英语六级阅读段落信息匹配题练习(3)
How to Survive Black Friday
A) If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving today, you might be considering venturing out to the Black Friday sales tomorrow morning. After all, there will be at least a few great deals—and you can do all your holiday gift shopping in one crazy sprint. In order to make it out with your sanity—and your wallet—intact, there are a few Black Friday tips I)d like to share.
B) First, making your shopping list is essential. When I was little, I could sit for hours with the Black Friday ads (especially Toys R Us), telling whoever was listening that I wanted pretty much everything on each page. I may have grown out of Toys R Us, but I still see plenty I want flipping through the sales papers. Sometimes, I can even convince myself that I really need some great gadget (小玩意儿)that I hadn’t actually intended to buy. So, before I even start browsing through the sales papers, I make a list of items that I’m particularly looking for. While I might adapt my list to what’s on sale—maybe swap out a movie title or choose a different video game based on what is available.
C) Second, many retailers offer online deals for Black Friday, so check the online deals before shopping. When you add in gas money and the time you might spend standing in line on Friday morning, online sales are even better. Before you brave the crowds, take a look at your favorite websites—and the stores you!re planning to visit. Many sales will kick in at midnight, so you"ll be able to check no matter how early you’re planning on getting in line at the local big box retailer. For some stores, you can order items online and pay the Black Friday price, then pick them up at your local store.
D) Third, I have to say you’d better pick a shopping buddy who will match your pace. My mother will be getting up at 4 a.m. Friday morning. While I admire her dedication, her Black Friday will be much longer than mine. I prefer to shop at a more comforta ble pace, though, so I’ll be going with a different shopping buddy. My mom and my sister—both power shoppers—are much happier pairing up and letting the slow poke(慢性子的A) (that’s me) go on my own. I do think that having a buddy does make the whole process much easier, though: one person can stand in line while the other person grabs whatever is on the list. Even better, a buddy can help you stick to your list and your budget, avoiding unnecessary spending.
E) Fourth, don’t forget to bring your ads with you. There’s a chance that your discounted item may not ring up as on sale when you actually get up to the cash register. Instead of trying to recall exactly what the sale paper said, pull that ad out and ask the clerk to double check it. You can avoid confusion by carrying your ads with you—and, if you go to a store with a price-matching
policy, you may be able to get the same prices that another store is offering. If you’re relying on ads you found online, you might have a harder time getting a deal, though. Some stores won’t even honor the prices listed on their own websites. Printing off the ad can help you convince a clerk, but it’s not guaranteed.
F) Fifth, as to returns policies, they seem to get tighter every year, and they can be worse for Black Friday. For some items, stores may have only a short return policy—and they may charge you a restocking fee. If you aren’t sure if you’ve bought the right size (or are otherwise considering a return), plan on making your return as soon as possible. Keep your receipt handy and pick up gift receipts where necessary.
G) Sixth, it is better to use your credit card on Black Friday. Normally, I，m against using a credit card for most purchases. It’s too easy to run up a big bill, but there are some definite benefits to using plastic on Black Friday. Many credit card companies have much better return protection than stores: a purchase made on your credit card may have guaranteed refund up to 90 days. Credit cards often offer warranty coverage for free on purchases—a much better deal than most of the service contracts offered by stores. Lastly, some cards offer sale price protection. If the price of your purchase is marked down further than the price you paid within a certain time frame, you can get a refund of the difference.
H) Seventh, if you’re planning to find a great deal on an HDTV on Black Friday, I"m afraid that you’re out of luck. Even on Black Friday, it’s rare to see much in the way of sales on big ticket electronics. The small sales are generally just not worth the hassle of trying to get a sales person to help you with anything time intensive when they’re getting slammed with hundreds of shoppers.
I) Last but not least, there’s nothing wrong with skipping the Black Friday sales. If there’s nothing on sale that y ou’re interested in, why bother? The entire day is set up to let retailers sell as much stuff as they can—to take as much of your money as they can. But there)s no better place for your money than in your wallet or bank account. So, stay Home, relax and take advantage of your leftovers. You’ll be saving money even if you wind up making a few full price purchases down the road.
