I wonder whether there is any girl or boy who does not like to see a rainbow in the sky. It is so beautiful.
There is a story, saying that whenever you see a rainbow you should run at once to the place where it touches the ground, and there you would find a pot of gold. Of course it is not true. You could not find the pot of gold or its end. No matter how far you run, it always seems far away.
A rainbow is not a thing which we can feel with our hands as we can feel a flower. It is only the effect of light shining on raindrops. The raindrops catch the sunlight and break it up into all the wonderful colours which we see. It is called a rainbow perhaps because it is made up of raindrops and looks like a bow（弓).
That is why we can never see a rainbow in a clear sky. We see a rainbow only when there is rain in the air and the sun is shining brightly through the clouds.
Every rainbow has many colours in the same order. The first or the top colour is always red, and the next comes orange, then yellow, and last of all, blue. A rainbow is indeed one of the wonders of nature.
【小題1】Children like rainbows because          .

A．they are beautiful

B．they are like bows

C．they can find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow

D．they are good to crops

【小題2】We cannot feel          with our hands.

A．a(chǎn) pot of gold

B．a(chǎn) flower

C．a(chǎn) rainbow

D．a(chǎn) raindrop

【小題3】We can see a rainbow          .

A．when it is raining heavily

B．when it is snowing

C．when it is cloudy

D．when it is becomes fine shortly after raining

【小題4】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．A rainbow is like bow.

B．A rainbow is the effect of light shining on raindrops.

C．Every rainbow has different colours in different orders.

D．A rainbow is one of the wonders of nature.

【小題5】The first colour of a rainbow is always           .

A．yellow

B．red

C．green

D．blue

Taking away a city’s rubbish is a big job. Every day trucks come into a city to collect it. Most rubbish is made up of things we can’t eat or use. If we kept these things we would soon have a mountain of rubbish.
In some cities the rubbish is collected and taken outside of the city to a dump(垃圾站). Often the city dump is placed where the ground is low or there is a big hole. The kitchen rubbish is broken into small pieces and sent into the sewage system. The sewage system takes away the used water from toilets, bathtubs(澡盆) and other places.
To keep mice and flies away, some earth is used to cover the newly dumped rubbish. Later, grass may be planted on the rubbish-filled land. Finally, a house or a school may be built there, and then you’d never know that this had once been an old rubbish dump.
In other cities the rubbish is burnt in special places. The fire burns everything but the metal. Sometimes the metal can be used again in factories where things are made of metal. The food parts of rubbish are put in special piles where they slowly change into something called humus(腐殖土), which looks like black earth. It is rich with kinds of things that feed plants and help make them grow.
【小題1】You can most probably read the passage in _______.

A．a(chǎn) history book	B．a(chǎn) TV guide
C．a(chǎn) science book	D．a(chǎn) telephone book

【小題2】The underlined word “sewage” in the passage means_______.

A．排污

B．染色

C．洗滌

D．吸塵

【小題3】How should we take care of a used metal box according to the passage?

A．By burning it off.	B．By putting it in water.
C．By throwing it away.	D．By reusing and recycling it.

"Earworms", some people call them. Songs that get stuck in your head go round and round, sometimes for days, sometimes for months. For no clear reason you cannot help yourself from humming or singing a tune by Lady Gaga.
To a psychologist, the most interesting thing about earworms is that they show a part of our mind that is clearly outside of our control. Earworms arrive without permission and refuse to leave when we tell them to. They are parasites (寄生蟲) living in a part of our minds.
If you have got an earworm you can suffer an attack of it simply by someone mentioning the tune, without having to hear it. This proves that earworms are a part of long-term memory. Humans have an "inner ear", for remembering phone numbers, for instance. When it gets infected with earworms, rather than review our plans for the day, or lists of things to remember, the inner ear gets stuck on a few short bars of music or a couple of phrases from a song. A part of us that we normally do not have to think about, that should just do what we ask, has been turned against us, upsetting us with a request that we never asked for. The mind is an inner world which we do not have complete knowledge of, or have control over.
Fortunately psychology can provide some advice on how to deal with an uncontrollable mind. Consider the famous "don’t think of a white bear" problem, which tells you to try not to think about white bears, or to do something else, to avoid both thinking of the white bear and not thinking of the white bear. For earworms, the solution may be the same. Our inner ear has become infected with an earworm. This is a part not under our control, so just sending in instructions to "shut up" is unlikely to be of much help (and has been shown to make it worse). Much better is to employ the inner ear in another task. If your mind is poisoned by Brittany Spears’ Toxic, for instance, then try singing Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You out Of My Head. Let me know if it works!
【小題1】According to the passage, earworms are ______.

