2 . Don’t always believe what scientists and other authorities tell you! Be skeptical! Think critically! That’s what I tell my students. Early in my career, I was a conventional science writer, easily impressed by scientists’ claims. But doubt gradually weakened my faith. Scientists and journalists, I realized, by continuously boasting scientific “advances”—from theories of cosmic (宇宙的) creation and the origin of life to the latest treatments for depression and cancer, made science seem more powerful and fast-moving than it really is. Now, I urge my students to doubt the claims of some scientists. This isn’t science anymore; I declare in class, it’s only science fiction with equations! To drive this point home, I assign articles by John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist who has exposed the weakness of most peer-reviewed research. In a 2005 study, he concluded that “most published research findings are false.”

So how do my students respond to my skeptical teaching? Some react with healthy pushback, especially to my suggestion that the era of really big scientific discoveries might be over. “On a scale from toddler knowledge to ultimate enlightenment, man’s understanding of the universe could be anywhere,” wrote a student named Matt. “How can a person say with certainty that everything is known or close to being known if it is incomparable to anything?”

Other students embrace skepticism to a degree that shocks me. Cecelia, a biomedical-engineering major, wrote: “I am skeptical of the methods used to collect data on climate change, the analysis of this data, and the predictions made based on this data.” Pondering (思索) the lesson that correlation does not equal causation, Steve questioned the foundations of scientific reasoning. “How do we know there is a cause for anything?” he asked.

In a similar way, some students echoed the claim of radical (激进的) postmodernists that we can never really know anything for certain, and hence that almost all our current theories will probably be overturned. Just as Aristotle’s physics gave way to Newton’s, which in turn yielded to Einstein’s, so our current theories of physics will surely be replaced by completely different ones.

After one especially harsh paper, I responded, “Whoa!” Science, I lectured sternly, has established many facts about reality beyond a reasonable doubt, embodied by quantum mechanics, general relativity, the theory of evolution, the genetic code. This knowledge has yielded applications—from vaccines to computer chips—that have transformed our world in countless ways. It is precisely because science is such a powerful mode of knowledge, I said, that you must treat new pronouncements skeptically, carefully distinguishing the genuine from the false. But you shouldn’t be so skeptical that you deny the possibility of achieving any knowledge at all.

My students listened politely, but I could see the doubt in their eyes. We professors have a duty to teach our students to be skeptical. But we also have to accept that, if we do our jobs well, their skepticism may turn on us.

1. Why was the author’s faith in science weakened?

A．Because some essays from his peer scholars cast strong doubt on science.

B．Because scientists often presented an overly optimistic picture of science.

C．Because he was tired of reading too much science fiction with equations.

D．Because an academic figure claimed that most published research findings were false.

2. Which of the following was Not one of the students’ responses to the author’s skeptical teaching?

A．Some doubted his suggestion of the limitation of scientific discoveries.

B．Some questioned the way of data collecting and scientific reasoning.

C．Some launched harsh criticism against the author’s advocacy of skepticism.

D．Some claimed there was no certainty for any established theory.

3. What did the author think of his students’ responses?

A．He considered them as a display of their creativity.

B．He viewed them a must in order to understand the spirit of science.

C．He treated them as an extreme application of skepticism.

D．He regarded them as a kind of respect paid by students to their teacher.

4. Which might be the best title for this article?

A．When Teaching Critical Thinking Backfires

B．Skepticism Makes Teaching More Fun

C．No Doubt, No Science

D．Students Turn Out Better Than Teacher as NOT one of the students

5 . Catfish effect is the effect that a strong competitor has in causing the weak to better themselves. Actions done to actively apply this effect in an organization are termed catfish management.

In Norway, live sardines are several times more expensive than frozen ones, and are valued for better texture and flavor. It was said that only one ship could bring live sardines home, and the shipmaster kept his method a secret. After he died, people found that there was one catfish in the tank. The catfish keeps swimming, and the sardines try to avoid this predator (捕食者). This increased level of activity keeps the sardines active, thus, increasing their survival rate greatly.

Catfish effect has been one of the hottest topics in human resources management. Therefore, I will keep the explanation short and sweet. When an outsider joins a well-established team as a competitor, he causes the weak to better their performance. This method is meant to motivate each of the teammates to feel the competition in order to keep up the competitiveness level of the whole team.

However, adding a catfish in the team can also bring in the downside in the group’s dynamics.

The team would go back to the storming stage. Under-performers would become more negative about the change that the catfish tried to implement (实施) because they would see it as a threat. The failed attempt of implementation of changing will create under-performance in the team as a whole, which will lead to a greater management challenge.