1. The author’s mother prefers shopping with the author’s sister because the author is slow.
2. When shopping, it is better to bring the ads with you because some items may actually not be on sale.
3. You can buy items online at the Black Friday price and then get them at the local store.
4. While the author looks through the sales papers, she may make changes on her shopping list.
5. In order to help readers spend their money more reasonably on Black Friday, the author
would like to share a few Black Friday tips.
6. You can’t find a great deal on expensive electronics on Black Friday because it is unnecessary for the stores to go for the small sales.
7. Skipping the Black Friday sales means you are saving money.
8. If your credit card is with price protection, you can get a refund of the price gap.
9. For items with short return policy, you have a risk of paying for a restocking fee.
10. The author advises people to use a credit card, which usually can guarantee a 90- day refund period.
4
Sugar—Friend VS Enemy
A) Sugar is everywhere. It’s in our drinks, it’s in our foods, and it’s hidden in places we never would think of. Many would call sugar their friend in time of need, but in fact their so-called “good friend” could turn out to be their worst enemy in disguise. Sugar for many is something they may have been battling with for a long time. Here’s a simple three-step process to help you start to win back the battle for your health.
B) The first step is to be aware of what sugar really does to your body. Most people will say they “know” that they shouldn’t have sugar, but they really can’t help it. To me that is a lack of true awareness of what sugar does to oneself. I don+t think many people will say that they want to hurt their body on purpose, but unless they know it’s really happening they will continue down that road. Sugar is slower to impact our health, and it，s that slow destructive process that is the most dangerous. Unfortunately, most people don’t know the damage until it ha s already been done.
C) Sugar increases fat storing. Possibly the most important hormone in the body is insulin (胰岛素)，when it comes to weight loss and health. Insulin is the main hormone that we have full control over daily through our diet and lifestyle. When we eat sugar and it enters into our bloodstream too quickly, we have a spike in blood sugar levels. Now in times of high activity we are able to burn it off, but if we are sitting around this is not a good thing. So in response to that high level of blood sugar, the body will release more insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin will then take the excess glucose (葡萄糖)and try to find a place to store it. If your muscles are all full or have insulin resistance) then the best place to put the excess glucose is fat cells. When insulin is high, the fat cells are told to shut down any process of releasing stored fat into the blood for burning. With chronic high insulin spikes comes a resistance to it by your cells, leading to more insulin production, leading to more fat storing, and more resistance, eventually going down a road of diabetes and ill health for the whole body.
D) Sugar also disrupts normal brain function. I think most people can relate to mood swings and energy highs/lows that come after a high sugar meal. Sugar can also be the source of many people’s increased anxiety and depression. Let us not also forget the kids with ever-increasing attention “disorders” and behavioral issues. Sugar is not helping with that, either. In fact, there have been m any studies that show when taking sugar out of a kid’s diet and increasing fat intake, their attention ability increases, their behavior changes for the better.
E) Sugar decreases your overall health and makes you age quicker. Too much sugar will lower your overall immune system increase destructive inflammation, lead to essential mineral deficiencies in the body, feed bad bacteria growth in your gut and other wonderful stuff. Aging is just a fancy word for the body breaking down quicker than it can repair itself, as that is what happens when we get older. Aging also is accelerated by the increasing risks of all degenerative diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancers. We are all going to get older, but it doesn’t mean that we have to “age” quicker.
F) The second step is to realize you are in 100% control of your actions. This could be the most underrated yet the most important step, as we are the only person who controls what we put into our body. Everything starts in what we choose to put in our mouths. Some people may say they can’t control their sugar cravings, but that is already admitting defeat and giving up power to some “cosmic sugar influence” out there. We can pass on dessert, we don’t need to buy a candy bar, we can drink water instead of soda, but the choice is ours to make.
G) Also many like to call it an “addiction”. This is just another way to give up your own personal power of choice. While sugar can have “addictive like” qualities, it’s not something that you own or is a part of you. Fight the battle and you will get over the addictive feelings, they will go away. But if you call it an addiction and make it part of you, then it is yours to keep forever. Be free from it, let go. Take back control and anything is possible.
H) The third step is to just live the daily journey one choice at a time. Life is just a series of present moments, and the choices we make in those moments. So let，s just focus on what we can do right now instead of worrying about what has happened in the past or may or may not happen in the future. “Now” is all we have and all we need to focus on.
