---____?

---Three.

A recent survey of 2000 parents in Britain showed that they are often afraid of science questions asked by their curious children only because they have no idea what the answer is. Here is a list of some simple questions that you can ask your parents to see if they know the answers.

    Q: Why is the sky blue?

    A: You probably know white sunlight is made up of seven colors. While it moves in a straight line when going through space, it starts to divide as it hits “raised area” in the atmosphere. The ones with longest wavelengths pass through easily. The blue , however , can be taken in by the gas molecules (分子) because it has a shorter wavelength , which in turn scatters (使分散) it in different directions. That’s why when you look up at the sky, it appears to be blue.

    Q:Why does the moon sometimes appear during the daytime?

    A: The simple answer to that is because just like any other object it is being lit by the sun. As long as it is around 45 degrees or even 90 degrees off the sun, it will receive light and be able to be seen. The only time it is not able to be seen during its 28-day orbit (轨道) around the earth is when it is right between the earth and the sun. That’s because its back , which is not lit by the sun, is facing us.

    Q: Where do birds/ honeybees go in winter?

    A: While the bird part is quite easy, since a lot of them get together and travel, the honeybee part is likely to puzzle your parents. It turns out that these busy insects stop being that active when the temperature drops below 50°F. Instead ,they get together in the lower central area of the hive （蜂巢）and form a ball around their queen. This helps keep both warm enough to survive the cold winter months.

1.The sky looks blue mainly because the color blue in the sunlight_______.

A. has the longest wavelength among all the colors

B. cannot be taken in by the gas molecules

C. doesn’t hit “raised area” in the atmosphere

D. cannot pass through space successfully

2.How long can’t the moon be seen during the daytime in a month?

A. 2                             B. 28                           C.30                                      D. 31

3.What do honeybees choose to do when the temperature drops below 50°F?

A. They choose to be active in the wild.

B. They choose to keep themselves warm.

C. They choose to travel to a warm place.

D. They choose to get together in the upper central area of the hive.

4.What is NOT explained in the passage?

A. Why is the sky blue?

B. Why is the moon able to be seen during the daytime?

C. Why do birds travel in winter?

D. Where do honeybees go in winter?

I have two cats named Mars and Venus．Get it? My niece，Beth，thought of the names. They are so cute．Mars is bigger and Venus has long curly, fur．

They are such great company! They are curious(好奇)about everything except for the cat window seat．My two furry friends have visited almost every place in the house.

Until I got Mars and Venus 1 was having terrible problems with insomnia．1 would go to bed at midnight and lie there until 4 or sometimes even 5 in the morning．I was walking around during the nighttime，and couldn′t seem to find a way to get to sleep．After one night of galloping from one end often house to the other, Mars and Venus moved in and when I go to bed，they do，too．

At midnight．I lie down in my warm bed, Mars finds his place on the pillow next to me and  then Venus curls up so that she is touching Mars．They sleep all through the night…and guess what．SO do I!I fall asleep almost immediately．

    Now with two little balls of fur next to me，I sleep beautifully．

任务一：下列4个单词在短文中是划线词，请选择与其意思相符的英文释义。

1．Company        2．Furry         3．Insomnia        4.pillow           

  A．covered with fur            B．something you put your head on when sleeping

  C．friend you spend time with  D．inability to sleep

任务二：根据短文内容回答问题。

5．Where don′t the cats like to go?

6．Why is the writer able to sleep well at night?

任务三：把下面句子译成汉语。

7．Until I got Mars and Venus 1 was having terrible problems with insomnia.

The plane hasn’t arrived yet．Could you tell me ________?

A．why the plane is late                    B．how is the plane late

C．when will the plane arrive             D．that the plane arrives

The plane hasn’t arrived yet．Could you tell me ________?

    A．why the plane was late      B．how is the plane late

    C．when the plane will arrive   D．that the plane arrives