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Pineapple Awards Celebrate Fruits of Science
We live in a world of wonder but not in a world of magic. And understanding that world does not
mean learning a few tricks at Hogwarts. Instead, it means understanding how important science is in our
daily lives.
Just take a moment and look around your home. The electric lamp on your desk, the silicon microchip
in your mobile phone, your mother's laundry detergent; they are all the results of science.
To get people more aware of these wonders that surround us, guokr.com, a science website, and
Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Museum have established the "Pineapple Science Awards."
The awards are to be given annually and recognize recent achievements in chemistry, physics, medicine
and biology, mathematics and psychology. There are also two special awards for discoveries that are
imaginative, fun and thought-provoking.
Zhou Xinyue's research certainly met those criteria. The Sun Yat-Sen University professor was among
the first group of Pineapple winners. She conducted an experiment that showed that counting money can
ease pain. Professor Zhou had people count money and then dipped their hands into hot water. It turns
out that after flipping through a brick of RMB, people can keep their hands in hot water for a longer time.
I suppose this proves that although money can't buy you happiness, it can certainly make your life less
painful.
If that sounds a bit frivolous, it's all in keeping with the spirit of the awards. They are intended to be
light-hearted. That is why the pineapple was chosen as the awards' symbol. Ji Shisan, the founder of
guokr.com, said, "This nutritive fruit has a bright color and pleasing taste while shaped in a strange way,
which indicates the awards are pleasing, interesting, nourishing, and a bit strange."
Pineapple winner Zhou Xinyue added, "Some research topics seem to be weird but actually have
deep meaning, which inspires us in a different way. The topics might be funny, but the research method
should be serious and scientific."
Are you interested in science? Then reach for the sky. You might end up with a pineapple in your
hands.
1. The awards recognize achievements in following fields EXCEPT________.
A. chemistry
B. biology
C. psychology
D. art
2. The examples in Para. 2 are to ______.
A. show how important science is in our daily lives
B. prove learning a few tricks at Hogwarts is necessary in our daily lives
C. get people more aware of these wonders that surround us
D. indicate that some research topics seem to be weird and have little meaning
3. From Para. 5 we can know ______.
A. whether the pineapple was chosen as the awards' symbol
B. how the pineapple was chosen as the awards' symbol
C. why the pineapple was chosen as the awards' symbol
D. why the pineapple looks so strange
4. According to Zhou Xinyue, _______.
A. if you reach for the sky you might end up with a pineapple in your hands
B. the topics sounding funny doesn't mean the research method isn't serious or scientific
C. although the pineapple looks strange, it has a bright color and pleasing taste
D. counting money can ease pain and money can buy you happiness