The key employee or backbone employee will feel demotivated because the opportunity to get a more senior job has decreased. If there are too many catfish in the company, this would generate a stressful work environment. The employee would constantly worry if they are being “preyed” by the catfish. The mental burden would create a harmful corporate culture and increase the distrust between employees.

A high standard is required on the catfish. The catfish would eventually turn into a leading role in the team. Lack in leadership skill from the catfish would lead to a bigger chaos in the workplace. Worst situation would be setting up a bad leadership role model to further an unhealthy competitive environment.

1. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?

A．The magic trick of catching sardines.	B．The underlying logic of the effect.
C．The exact origin of the legend.	D．The great wisdom of a catfish.

2. What may a catfish mean to backbones of the company?

A．Unfair corporate culture.	B．Violent work environment.
C．Great management challenge.	D．Reduced promotion chance.

3. Which might be the solution to the downside of a catfish?

A．Qualifying a catfish for a leading role.	B．Setting up a harmonious relationship.
C．Creating a less competitive workplace.	D．Stopping a catfish entering a company.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards adding a catfish in the company?

A．Subjective.

B．Pessimistic.

C．Objective.

D．Doubtful.

6 . 听下面一段对话，完成以下小题。
1. Who is in a meeting now?

A．Helen.

B．Mr. Smith.

C．Mr. Green.

2. What is the building across from the speakers?

A．The office block.

B．The storehouse.

C．The production area.

3. When was the new production equipment completed?

A．Two months ago.

B．One month ago.

C．Half a month ago.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The last year of high school is a time to start thinking about the future and what you should do after     1     (graduate). Have you ever considered     2     (be) a journalist?

Despite the decline of print journalism, there is still life in good writing. Being a journalist makes you on     3     go all the time. Beyond the fact-checking, interviews, and proof-reads, a journalist is expected to be on the edge of the culture. In-depth conversations with an editor are conducted about what stories are current and unusual, suggesting a perspective on the world that deserves     4     (bring) to light.

No two days for a journalist are ever the same. Finding the best material for a story could mean attending a press conference, holding an interview over the phone, or hammering out paragraphs. The story     5     (come) first, and journalists do     6     it takes to make it accurate and thought-provoking.

Strong communication skills are a must for a journalist.     7     social skills, a journalist won’t get very far. Besides, journalists have to be able to come up with ideas     8     (creative).

For a job     9     rewards your intelligence, foresight and quick thinking, you’d feel it hard to find anything     10     (satisfy) than being a journalist.

9 . Getting a Job in the Video Game Industry

When the video game industry started, the majority of the developers were programmers because they knew how to work in the language of the machines at the time.     1     Thus, game developers were no longer limited to excellent programmers.

You can start climbing the ladder as a tester.     2     For a while, this path worked for quite some time, although many quickly realized that it wasn’t the job they imagined it would be. It is almost impossible to progress from tech support into the development without higher level education and training in big development companies.

Getting a development position isn’t just a matter of having some programming or art classes on your resume(简历).     3    You may prepare yourselves for such questions as: What games are out there that you've made? Have you worked in a cooperative programming environment before? Do you know how to write clean, concise, documented code

In fact, programming interviews frequently involve having to stand up in front of your potential coworkers at a whiteboard and solve logic or programming efficiency problems. Level designers and artists may have to talk about their work on a video project or in the same sort of environment.     4     you’re not able to communicate with your potential colleagues, you may lose the chance at a job that you’d be perfect for.

The recent rise of independently developed and published games has opened a new path for those looking to get into the game industry.     5    It requires a significant investment of time, energy, resources, and a drive to face a very competitive market. And most importantly, it requires that you know how to fill, and despite this to get up and move on to the next project until you make it.

A．But this is not an easy route.

B．Testing games for money has been a dream job for countless teens.

C．Game development is not the thing you can just do in your bedroom.

D．Later on, other staff like artists became part of the development process

E．Many game companies now check for compatibility（相容性）with teammates.

F．So you can start by trying everything and then focus on what you enjoy most.

G．Long interview processes stand between gifted developers and their dreams of making gam

10 . 听下面一段长对话，回答小题。
1. What did Paul do after he left school?

A．He opened a shop.

B．He did several different jobs.

C．He got a job as a chef in a restaurant.

2. What was Paul’s first restaurant job like?

A．Difficult but beneficial.

B．Boring but well-paid.

C．Enjoyable but demanding.

3. What does Paul’s current job involve?

A．Managing the whole kitchen.

B．Cooking every day.

C．Assisting chefs.

4. What does Paul think makes a restaurant successful?

A．Inventing new dishes.

B．Using quality food.

C．Creating less stressful environment.