A．songs that keep going round in our mind

B．worms that live in a part of our brain

C．tunes by pop singers like Lady Gaga

D．parasites clearly under our control

【小題2】Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Singing songs may get earworms out of your head.

B．Earworms are used for keeping long-term memory.

C．Humans do not have complete control over their mind.

D．You won’t suffer from earworms unless you hear the song.

【小題3】What does “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The instruction to shut up your mind.

B．“Don’t think of the white bear” problem.

C．Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You out Of My Head.

D．Using the earworm-infected inner ear in another task.

【小題4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The causes and influences of earworms.

B．What earworms are and how to deal with them.

C．How to clear earworms out of your head.

D．The relation between earworms and popular songs.

What would happen if you tried to blow a soap bubble in freezing weather? Would it freeze solid(固體) and fall to the ground? Would you have to hit it to break it? These questions happened to me on a cold winter day. It was too cold to play in the snow, but it was a perfect time to experiment with blowing frozen bubbles.
To blow frozen bubbles, I used dishwashing soap and a drop of glycerin（甘油） to make it even better. I chose a place out of the wind, and blew bubbles the same way I always do. I watched to see what would happen. Here’s what I learned.
If the temperature is low enough, the skin of the bubbles frosts over (結(jié)霜), becoming cloudy instead of clear. And what about those rainbow swirls（旋轉(zhuǎn)） you see in soap bubbles? The rainbow colors stay even when the bubbles frost, but they don’t swirl anymore. The bubbles still stay in the air. They don’t fall to the ground any faster than they would on a warm summer day.
When these frozen bubbles break, they don’t turn into small water drops as summer bubbles do. They turn into flashing rainbow confetti（碎屑） and move slowly to the ground. Sometimes a frozen bubble will roll across the snow without breaking. If nothing disturbs the bubble, it may stay there for a long time. Sometimes I could catch a bubble and hold it until the heat of my hand made it pop.
I learned another thing about blowing frozen bubbles. It’s so interesting that I want to try it again next year.
【小題1】It is the perfect time to blow frozen bubbles on a ___________day.

A．cold winter

B．warm spring

C．hot summer

D．sunny autumn

【小題2】When the frozen bubbles break, _________.

A．they make a big sound	B．they turn into small drops
C．they fall to the ground like rain	D．they become rainbow confetti

【小題3】The purpose of the passage is _______.

A．to learn how to do a science experiment

B．to show the experiment of blowing frozen bubbles

C．to discover games that are fun to play in the snow

D．to invent a new kind of soap that makes stronger bubbles

My Classroom Wheel Teachers 2012~2013
Welcome to My Art Class! My Classroom Mission(任務(wù)) We will learn about art history, artists and develop students’ talent. In order to learn, be creative and improve our painting skills, we will have a relaxing classroom. Name: Kathy Grady    Email Address: kgrady@iss.k12.nc.us	Welcome to Pope’s Computer Lab! My Classroom Mission Students will work together and actively take part in designing the computer programs. By doing this we will be able to use computer technology successfully in our lives. Name: Barbara Pope Email Address: bpope@iss.k12.nc.us
Welcome toMyPE class! My Classroom Mission Be active in PE classes! You do not have to be an Olympic athlete to get an A in my class. Take part in our sports activities to keep a healthy body and mind. All students will be successful.  Name: Sherry Cash Email Address: scash@iss.k12.nc.us	Welcome to the Science Lab! My Classroom Mission This year we will learn about science by becoming a scientist. We will do experiments, observe, touch, listen, and ask questions about our world. We will learn to care for our world. We will never give up trying! Name: Denise Harris Email Address: dharris@iss.k12.nc.us

【小題1】In order to improve___________, the students will have a relaxing classroom.