I) Choose to eat more natural foods. Choose whole food proteins, healthy fats and natural sources of carbohydrates. If it wasn’t around a thousand yea rs ago or is made by man (and not nature), chances are you don’t need it. Note how it says “Choose” above, as it is your choice. Find the hidden sources of sugars and remove them. Sugar is hidden in places such as sauces, ketchup, soups, processed foods, drinks, so called health bars, and more. Become a label reader and see how much sugar you are consistently putting into your body. Don’t fall for the marketing trick either of “low fat”, because that usually means “more sugar”.
1. We are able to lower blood sugar levels by taking part in intense activities.
2. If you consider sugar as an addiction and call it something that you own, you won"t get rid of it forever.
3. In the author’s opinion, the reason why many people can$t help having sugar is that t hey are unaware of its danger.
4. When insulin in the bloodstream is high, fat cells will stop releasing stored fat.
5. The author believes that sugar which we called “good friend” in time of need in fact is a hidden enemy.
6. Many studies show that sugar-free diets with more fat can improve children’s attention ability.
7. The truth that we get older is that our body breaks down faster than it can be self?repaired.
8. You yield to your addictive feelings, which means you give up your own personal power of choice.
9. The author believes that taking high sugar meals may result in mood fluctuation.
10. To be healthy, what we should do now is to eat natural foods and get rid of the hidden
sources of sugars.
P a r tⅢR e a d i n g C o m p r e h e n s i o n Section A As it is, sleep is so undervalued that getting by on fewer hours has become a badge of honor. Plus, we live in a culture that_____(37)to the late-nighter, from 24-hour grocery stores to online shopping sites that never close. It's no surprise, then, that more than half of American adults don't get the 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye every night as_____(38)by sleep experts. Whether or not we can catch up on sleep-on the weekend, say-is a hotly_____(39)topic among sleep researches. The latest evidence suggests that while it isn't_____(40), it might help. When Liu, the UCLA sleep researcher and professor of medicine, brought_____(41)sleep-restricted people into the lab for a weekend of sleep during which they logged about 10 hours per night, they showed_____(42)in the ability of insulin(胰岛素)to process blood sugar. That suggests that catchup sleep may undo some but not all of the damage that sleep_____(43)causes, which is encouraging given how many adults don't get the hours they need each night. Still, Liu isn't_____(44)to endorse the habit of sleeping less and making up for it later. Sleeping pills, while helpful for some, are not_____(45)an effective remedy either. “A sleeping pill will_____(46)one area of the brain, but there's never going to be a perfect sleeping pill, because you couldn't really replicates(复制)the different chemicals moving in and out of different parts of the brain to go through the different stages of sleep," says Collop, director of the Emory University Sleep Center. 37.【题干】_____ 【选项】
2016年12月六级阅读真题答案详解（第一套） 新东方在线 阅读部分解析 选词填空 26.G hypotheses 假设 填名词，根据后面两个名词可知，这里一定填复数名词，即“好的科学基于假设、实验和方法论。”27. C convincing 令人信服的 填形容词，“好的科学需要令人信服的理解、明确的解释和清晰的展示” 填形容词，意思与后文clear，consise为同义词。“好的科学需要令人信服的理解、明确的解释、简明的陈述” 28. A arena 舞台 填名词，“科学家愿意踏入公共的舞台（公众的视野）”。 29.B contextual 填形容词，与understandable并列，语义相同，即“语言是公众能根据上下文能理解的” 30.I incorporate 合并 填动词原形，to support… and to incorporate knowledges into…,incorporate into动词固定搭配。“把知识融入我们的公共交流中” 31.D devoted 奉献 填动词过去式。devote to固定搭配。“把17%的花费投入到研究和发展中”。 32.N reaping 获得 填现在分词。reaping decades of economic growth,“获得几十年的经济增长”。 33.E digits 位数 填名词。single digits个位数。“这个数字下降到个位数”。 34.M pride 填动词原形。pride一词多性，这里考察动词用法：pride oneself on sth，以某人为自豪。“我们不仅以研究为自豪，也为对世界的进步做出的贡献而自豪”。 35. F hasten 填动词原形。“为了促进科学从实验室到市场的发展” 长篇阅读 36. D. 题干讲消费者担心智能家居产品兼容性。D段有举例，并提到 there are so many compatibility issues to think about. 37. K. 只有这段提到。 38. B. 题干讲既没有下降也没有像过去一样快速增长，B段有：But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves-or shrinking markets in some cases… 39. L. 题干讲某研究员建议新产品的优缺点都要接受，L段有：Curren, the Accenture analyst, said…We have to understand and think about the implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downside they naturally carry with them. 40. F. 题干讲更关注实用价值而不是炫酷，F段有：we are starting to see companies shift from what is… into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer’s life.
