Q: When children start kindergarten, evident gaps in science knowledge already exist between Whites and minorities and between youngsters from upper-income and low-income families. And they often deepen into significant achievement gaps by the end of eighth grade if they are not dealt with during elementary school. The findings suggest that, in order for the United States to maintain long-term scientific and economic competitiveness in the world, policymakers need to renew efforts to ensure access(n.,) to high-quality, early learning experiences in childcare settings, preschools and elementary schools. The researchers' study tracked 7,757 children from their start in kindergarten to the end of eighth grade. Researchers found that, among kindergarteners with low levels of general knowledge, 62 percent were struggling in science by the time they reached third grade and 54 percent were struggling in that subject in eighth grade. And general knowledge gaps between minorities and Whites were already large at the time when students began kindergarten. "Children growing up in low-income families typically experience comparatively fewer early opportunities to learn about the natural and social sciences," the authors wrote. "Their parents often have lower educational levels and therefore less science knowledge themselves as well as fewer resources available to direct the children's academic growth. Children raised in poverty often attend poorly resourced schools that futher limit their academic opportunities." Morgan said that, within families, parents who regularly talk and interact with toddlers can point out and explain physical, natural and social events occurring around them daily. This might help youngsters learn facts and concepts that will prepare them to take better advantage of science instruction they receive during elementary and middle school. What can parents do to help their toddlers learn? A) Give them more nutritious food B) Offer them more learning resources. C) Let them attend science courses for kids D) Greate learning opportunities in daily life.
A: D

Q: The world has changed and being intelligent isn't normally equal to being a successful person. Look at the example of the blue whale: it has a huge brain, but it still doesn't know how to avoid whalers or use its large size and weight to deal with those who try to use their body for profit. Scientists hold an opinion that the blue whale is just like some highly intelligent people who fail to succeed. Those highly intelligent people can't succeed in life because they can't communicate well with the world around them. Intelligence is a word in life that makes you think you are better than others. Intelligence can blind these very people from how others view them. These people also think that the route to power and success results purely from intelligence and they sometimes live in a fantasy world that they create by their supposed brain power. This is a distance that develops whether or not they realize it and sometimes, a person can be disliked simply because of his or her intelligence. This distance is sometimes so far apart that it gets to the position where they can't listen to each other. One side thinks the other is stupid and the other thinks he/she is haughty . And most of the time it is the intelligent people who lose themselves in this situation. They become unpopular with most of the people around them. This affects them in whatever they do and sooner or later they will lose their confidence. It doesn't help that they get a culture shock --- especially when they leave college and realize success and richness don't always and sometimes never come naturally with intelligence. While some might think this is a dramatic picture to paint, it is sometimes the end result of some people. We can infer that the end result of the supposed intelligent people would be _ . A) great achievements B) more enjoyable C) failure in the future D) surely successful
A: C

Q: When a handheld video game runs out of power,all you have to do is plug it in and charge it up.Within a few years,some of you might do the same thing with mom's car.Automobile companies are developing vehicles that will plugin to electric sockets ,just like many laptops,digital cameras,cellphones and small video game players do.Called "plugin hybrids ",these cars will get most of their power from electricity.Their drivers will rarely have to stop at gas stations. The technology is more than just cool.In our automobilefilled world,plugin vehicles could reduce the amount of gasoline we use.That gas is made from crude oil ,which keeps rising in cost.Plus,driving around in these hybrids may even help the environment.Gasburning cars produce a lot of carbon dioxide,a type of greenhouse gas.These gases stay in the atmosphere,where they trap heat and cause global warming. The first companyproduced plugin hybrids could hit the roads by 2010.But engineers still have a lot of work to do to make the technology practical and inexpensive. Batteries are the biggest challenge.In the pluginhybrid world,lithiumion (Liion) batteries are getting the most attention.These batteries can store a large amount of energy in a small package,and they last a ly long time between charges.Liion batteries are standard in laptops,cellphones,heart devices and other similar portable devices. But because cars are so big and heavy,it would still require a suitcasesized Liion battery to power about 12km of driving.What's more,the batteries are extremely expensive. "A car filled with batteries could go a long distance," says Ted Bohn,an electrical engineer in Chicago."But it couldn't haul any people,and it would cost $100,000." So researchers need to figure out how to make batteries smaller and cheaper,among other questions. "The answers don't exist yet," Bohn says."As a kid I thought someone someplace knows the answer to everything.All of these questions haven't been decided.That's what engineering is about--making a guess,running... The new technology is facing the following problems EXCEPT that . A) the technology isn't practical up to now B) the cost of the new technology is quite high C) the size of the batteries is too big at present D) the government won't support the technology
A: D

Q: Almost every family in America or England buys at least one copy of a newspaper each day. Some people buy as many as two or three different papers. Why do people read newspapers? Newspapers supply us with news about events in our hometowns, in our country, and in other parts of the world. Today we can read about important things that took place in foreign countries on the same day they happened, even in countries far away. But hundreds of years ago, news of things took months or even years to travel from one country to another. In those times, news was often passed from one person to another and never completely true. Newspapers today supply us with more than just what happened in our country or in other countries. If we want to know what the weather will be like, we can read the weather reports. If we want to find out what films are being shown, or what plays or concerts we can go to we can look in the newspapers. In many countries people put notices in newspapers if they are trying to get a job, hunting for a house or rooms that they can rent, or even when looking for a person who is lost. Newspapers supply us with _ . A) only home news B) only world news C) home news and world news D) important things
A: C