A．painting skills

B．computer programs

C．sports activities

D．science studies

【小題2】We can email at ________ to get more information about computer class.

A．dharris@iss.k12.nc.us	B．kgrady@iss.k12.nc.us
C．bpope@iss.k12.nc.us	D．scash@iss.k12.nc.us

【小題3】Students should go to __________ class to learn to do experiment.

A．Barbara Pope’s

B．Sherry Cash’s

C．Kathy Grady’s

D．Denise Harris’

How do you remember the way to your house? Where do dreams come from? It is your brain (大腦) that does these things. A British scientist showed that “sleep can improve one’s memory.” It’s not a dream for students to study when they sleep. In fact, your brain is working day and night. If you learn words before bed, a certain part of the brain may help you to remember the words while you sleep. What’s more, another scientist in the USA found that there was a “talent button (天才按鈕)” in the human brain. It might make a person more talented.
There are more interesting things about the brain. Your brain uses less energy than a fridge light. Just two bananas can give the brain enough energy to work for a whole day. According to some scientists, yawning (打哈欠) keeps our brains “cool”, which makes us think quicker.
Here are some pieces of advice to keep a good brain:
Eat healthy food.
Get a lot of playtime or exercise.
Don’t drink or smoke.
Use your brain a lot.
【小題1】A British scientist found out that ________ could improve our memories.

A．drink

B．dreams

C．sleep

D．bananas

【小題2】According to the passage, if we want to have a good brain, we should ________.

A．use our brains more	B．sleep fewer hours
C．work longer hours	D．remember fewer things

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Our brains only work in the daytime.

B．Our brains need much energy every day.

C．Smoking can keep our brains healthy.

D．Getting exercise is good for our brains.

Soon computers and other machines will be able to remember you by looking at your eyes! The program works because everyone’s eyes are different. So in the future you won’t have to remember a number when you want to use a machine or take money out of a bank. You’ll just have to look at the machine and it will be able to tell who you are.
The eye-recognition(眼睛識別) program is already being tested in shops and banks in the USA, Britain and France. Soon, this technology(技術(shù)) will change all other ways of finding out who people are.
However, scientists are working on other systems. Machines will soon be able to know you from the shape of your face or hands or even your smell! We already have machines that can tell who you are from your voice or the mark made by your fingers.
Eye-recognition is better than other kinds because your eyes don’t change as you get older, or get dirty like hands or fingers. And even twins have different eyes, so the program can be up to 94％ correct, depending on(依靠) how good the technology is. Some programs may only be right 51％ of the time. In Britain, it was found that 91％ of people who had tried it said that they liked the idea of eye-recognition.
In the future your computer will be looking at you in the eye. So smile!
【小題1】What is the advantage of using the eye-recognition program?

A．You needn’t use a machine.

B．You needn’t remember a number.

C．You needn’t look at the machine.

D．You needn’t take some money with you.

【小題2】How does the eye-recognition program work?

A．You type in your number.	B．You show your ID card.
C．You look at the machine.	D．You say your name.

【小題3】Why can the eye-recognition program be up to 94％ correct?

A．Because eyes hardly change.

B．Because hands or fingers can get dirty.

C．Because people like the idea of the program.

D．Because the program is widely used around the world.

【小題4】Which recognition program has been already in use?

A．Remembering eyes.

B．Remembering smells.

C．Remembering fingerprints.

D．Remembering the shape of faces.

The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health.
There are plenty of "energy drinks" on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!  
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine (咖啡因) in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much.
Caffeine makes your heart（心臟）beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee has limited(限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.
【小題1】The main reason for people not to drink too much energy drinks is that they may cause      .

A．heart problems	B．nervousness
C．sleeping difficulty	D．possible health dangers

【小題2】The underlined word "discouraged" can be replaced(替換) with "________".

A．encouraged

B．stopped

C．helped

D．disliked

【小題3】From the passage we can know that _________.

