2 . The public must be able to understand the basics of science to make informed decisions. Perhaps the most dramatic example of the negative consequences of poor communication between scientists and the public is the issue of climate change, where a variety of factors has contributed to widespread mistrust and misunderstanding of scientists and their research. The issue of climate change also illustrates how the public acceptance and understanding of science (or the lack of it) can influence governmental decision-making with regard to regulation, science policy and research funding.

However, the importance of effective communication with a general audience is not limited to hot issues like climate change. It is also critical for issues such as the genetic basis for a particular behavior or the use of animal models because in these areas, the public understanding of science can also influence policy and funding decisions. Furthermore, with continuing scientific advances, more non-scientists will need to be able to analyze complex scientific information to make decisions that directly affect their quality of life.

Science journalism is the main channel for the popularization of scientific information among the public. Much has been written about how the relationship between scientists and the media can shape the efficient communication of scientific advances to the public. Good science journalists are specialists in making complex topics accessible to a general audience, while sticking to scientific accuracy. Unfortunately, pieces of science journalism can also oversimplify and generalize their subject material. As a result, the basic information conveyed is difficult to understand or obviously wrong.

Even though scientists play a part in conveying information to journalists and ultimately the public, too often the blame for ineffective communication is placed on the side of the journalists. I believe that, at least in part, the problem lies in places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media. It exists because we underestimate how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences, and most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication.

1. What does the example of climate change mainly serve to show?

A．Adequate government funding is vital to scientific research.

B．Government regulation helps the public understand science.

C．The public’s scientific knowledge can influence policy making.

D．There is widespread public mistrust and misunderstanding of scientific work.

2. Why is it important for scientists to build a good relationship with the media?

A．It helps scientists to build a better public image.

B．It helps them to effectively popularize scientific information.

C．It enables scientists to better apply their findings to public health.

D．It enables the public to develop a positive attitude toward science.

3. What is the problem with some pieces of science journalism?

A．They give inaccurate or complicated information.

B．They oversimplify people’s health problems.

C．They fail to mention the scientific advances.

D．They lack detailed information about scientific research.

4. According to the writer, what should scientists do to communicate to the public more effectively?

A．Interact more with the media.

B．Give training to science journalists.

C．Improve their communication skills.

D．Arouse the public’s interest in science.

3 . How does a person become an Olympic champion? In reality, a combination of biological, environmental, and psychological elements, as well as training and practice, all go into making a super athlete.

Perhaps the most important element involved in becoming an outstanding athlete is genetic. Most Olympic competitors are equipped with certain physical characteristics that make them different from the average person. Olympic weightlifters, for example, have a large number of fast- twitch fibers (快速收缩肌肉纤维) in their muscles. These allow them to lift hundreds of kilos from the ground and over their heads in seconds. Surprisingly, a large, muscular body is not the main requirement to do well in this sport. It is more important to have a large number of fast-twitch fibers in the muscles.

The legs of an outstanding marathon runner, on the other hand, might contain up to 90 percent slow-twitch muscle fibers. When we exercise long or hard, it’s common to experience tiredness, muscle pain, and difficulty breathing. These feelings are caused when the muscles produce high amounts of a substance called lactate and can’t remove it quickly enough. Athletes with many slow-twitch muscle fibers seem to be able to clear the lactate from their muscles faster as they move.

Some athletes’ abilities are naturally enhanced by their environment. Those raised at high altitudes (海拔高地) in countries such as Kenya have blood rich in hemoglobin (血红素). Large amounts of hemoglobin carry oxygen around the body faster, enabling these athletes to run better. Although genes, environment, and even culture play a part in becoming an outstanding athlete, training and practice are needed to succeed. Marathon runners may be able to control tiredness and keep moving for long periods of time, but they must train to reach their goals. Weightlifters and gymnasts perfect their skills by repeating the same motions again and again until they become automatic. Greg Louganis, winner of four Olympic diving gold medals, says divers must train the same way to be successful: “You have less than three seconds from takeoff until you hit the water, so it has to be reflex (对刺激的本能反应). You have to repeat the dives hundreds, maybe thousands, of times.” Training this way requires an athlete to be not only physically fit but psychologically healthy as well. Otherwise, they couldn’t handle the training loads.

1. Having a lot of slow-twitch muscle fibers is particularly important for ________.

A．long-distance cyclists	B．gymnasts
C．table-tennis players	D．weightlifters

2. When lactate (para. 3) builds up in their muscles, people feel __________.

A．strength

B．pain

C．excitement

D．dizziness

3. Which of the following statements would diver Greg Louganis probably agree with?

A．Athletes cannot perform well unless they are under pressure.

B．A professional athlete should think carefully about each movement.

C．It’s important to practice and train hard, but not take things too seriously.

D．It’s important to joke with your teammates before you perform any sport.

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A．The size of a super athlete.

B．Ways to qualify for the Olympics.

C．Different muscle types of a super athlete.

D．Factors that make someone a super athlete.

