Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that       caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．
Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine   nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine   plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．
Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has   serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of   crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．
1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain．

B．Bee population has been increasing．

C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine．

D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers．

2. After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel________.

A．annoyed

B．angry

C．nervous

D．excited

3. Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?

A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination

B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination

C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar

D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory

4. What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?

A．Science	B．Education
C．Culture	D．Sports

Nothing evokes(唤起)Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a   silver fish from the river .Combine these images with high mountains，brilliant icebergs and   wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day   excursion(远足)to the last frontier!
Highlights：
JUNEAU：Juneau, the state capital，is rich in culture and scenic beauty．It is here that we start   and end our trip．
HAINES：Haines is a small community located along the fjords(海湾)．The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska. ALASKA INDIAN ARTS：Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the   preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes．We spend a few hours learning carving, native beading(玻璃珠)and culture from these master artists．
SKAGWAY：Skagway is a lively town，which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains   colorful shops．In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway．
GUSTAVUS：Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park．We’II stay at a   comfortable lodge here for two nights．This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay．
DATES／PRICES：
May 15，June 17，July 16，August 14．
7 days—＄3500，including lodging，all meals，excursions，guides，park fees，sales taxes，and transportation between Juneau，Skagway, Haines，and Gustavus．Not included：Alcohol，personal items，airfare to and from Juneau．
Contact：
E-mail：info@alaskamountainguides．com
Call：800—766—3396
Write：Alaska Mountain Guides &Climbing School
P.O．Box 1081，Haines AK 99827
5. According to the advertisement, the participants of the excursion_________．

A．will spend one day experiencing the local culture at Alaska Indian Arts

B．can contact Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School by email or fax

C．are able to experience some adventurous activities in Haines

D．can get lots of traditional native artworks free of charge

6. You can feel the history of the local place at______．

A．Juneau

B．Skagway

C．Haines

D．Gustavus

7. You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at______．

A．Glacier Bay National Park

B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park

C．the White Pass Yukon

D．the Northwest Native Tribes

8. Which of the following is a participant required to pay additional fees?

A．Going from Gustavus to Juneau by train．

B．A full day cruise in Glacier Bay．

C．Having the last supper at Juneau．

D．Flying from Juneau to his hometown．

Kenji Croman has broken his bones，his shoulder and elbow, and nearly drowned several times．He’s also had three close encounters with sharks over the years．A 10-foot wave landed directly on top of him five years ago，bending his body to the point that he actually kicked himself in the head．”I literally heard every bone in my body crack．”he said．
Croman has been photographing ocean waves since 2008，sometimes risking his life to get that perfect shot at the surf break．Despite the risks and certain injuries that come with wave photography, the Hawaii resident，body surfer and former competitive swimmer wouldn’t do anything else．The 36-year-old photographer loves the thrill of meeting breaking waves head on，shooting waves as his interest and shooting surfers to pay the bills．
The process of photographing waves requires more than just swimming out to where the surf breaks and waiting，he says．The night before a photo shoot Croman checks Surfline.com，a website and the coastal camera network that provides live and predicted ocean weather information，to see what the winds，waves and tide will be like at certain times．Croman has both a primary camera and a backup for emergencies．He goes without a wetsuit and uses heavy duty underwater housing to protect his camera．There is no great way for him to protect himself．He admits there are probably protective clothes he should be wearing，but there is little he could have done to decrease the impact of the 10-foot wave that crashed on top of him．
The hardest part of Croman’s job is staying calm in the face of breaking waves when his initial reaction is to panic and swim away．At most．Croman will take two to three shots of a single wave．”I've shot waves for so many years now that I see the wave in slow movement，”he said．
9. What do we know about Kenji Croman’s job from the first paragraph?

A．It is a game of death．

B．It is full of mysteries．

C．It requires patience．

D．It calls for courage．

10. How does Kenji Croman make a living?

A．By taking swimming races．

B．By teaching photography．

C．By shooting surfers．

D．By surfing waves．

11. Why does Kenji Croman check the websites like Surfline.com?

A．To get better prepared for shooting．

B．To predict something about weather．

C．To learn more about surfing waves．

D．To buy better equipment for safety．

12. What would be the best title of the text?

A．Taking adventures around the ocean

B．Risking his life for the perfect wave

C．Making preparations for life risks

D．Appreciating breaking waves in danger

Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are   attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with   people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050   the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to   recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing   buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many       researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．
13. It can be inferred from the text that_______．

A．many children lack love from parents

B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand

C．robots are the most useful to children

D．robots do better than people in healthcare

14. It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.

A．Japan is suffering economy depression

B．the robots are of poor design

C．the production of robots costs a lot

D．the future market is worrying

15. What is the author’s attitude towards the robots referred to?

A．Unsatisfied．	B．Doubtful．
C．Favorable．	D．Regretful．