2017年6月英语六级真题及答案(部分)
2017年6月英语六级真题 作文一：国内国外上大学 Directions: Suppose you are asked to give advice on whether to attend college at home or abroad, write an essay to state your opinion. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. 参考答案 Nowadays, there has been a heated discussion as to a better choice between attending college at home and abroad. Views on the topic vary greatly among people from different walks of life. Some believe that it is a better choice to study in domestic colleges, but others consider it better to study abroad. I totally agree with the latter idea for the reasons presented below. To begin with, it harms the society in that the greater the competition is, the higher the recruitment requirements will become. Therefore, with experiences of studying abroad, graduates will become more competitive in job hunting. Furthermore, it is beneficial to the students themselves to study abroad. Without the choice to pursue overseas study, many great scholars today would never have achieved such great success. From my perspective, it is crucial that the government should encourage people to pursue overseas study. Also it is crucial that people should understand the meaning and value of attending college abroad. Only in this way can we achieve greater success. 作文二：文科还是理科 Directions: Suppose you are asked to give advice on whether to major in humanities or science, write an essay to state your opinion. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. 参考范文： Living in a world which is full of changes and challenges,we are confronted with new problems every single day. Of all the issues, one might concern the high school graduates the most, and it is if there are two options: to major in science or humanities. As for me, I prefer the latter. Why,you may wonder, should I prefer to major in humanities. The reasons responsible for it can be listed as follows . Among the most important reasons cited by people is that to major in humanities，directly or indirectly，can not only enrich our basic knowledge about the diversified culture but also sharpen one’s insight in daily routine，which is of great importance in one’s growth. What’s more, to study humanities can give us an independent personality and a deeper vision towards the world, if it were not for those two attributes, how could we achieve great goals in this dog-eat-dog world. Above all, in such a society where emphasis，more often than not，is laid on the depth of one’s thought, to choose humanities as one’s major, must be the best way .
2015年12月英语六级真题（第2套） Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150words but no more than 200 words． Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes) Section A Directions :In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C),and D), and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre. 1. A) She is impatient to learn computer programming. B) She is unaware her operation system is outdated. C) She is unable to use the new computer program. D) She is amazed at the fast change of technology. 2. A) He has long been fed up with traveling. B) He prefers to stay home for the holiday. C) He is going out of town for a couple of days. D) He is annoyed by the heavy traffic downtown. 3. A) The challenges facing East Asia. B) The location for their new office. C) Their expansion into the overseas market D) The living expenses in Tokyo and Singapore. 4. A)A number of cell phones were found after the last show. B) The woman forgot where she had left her cell phone. C) The woman was very pleased to find her cell phone.