4 . Laura walked towards the man. “It is terribly cold,” she said.

“Colder than ever,” the man said. “Now tell me what you want.” He stared at Laura for a few seconds and then grinned, “Maybe you’d like to come inside and warm up.”

“No. No, I don’t want to come in.” She took a deep breath. “I just wanted to know if you’re interested in selling your dog.”

“That worthless mutt?” The man pointed to a dog in the yard and laughed for a few seconds, then suddenly stopped. “I was just joking about the worthless part. He’s a pretty good dog. Yeah. I might be interested.”

“Well, he’s the kind of dog I’m looking for. And it doesn’t seem like you’re too fond of him. I mean he’s tied up outside. I don’t see any food or water.”

“You just wait a minute. I take good care of that dog. The guy I got him from said he was a trained guard dog. The trouble is, the stupid thing doesn’t even bark when strangers come around. But then I guess that wouldn’t matter to you. You’re probably just looking for a pet, huh?”

“Yeah. Well, here’s your chance to get rid of him. I’ll give you twenty dollars.”

“You expect me to sell a purebred guard dog for twenty dollars?” the man snorted (哼着鼻子说). “Fifty dollars. That’s my price. You bring me fifty dollars, honey, and you got yourself a dog.” He smiled. “Sure you don’t want to come in?”

Laura shook her head. “I’ll be back with the money.” Breakfast forgotten, she searched for and found a cash machine four blocks away. I can’t afford this, she thought as she punched the numbers into the machine. The dog will need a vet, and where am I going to get the money for that? Her fears wore off as she pictured the dog, curled up, not outside on the cold, hard ground, but in front of a glowing fireplace. Blue ceramic bowls filled with food and water sat in the corner of the kitchen, and she saw him, head held high, matching her stride on their daily walk.

With the money in her purse, she hurried back to the man’s house.

1. Laura started a conversation with the man because she ________.

A．needed shelter from the cold

B．wanted to see if she could buy his dog

C．hoped to find out where she could buy a pet

D．wasn’t pleased with how he treated his dog

2. What can we learn about the man from the passage?

A．He considered the dog pretty.

B．He was good at training guard dogs.

C．He had been trying to get rid of the dog.

D．He had bought the dog to protect his home.

3. How come Laura’s worry about money faded?

A．She realized that the dog would be living a much better life with her.

B．It occurred to her that she actually had enough money in her bank account.

C．She was confident that she would soon land a decent job and earn enough money.

D．She was excited about having a guard dog beside her when she wanted to take a walk.

4. Judging from the passage, we can know that Laura is ________.

A．a homeless girl	B．a social worker
C．a rather poor lady	D．an experienced pet owner

5 . Brief Introduction of 21st Century English Education Media

China Daily launched the first 21st Century newspaper on May 5, 1993 as an English education weekly for Chinese students to learn English. Today, the brand consists of both print and digital platform, through which it constantly provides quality content. The 21st Century brands involve print media, new media, teaching research, brand activities and research training, establishing it as China’s leading brand in English education.

We Are Looking For: native English-speaking sub-editor

Job Description:

1) copy-editing stories written by staff and from other media sources

2) writing headlines, checking and contributing ideas for story selection and writing

3) helping production and development of other editorial materials - producing written content, recording audio/video material, hosting new media programs, etc.

Job Requirements:

1) a university degree (bachelor's or master's) in journalism with over two years' work experience in either journalism or teaching English.

2) skillful at writing content, including headlines.

3) the capability to work to a deadline in a team atmosphere.

Location: Beijing

Benefit package:

1) salary with bonus with a 12-month contract renewed annually

2) free on-site accommodation with water, gas and electricity all covered

3) roundtrip airfare

4) medical insurance

5) paid vacations, free workday meals, etc.

To apply, please send your resume and article samples (particularly pieces on culture, arts, entertainment, sports and science) to: wangru@_______stcentury.com.cn

1. Which of the following about 21^stCentury English Education Media is NOT true?

A．The 21st Century newspaper is aimed at helping Chinese students learn English.

B．The 21st Century newspaper is published every month.

C．We can either read the print or the digital version of the newspaper.

D．It plays an important role in China’s English education.

2. The job of the native English-speaking sub-editor involves the following EXCEPT ________.

A．teaching Chinese students English.

B．editing the stories written by others.

C．propose ideas to story selection and writing.

D．helping with the work of other editorial materials.

3. If one wants to apply for this job, he/she ________.

A．should have a university degree in language education.

B．doesn’t need to have related working experience.

C．should include one of his/her articles in the application e-mail.

D．doesn’t need to have the ability to cooperate.

7 . A few years ago, a young woman at Facebook came to my desk and asked if she could speak privately. We headed into a conference room, where she began firing off questions about how I balance work and family. As the questions came faster and faster, I started to wonder about her urgency. I interrupted to ask if she had a child. She said no, but she liked to plan ahead. I inquired if she and her partner were considering having a child. She replied that she did not have a husband, then added with a little laugh, “Actually, I don’t even have a boyfriend.”

