Instead of hitting the beach, fourteen high school students traded swimming suits for lab coats last summer and turned their attention to scientific experiments.
The High School Research Program offers high school students guidance with researchers in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Jennifer Funkhouser, academic adviser for the Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, directs this four-week summer program designed to increase understanding of research and its career potential.
Several considerations go into selecting students, including grades, school involvement and interest in science and agriculture. And many students e from poorer school districts, Funkhouser says, “This is their chance to learn techniques and do experiments they never would have a chance to do in high school.”
Warner Ervin of Houston is interested in animal science and learned how to tell male from female mosquitoes(蚊子）.His adviser, Craig Coates, studies the genes of mosquitoes that allow them to fight against malaria and yellow fever. Coates thought this experience would be fun and helpful to the high school students.
The agricultural research at A&M differs from stereotypes. It’s “molecular(分子）science on the cutting edge,” Funkhouser says. The program broadened students’ knowledge. Victor Garcia of Rio Grande City hopes to bee a biology teacher and says he learned a lot about chemistry from the program.
At the end of the program, the students presented papers on their research. They’re also paid $600 for their work-another way this program differs from others, which often charge a fee.
Fourteen students got paid to learn that science is fun, that agriculture is a lot more than milking and plowing and that research can open many doors.
【小题1】The research program is chiefly designed for .A．high school advisers from HoustonB．college students majoring in agricultureC．high school students from different placesD．researchers at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences【小题2】It can be inferred from the text that the students in poorer areas .A．had little chance to go to collegeB．could often take part in the programC．found the program useful to their futureD．showed much interest in their high school experiments【小题3】When the program was over, the students .A．entered that collegeB．wrote research reportsC．paid for their researchD．found way to make money【小题4】The underlined expression “on the cutting edge” in paragraph 5 means “on the most position”.A．importantB．favorableC．astonishingD．advancedC
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(答案→)C
解析：文章介绍一个面向高中生的计划，是针对对科学和农业感兴趣的学生。这个计划将在就业潜能方面对贫穷地区学生有帮助。
【小题1】细节推断题。根据“The High School Research Program offers high school students guidance with researchers in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences”可知这个计划是面向高中生的，另外这个计划里有来自Texas的Huston的，不只一个地方。选C。
【小题2】推理题。根据“This is their chance to learn techniques and do experiments they never would have a chance to do in high school.”和“this four-week summer program designed to increase understanding of research and its career potential”可以推断出这个计划将在就业潜能方面对贫穷地区学生有帮助。选C。
【小题3】细节推断题。根据“At the end of the program, the students presented papers on their research.”可以知道计划的最后学生们需要为研究准备报告。选B。
【小题4】猜义题。从“The agricultural research at A&M differs from stereotypes.”农业研究不是在研究老套的东西（而是先进的技术）。所以划线部分“on the cutting edge”应该是stereotypes的反义词，是先进的意思。