A．a(chǎn)dvertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks

B．energy drinks are helpful to teenagers' study

C．sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks

D．energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers

After spending years searching for a planet with life, scientists may have found one. In September 2010, a team of US scientists discovered an Earth-sized planet called Gliese 581g. It has a surface temperature neither too hot nor too cold for liquid（液態(tài)）water. Scientists think there is a chance that the planet could have life.
The planet Gliese 581g goes around a star called Gliese 581, which is about 20 light-years from Earth. That is about 194 trillion（萬億）kilometres －500 million times farther away from us than the moon.
A spacecraft traveling at a one-tenth of the speed of light would reach Gliese 581g within about 220 years. A human can’t live that long, but robotic explorers could make the job easier. However, our fastest spacecraft don’t come anywhere near that one-tenth light-speed mark.
At present, scientists don’t know what the surface might be like on Gliese 581g. What they know is that the planet is at the right distance from its star to have liquid water. It’s also at the right distance to have an atmosphere that could protect the water if it is on the surface.
Although spacecraft won’t be getting there anytime soon, one way to look for life on Gliese 581g is to turn our radio telescopes（望遠(yuǎn)鏡）towards the planet and search for radiation（放射）. By studying the radiation, scientists would find out about the chemicals（化學(xué)物質(zhì)）around the planet and discover if Gliese 581g has an atmosphere. If it has one, studying the atmosphere would give us a good idea whether the planet has life or not. But it’ll probably be many years before we can do this properly.
People have been arguing about whether there is alien life on Gliese 581g. Any discussion about alien life is just guessing at this point, according to its discoverers.
【小題1】What did scientists find in September 2010?

A．A planet with water.	B．A planet similar to the earth.
C．A planet without life.	D．A planet near the earth.

【小題2】According to the article, Gliese 581g ________.

A．is at the right distance from its star	B．moves around the earth
C．is as far away from us as the moon	D．can be reached in about 220 years

【小題3】Paragraph 5 is mainly about ______.

A．the possibility of living on Gliese 581g

B．the kinds of chemicals around Gliese 581g

C．the way of looking for life on Gliese 581g

D．the aim of studying the radiation on Gliese 581g

【小題4】Which of the following is the best title for the passage above?

A．Gliese 581g, a Likely Living Planet	B．Gliese 581, a Likely Living Planet
C．Gliese 581g and Its Star	D．Gliese 581g and Radiation

Every time you turn on the television or take a ride in a car ,you could be adding to a problem called acid rain(酸雨). In this article, you’ll learn how acid is created, and how it affects us, and more importantly, what we all can do to prevent it.
How is acid rain created?
When people use fuels(燃料), such as coal and gasoline, poisonous gases are given off. When these gases mix with rain, acid rain forms. Many power stations burn fuels in order to create the electricity(電) that we use in our homes and offices every day. Cars and trucks also send these gases into the air when they burn gasoline .When rain mixes with these gases, harmful things called acids form. This is acid rain.
How does acid rain affect us?
Acid rain damages(毀壞)everything that it touches. It poisons our rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans along with all the life in them. It pollutes our soil and crops, harms trees, and can even kill fish and plants. Acid rain also eats away at buildings.
How can we prevent acid rain?
We need to cut down on the pollution that gets into our air. Turn off lights, television, and other electrical appliances if you are not using them, Walk or take a bike whenever possible. If you are travelling a long distance, take a bus or train to save fuel.
As research shows, acid rain harms our environment. But people everywhere can take small steps now to help protect our environment for future generations.
【小題1】When power stations burn fuel, _______.

A．a(chǎn)cid rain form	B．a(chǎn)ir pollution is caused
C．noise pollution is caused	D．a(chǎn)cid rain gets heavier

【小題2】What advice does the article give us?

A．Go to school on foot or by bike if we can.

B．Go to bed earlier in order to use less electricity.

C．Travel by bus to prevent acid rain.

D．Turn off the television on rainy days.

【小題3】What is the best title of the article?

A．Preventing Acid Rain	B．Forming of Acid Rain
C．Acid rain, Heavy Rain	D．Acid Rain, Killer Rain