It seemed to me that she was jumping the gun but I understood why. From an early age, girls get the message that they will have to choose between succeeding at work and being a good mother. By the time they are in college, women are already thinking about the trade-offs they will make between professional and personal goals! When asked to choose between marriage and career, female college students are twice as likely to choose marriage as their male classmates. And this concern can start even younger. Peggy Orenstein, the author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, related the story of a five-year-old girl who came home distraught from her after-school program and told her mother that both she and the boy she had a crush on wanted to be astronauts.When her mother asked why that was a problem, the little girl replied, “When we go into space together,who will watch out kids?” At five,she thought the most challenging aspect of space travel would be dependable childcare.

As I’ve mentioned, I’m a big believe in thoughtful preparation. Everywhere I go, I carry a little notebook with my to-do list. But when it comes to integrating career and family, planning too far in advance can close doors rather than open them. I have seen this happen over and over. Women rarely make one big decision to leave the workforce. Instead, they make a lot of small decision along the way, making accommodations and sacrifices that they believe will be required to have a family. Of all the ways women hold themselves back, perhaps the most pervasive is that they leave before they leave.

1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph two “she was jumping the gun” mean in the passage?

A．She was taking action before everyone else did.

B．She was making preparations earlier than she was supposed to.

C．She was reluctant to make the decisions all by herself.

D．She was wondering how to balance work and family.

2. What is paragraph two mainly about?

A．After-school programs in primary schools encourage children to picture their future life.

B．Domestic life is preventing women nowadays from pursuing higher goals in workplaces.

C．Females nowadays start to weigh their choice between family and career at an even earlier age.

D．Female college students are more willing to assume domestic responsibilities than their male classmates.

3. What does the underlined word “distraught” in paragraph two mean?

A．upset

B．delighted

C．satisfied

D．excited

4. Which of the following statements would the author probably agree with?

A．Females are advised to make life-decisions after thoughtful preparation.

B．It’s better for girls to plan for leaving the workplace step by step.

C．Women usually make up the their mind to quit their job in a very short period of time.

D．Planning too early for balancing career and family is hindering females from promotion in the workplace.

9 . The concept of planning entire communities before their construction is an ancient one. In fact, one of the earliest such cities on record is Miletus, Greece, which was built in the 4th century BC. Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance various planned communities (both theoretical and actual) were conceived (构思). Leonardo da Vinci designed several cities that were never constructed. Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, the architect Christopher Wren created a new master plan for the city, combining park land and urban space. Several 18th century cities, including Washington D.C., New York City, and St Petersburg, Russia, were built according to comprehensive planning.

One of the most important planned city concepts, the Garden City Movement, arose in the latter part of the 19th century as a reaction to the pollution and crowding of the Industrial Revolution. In 1898, Ebenezer Howard published the book To-Morrow: A Peaceful Path for Real Reform in which he laid out his ideas concerning the creation of new economically sustainable towns. Howard believed that these towns should be limited in size and density, and surrounded with a belt of undeveloped land. The idea gained enough attention and financial backing to lead to the creation of Letchworth, in Hertfordshire, England. This was the first such 'Garden City'. After the First World War, the second town built following Howard's ideas, Welwvn Garden City, was constructed.

In the early 1920s, American architects Clarence Stein and Henry Wright, inspired by Howard's ideas and the success of Letchworth and Welwyn, created the city of Radbum, New Jersey. Conceived as a community which would be safe for children, Radbum was intentionally designed so that the residents would not require automobiles. Several urban planning designs were pioneered at Radbum that would influence later planned communities, including the separation of pedestrians and vehicles, and the use of 'superblocks', each of which shared 23 acres of commonly held parkland.

In America, following the stock market crash of 1929, there was great demand for both affordable housing and employment for workers who had lost their jobs. In direct response to this, in 1935 President Roosevelt created the Resettlement Administration, which brought about a total of three greenbelt towns: Greenbelt, Maryland; Greenhills, Ohio; and Greendale, Wisconsin. These towns contained many of the elements of the Garden City Movement developments, including the use of superblocks and a 'green belt' of undeveloped land surrounding the community.

1. The first paragraph talks mainly about ________.

A．famous urban planners	B．the history of urban planning
C．the future examples of urban planning	D．problem associated with urban planning

2. What can be learned about the Garden City Movement from the second paragraph?

A．It came just before the Industrial Revolution.

B．It was held back by a war and a lack of funds.

C．It resulted in cities that were larger than they had been before.

D．It was designed to address problems caused by modernization.

3. What was one aim in designing the city of Radbum?

A．To reduce the danger for families living in the area.

B．To create something totally different from cities elsewhere.

C．To make sure people could park their cars close to their home.

D．To increase green spaces by designing houses with gardens.

4. What do the towns of Greenbelt, Greenhills and Greendale all have in common?

A．Their residents were affected by the stock market collapse.

B．They were built for the wealthiest people in America.

C．They were each surrounded by natural parkland.

D．They were all constructed in the same year.