, write an article, take a photo or write a poem that shows what they are curious about. To enter the challenge, all artwork or pieces of writing should be sent to the Cambridge Science Festival, MIT Museum, 265 Mass Avenue, Cambridge 02139 by Friday, February 8th.

Students who enter the Curiosity Challenge and are selected as winners will be honored at a special ceremony during the CSF on Sunday, April 21st. Guest speakers will also present prizes to the students. Winning entries will be published in a book. Student entries will be exhibited and prizes will be given. Families of those who take part will be included in the celebration and brunch will be served.

Between March 10th and March 15th, eac h winner will be given the specifics of the closing ceremony and the Curiosity Challenge celebration. The program guidelines and other related information are available at: http:// cambridgesciencefestival.org.

1. Who can take part in the Curiosity Challenge?

A. School students.    B. Cambridge locals.

C. CSF winners.    D. MIT artists.

2. When will the prize-giving ceremony be held?

A. On February 8th.    B. On March 10th.

C. On March 15th.    D. On April 21st.

3. What type of writing is this text?

A. An exhibition guide.    B. An art show review.

C. An announcement.    D. An official report.

The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert (警觉). Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze (凝视) starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?

Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats  than when they heard just two; likewise (同样地) when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.

4. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s ________.

A. sense of hearing    B. sense of sight

C. sense of touch    D. sense of smell

5. Babies are sensitive to the change in ________.

A. the size of cards

B. the color of pictures

C. the shape of patterns

D. the number of objects

6. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?

A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.

B. To see how babies recognize sounds.

C. To carry their experiment further.

D. To keep the babies’ interest.

7. Where does this text probably come from?

A. Science fiction.

B. Children’s literature.

C. An advertisement.

D. A science report.

Given that many people's moods (情绪) are regulated by the chemical action of chocolate, it was probably only a matter of time before somebody made the chocolate shop similar to a drugstore of Chinese medicine. Looking like a setting from the film Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Singapore's Chocolate Research Facility (CRF) has over 100 varieties of chocolates. Its founder is Chris Lee who grew up at his parents' comer store with one hand almost always in the jar of sweets.

If the  CRF seems to be a smart idea, that's because Lee is not merely a seasoned salesperson but also head of a marketing department that has business relations with big names such as Levi's and Sony. That idea surely results in the imagination at work when it comes to making different flavored (味道) chocolates.

The CRF's produce is "green", made within the country and divided into 10 lines, with the Alcohol Series being the most popular. The Exotic Series—with Sichuan pepper, red bean (豆).cheese and other flavors—also does well and is fun to taste. And for chocolate snobs, who think that they have a better knowledge of chocol ate than others, the Connoisseur Series uses cocoa beans from Togo, Cuba, Venezuela , and Ghana, among others.

8. What is good about chocolate?

A. It serves as a suitable gift.

B. It works as an effective medicine.

C. It helps improve the state of mind.

D. It strengthens business relations.

9. Why is Chris Lee able to develop his idea of the CRF?

A. He knows the importance of research.

B. He learns from shops of similar types.

C. He has the support of many big names       

D. He has a lot of marketing experience.

10. Which line of the CRF produce sells best?

A. The Connoisseur Series.

B. The Exotic Series.

C. The Alcohol Series.

D. The Sichuan Series.

11. The words "chocolate snobs" in Paragraph 3 probably refer to people who

A. are particular about chocolate

B. know little about cocoa beans

C. look down upon others

D. like to try new flavors

Although being famous might sound like a dream coming true, today’s stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’ s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!

According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the persons they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.

If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is that there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

12. It can be learned from the passage that stars today ________.

A. are often misunderstood by the public

B. can no longer have their privacy protected

C. spend too much on their public appearance

D. care little about how they have come into fame

13. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A. Great heroes of the past were gener ally admired.

B. The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

C. Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

D. Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

14. What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?

A. Availability of modern media.                

B. Inadequate social recognition.

C. Lack of favorable chances.

D. Huge population of fans.

15. What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?

A. Sincere.    B. Skeptical.

C. Disapproving.    D. Sympathetic.

Cold blesses us all

It's November, the time of year when people often get blessed more. This is not because God likes cold weather, nor because others are fee ling generous with Thanksgiving just around the corner.    ___16___    

Colds and the flu are the most common illnesses people get in autumn and winter as the weather gets colder. They are all caused by viruses, but colds are generally milder—you'll feel annoyed but not as if you want to die.

Teenagers catch average six to ten colds a year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, while adults average two to four.  More  than  200  viruses  cause  cold  symptoms.    ___17___   You can be contagious（传染的）one day before symptoms develop and for up to five days after becoming sick.

The signature symptom of a cold is a runny nose. The flu will make you burn with fever, ache all over, feel extremely tired and cough intensely. The flu can sometimes lead to more serious diseases, such as pneumonia.

   ___18___    A doctor can test you to see whether you have the flu in the first few days of the illness. But some treatments for both are pretty much the same:

●    ___19___   Many doctors consider water a weapon against the common cold. It helps your blood drive off viruses and flood them out.

● Keep warm. You might be cold one minute and hot the next, and wearing several layers is very important.

● Wash your hands frequently. You don't want to make it worse by spreading the flu to everyone else. Also, avoid sharing cups and eating utensil s(餐具) with other people.

 ____20____    But if your flu symptoms get worse, go to a hospital or clinic right away.

A.You can pass on the flu before you even know you have it.

B. Drink lots of water.

C. Taking medicine on time is a good way to prevent the illness.

D. "Bless you!" is a common response to sneezes, the symptom of catching a cold or the flu.

E. Get lots of sleep and take it easy.

F. Sometimes, it's hard to tell a cold from the flu based on symptoms alone.

G. Most people who catch the flu get better without having to see their doctor.