2018年6月六级阅读解析-第一套 As college students head back to school, the more sensible of them are wondering how they will pay for the privilege. There are some 21.5 million students in the United States this year, and many of them will be funding their college careers on borrowed money. Given that there is at present more than $1.3 trillion in student loans on the books, it's pretty clear that many college students are far from sensible. The average student's debt upon graduation now approaches $40,000, and as college becomes ever more common and expensive, calls to make it "free" seem to be multiplying. Even Hillary Clinton says that when it comes to college, "Costs won't be a barrier." But the only way college could be free is if the faculty and staff donated their time, the buildings required no maintenance, the campuses required no heating, cooling, or utilities of any kind, and every other expense simply disappeared. As long as it is impossible to produce something from nothing, though, costs are absolutely a barrier. The actual question we debate, regardless of whether we admit it, is who should pay for people to go to college. If students do not shoulder the cost, that cost will be shifted to someone else. And this is where things get interesting. No one seems to take the idea of free college for everyone seriously, but the idea of student loan forgiveness has somehow gained traction. In the end, though, it amounts to the same thing: The American taxpayer will be left holding a very expensive bag. But if taxpayers are to bear the cost of student loan forgiveness, shouldn't they have a say in how their money is used? At a bare minimum, taxpayers should be able to decide what students will study on the public dime. If we are going to force taxpayers to foot the bill for college degrees, students should only study those subjects that are of greatest benefit to the taxpayers. After
文档编号：YLWK239517 2017 年6 月大学英语六级考试真题(第1 套) Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes) Directions: Suppose you are asked to give advice on whether to attend a vocational college or a university, write an essay to state your opinion. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Part ⅡListening Comprehension (30 minutes) Section A Directions : In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 1.A) He would feel insulted. B) He would feel very sad. C) He would be embarrassed. D) He would be disappointed. 2.A) They are worthy of a prize. B) They are of little value. C)They make good reading. D) They need improvement. 3.A) He seldom writes a book straight through. B)He writes several books simultaneously. C)He draws on his real-life experiences. D)He often turns to his wife for help. 4.A) Writing a book is just like watching a football match. B)Writers actually work every bit as hard as footballers. C)He likes watching a football match after finishing a book. D)Unlike a football match, there is no end to writing a book. Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 5.A) A chievements of black male athletes in college. B)Financial assistance to black athletes in college. C)High college dropout rates among black athletes. D)Undergraduate enrollments of black athletes. 6.A) They display great talent in every kind of game. B)They are better at sports than at academic work. C)They have difficulty finding money to complete their studies. D)They make money for the college but often fail to earn a degree. 7.A) About 15%. B) Around 40%. C)Slightly over 50%. D) Approximately 70%. 8.A) Coaches lack the incentive to graduate them. B)College degrees do not count much to them. C)They have little interest in academic work. D)Schools do not deem it a serious problem. Section B
2015-6-1仔细阅读 When the right person is holding the right job at the right moment, that person's influence is greatly expanded. That is the position in which Janet Yellen, who is expected to be confirmed as the next chair of the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) in January, now finds herself. If you believe, as many do, that unemployment is the major economic and social concern of our day, then it is no stretch to think Yellen is the most powerful person in the world right now. Throughout the 2008 financial crisis and the recession and recovery that followed, central banks have taken on the role of stimulators of last resort, holding up the global economy with vast amounts of money in the form of asset buying. Yellen, previously a Fed vice chair, was one of the principal architects of the Fed's $3.8 trillion money dump. A star economist known for her groundbreaking work on labor markets, Yellen was a kind of prophetess early on in the crisis for her warnings about the subprime（次级债）meltdown. Now it will be her job to get the Fed and the markets out of the biggest and most unconventional monetary program in history without derailing the fragile recovery.
2016年12月CET6大学英语六级考试真题及答案解析【官方完整版】 Part I 写作Writing (30 minutes) Directions: Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on innovation. Your essay should include the importance of innovation and measures to be taken to encourage innovation.You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. 【参考范文】 It is universally acknowledged that innovation refers to being creative, unique and different. In fact, today it is impossibly difficult for us to image a 21st century without innovation. We should place a high value on innovation firstly because innovative spirit can enable an individual to ameliorate himself, so he can be equipped with capacity to see what others cannot see, be qualified for future career promotion, and be ready for meeting the forthcoming challenges. What’s more, we ought to attach importance to the role played by innovation in economic advancement. Put it another way, in this ever-changing world, innovation to economic growth is what water is to fish. To sum up, if innovation misses our attention in any possible way, we will suffer a great loss beyond imagination. In order to encourage innovation, it is wise for us to take some feasible measures. For example, mass media should greatly publicize the significance of creative spirit and encourage the public to cultivate awareness of innovation. Besides, those who manage to innovate should be awarded generous prize. Though there is a long way ahead to go, I am firmly certain that the shared efforts will be paid off. 【参考译文】 众所周知创新意味着有创造力，独一无二和不同。事实上，今天我们已经很难想想一个没有创新的21世纪。 我们应该重视创新首先是因为创新精神可以让一个人完善自身，这样他才能具备见他人所未见的能力，未来才有资格得到职业生涯的进步，才能做好准备迎接以后的挑战。另外，我们也应该重视创新在经济发展方面的作用。在这个多变的时代，创新对于经济增长就像水对于鱼一样重要。换言之，如果我们以任何可能的形式无视创新的重要性，我们将遭受非常巨大的损失。 为了鼓励创新，应该采取一些且行之有效的措施。例如，大众传媒应该大力宣传创新精神的重要性，并且鼓励公众养成创新的意识。此外，对于那些想法设法进行创新的人要给予丰厚的奖励。虽然还有很长的路要走，但是我坚信大家共同付出的努力会得到回报。
