We have a real crisis in this country in the basic understanding of science. It affects our global competitiveness as a country, our national security, and the effectiveness of our social system. The misunderstanding about science is blinding our eyes. We know that an awful lot of teachers who are teaching science today have not been properly empowered to do so. School frequently isn't testing whether you understand something but whether you're familiar with it. What's Newton's second law? You say F=ma, and you get an A. That does not reflect a deep understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Science education is not just a body of facts; it's a process. To present it with appeal and excitement you need to picture it as a detective story--asking questions, making observations, and collecting evidence. You test and you fail but, you know, failure can lead to discovery. Another challenge we face is that science is often viewed as too hard, for experts only. But I don't actually think it's that difficult. People see science every day. They look outside and see weather and nature. They push a button in their house and the lights go on. Everybody's dealing with science every day. They just don't call it that. And it's important they do. In fact, science is determining the quality and outcomes of their life. Science needs creativity. And one of the best ways to be creative is to think "out of the box". However, we need more courage when we come to practice. Take me for example. Very early in my teens I decided to educate myself. I realized I would never be a very good student because I didn't like teachers judging me by what I thought were arbitrary standards. I decided I'd let the world judge me by whether I could do something of value--solve a problem or build something. That's why I quit school early and risked everything to start a company. I risked everything I had because I had nothing to lose. I'd rather fail at trying to do something really big than succeed at being medium. "When's the right age to think... The author believes that they actually have a problem in _ . A) the understanding of science B) the security of his nation C) the global competitiveness D) the present social system
A
(Question)
You must have a favorite line or _ you repeat often in your conversations. Studies say that pet phrases can reflect our changing society and reveal information about a person's personality. Here are some of the most popular pet phrases among young people. ---nuts I love the word and use it whenever I think a person is stupid, or a behavior is crazy. I learned the term from one of my classmates. Once, we saw two high school girls wearing miniskirts on a very cold winter day and my classmate called the two girls "nuts". I don't think the word reflects my personality. I use it because it sounds cool. Diao Yujie, 22, computer science major at Nanjing University. ---stunning I use this word very often. Once, my classmates and I were discussing how amusing QQ is. One guy suddenly burst out, "I have MSN too". This comment had no relation with the topic we were discussing. I used this word and everybody laughed. I think it is a fantastic word that can change awkwardness to amusement. Mu Li, 20, journalism major at Beijing Normal University. ---I'm giddy! I use this word a lot---more often than my classmates. It has became a symbol of me, as my friends sometimes refer to me as the guy who often says the word. I am a person who wants to be different and this word gives me that feeling. Chen Zhou, 21, Nanjing University. ---stunning I only use this word with my friends. My parents don't understand it. The word, which is only used among people of my age, is intimate. I think it stands for being young and energetic. And I want to be young forever, so I like the word. Chen Jianjun, 23, senior at Nanjing University. What's young people's attitude to pet phrase? A) indifferent B) crazy C) reasonable D) against
(Answer)
B
Ques: When Lew Alcindor was 13, and obviously still growing, a group of schools began offering him scholarships . The Alcindors decided to send their only child to Power Memorial Academy, a small school on Manhattan's West Side. At Power, Alcindor came under the control of Coach Jack Donohue, a strict young an who already gained his fame as one of the best coaches in the city.Donohue brought Alcindor along slowly.As a first-year student, the boy was not able to do much but wave his long skinny arms and shoot a basket now and then.But by the second year, when he was 15 years old and nearly 7 feet tall, Alcindor was quick and skillful enough to make the high school All-American team and to lead Power to an undefeated season. From then on he simply got better.Some rival coaches used to take their teams quickly away from the floor before Power warmed up so that their players would not see him any sooner than they had to.Wearing size 16 D shoes and sucking a lollipop , Alcindor would loosen up by starting his leaping lay-ups .Then he would casually shoot the ball with either hand, to the delight of the fans. When reporters and photographers began to follow Alcindor closely, Donohue protected his boy firmly.He simply ordered Lew to talk to no member of the press, and this suited Lew fine.He was not comfortable talking to grown-ups, perhaps because he towered over them.Discouraged photographers began following him in secret as though he were an easily-frightened giraffe.Once after ducking into a subway to escape, Alcindor told a friend that it was all becoming like policemen and robbers."People want you not for yourself," Donohue warned him, "but because you're a basketball player.Don't forget that." Why did some rival coaches take their teams away from the floor before Power warmed up? A) Their teams refused to play Power. B) Their teams feared to see Alcindor. C) Their teams would lose courage. D) Their teams would lose interest.
Ans: C
Children who see their parents drunk are twice likely to get drunk themselves, a survey of young teenagers has suggested. Poor parental supervision also raises the chances of teenage drinking, said the Joesph Rowntree Foundation. If parents don't know where their children are on a Saturday night, or let them watch films of violence, they are more likely to have had an alcoholic drink. The survey also found the behavior of friends is also a powerful factor in drinking habits. The more time teenagers spend with friends, the more likely they are to drink alcohol. In this survey of 5,700 children aged 13 to 16, carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, researchers found that one in five wanted to have a drink by the time they were 14. By the age of 16, half of those questioned said they had been drunk. Pamela Bremner, scientist of the survey, said, "For the first time in the UK, this study shows what most influences young people's drinking behavior." "It found that the behavior of friends and family is the most common influential factor in determining how likely and how often a young person will drink alcohol." Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, said, "Government ministers must also look at some of the causes of why it is so easy for children to get alcohol, usually from the home." "Governments should look to see if they've done everything they can to help the large supermarkets from continuing to sell cheap alcohol which encourages more alcohol sales and therefore results in more alcohol being stored in the home." The Royal College of Physicians also said it was not surprising that being able to get alcohol easily was an important factor on current drinking problems and drunkenness of teenagers. A statement said, "This shows that the government needs to focus more attention on increasing the price of alcohol, and increasing education and national campaigns for both young people and their families on the dangers of alcohol." Who should be responsible for the fact that some teenagers formed the habit of drinking besides their parents and friends, according to Don Shenker? A) Their teachers. B) Governments. C) Supermarkets. D) Themselves.
B