2017年6月英语六级阅读真题及答案第1套选词填空 After becoming president of Purdue University in2013, Mitch Daniels asked the faculty to prove that their students have actually achieved one of higher education’s most important goals: critical thinking skills. Two years before, a nationwide study of college graduates had shown that more than a third had made no 26 gains in such mental abilities during their school years. Mr. Daniels needed to__27__ the high cost of attending Purdue to its students and their families. After all, the percentage of Americans who say a college degree is "very important" has fallen 28 in the last 5-6 years. Purdue now has a pilot test to assess students' critical thinking skills. Yet like many college " such as a graduate's ability to investigate and reason. However, the professors need not worry so much. The results of a recent experiment showed that professors can use __31__ metrics to measure how well students do in three key areas: critical thinking, written communication, and quantitative literacy. Despite the success of the experiment, the actual results are worrisome, and mostly __32__ earlier studies. The organizers of the experiment concluded that far fewer students were achieving high levels on critical thinking than they were doing for written communication or quantitative literacy. And that conclusion is based only on students nearing graduation. American universities, despite their global 33__ for excellence in teaching, have only begun to demonstrate what they can produce in real-world learning. Knowledge-based degrees are still important, but employers are still important, but employers are __34__ advanced thinking skills from college graduates. If the intellectual worth of a college degree can be __35__ measured, more people will seek higher education—and come out better thinkers. A. accurately B. confirm C. demanding D. doubtful E. drastically F. justify G. monopolized H. outcome I. predominance J. presuming K. reputation L. significant M. signify N. simultaneously O. standardized 答案：(26)L. significant (27)F. justify (28)E. drastically (29)D. doubtful (30)H. outcome (31)O. standardized (32)B. confirm (33)K. reputation (34)C. demanding (35)A. accurately 2017年6月英语六级阅读真题及答案第1套仔细阅读2篇 Open data sharers are still in the minority in many fields. Although many researchers broadly agree that public access to raw data would accelerate science, most are reluctant to post the results of their own labors online. Some communities have agreed to share online—geneticists, for example, post DNA sequence sat the GenBank repository (库) , and astronomers are accustomed to accessing images of galaxies and stars from, say, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a telescope that has observed some500 million objects—but these remain the excepti on, not the rule. Historically, scientists have objected to sharing for many reasons: it is a lot of work; until recently, good databases did not
More than a decade ago, cognitivescientists John Bransford and Daniel Schwartz, both then at VanderbiltUniversity, found that what distinguished young adults from children was notthe ability to retain facts or apply prior knowledge to a new situation but aquality they called “preparation for future learning.” The researchersaskedfifth graders and college students to create a recovery plan to protect baldeagles from extinction. Shockingly, the two groups came up with plans ofsimilarquality( although the college students had better spelling skills).From the standpoint of a traditional educator, this outcome indicated that schoolingand failed to help students think about ecosystems and extinction, majorscientific ideas. The researchers decided to go deeper,however. They asked both groups to generate questions about important issuesneed to create recovery plans. On this task, they found large differences.College students focused on critical issues of interdependence between eaglesand their habitats(栖息地). Fifth graderstended to focus on features of individual eagles(“How big are they?”and “Whatdo they eat?”). The college students had cultivated the ability to askquestions, the cornerstone of critical thinking. They had learned how to learn. Museums and other institutions ofinformal learning may be better suited to teach this skill than elementary andsecondary schools. At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, we recently studiedhow learning to ask good questions can affect the quality of people’sscientific inquiry. We found that when we taught participants to ask “What if?”and “How can?” questions that nobody present would know the answer to and thatwould spark exploration, they engaged in better inquiry at the next exhibit—asking more questions, performing more experiments and making betterinterpretations of their results. Specifically, their questions became more comprehensiveat the new exhibit. Rather than merely asking about something they wanted totry, they tended to include both cause and effect in their question. Askingjuicy questions appears to be a transferable skill for deepening collaborativeinquiry into the science content found in exhibits. This type of learning is not confinedto museums or institutional settings. Informal learning environments toleratefailure better than schools. Perhaps many