Science is a dominant theme in our culture. Since it touches almost every facet of our life, educated people need at least some acquaintance with its structure and operation. They should also have an understanding of the subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are. An understanding of general characteristics of science as well as specific scientific concepts is easier to attain if one knows something about the things that excite and frustrate the scientist.
This book is written for the intelligent student or lay person whose acquaintance with science is superficial; for the person who has been presented with science as a musty storehouse of dried facts; for the person who sees the chief objective of science as the production of gadgets; and for the person who views the scientists as some sort of magician. The book can be used to supplement a course in any science, to accompany any course that attempts to give an understanding of the modern world, or – independently of any course – simply to provide a better understanding of science. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader perspective on scientific attitudes and a more realistic view of what science is, who scientists are, and what they do. It will give them an awareness and understanding of the relationship between science and our culture and an appreciation of the roles science may play in our culture. In addition, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific views and some of the values and philosophies that are pervasive in our culture.
We have tried to present in this book an accurate and up-to-date picture of the scientific community and the people who populate it. That population has in recent years come to comprise more and more women. This increasing role of women in the scientific subculture is not an unique incident but, rather, part of the trend evident in all segments of society as more women enter traditionally male-dominated fields and make significant contributions. In discussing these changes and contribution, however, we are faced with a language that is implicitly sexist, one that uses male nouns or pronouns in referring to unspecified individuals. To offset this built-in bias, we have adopted the policy of using plural nouns and pronouns whenever possible and, when absolutely necessary, alternating he and she. This policy is far form being ideal, but it is at least an acknowledgment of the inadequacy of our language in treating half of the human race equally.
We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative. Our approach is usually informal. We feel, as do many other scientists, that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. As the reader may observe, we see science as a delightful pastime rather than as a grim and dreary way to earn a living.According to the passage, ‘scientific subculture’ means
[A] cultural groups that are formed by scientists.
people whose knowledge of science is very limited.
[C] the scientific community.
[D] people who make good contribution to science.We need to know something about the structure and operation of science because
[A] it is not easy to understand the things that excite and frustrate scientists.
Science affects almost every aspect of our life.
[C] Scientists live in a specific subculture.
[D] It is easier to understand general characteristics of science.The book mentioned in this passage is written for readers who
[A] are intelligent college students and lay person who do not know much about science.
are good at producing various gadgets.
[C] work in a storehouse of dried facts.
[D] want to have a superficial understanding of science.According to this passage,
[A] English is a sexist language.
only in the scientific world is the role of women increasing rapidly.
[C] women are making significant contributions to eliminating the inadequacy of our language.
[D] male nouns or pronouns should not be used to refer to scientists.This passage most probably is
[A] a book review.
the preface of a book.
[C] the postscript of a book.
[D] the concluding part of a book.
Vocabulary
subculture 亚文化群（指在一个社会或一种文化内具有独特性的一群人）
superficial 肤浅的，浅薄的，表面的
lay person 外行，门外汉，俗人
musty 发毒的，老朽的，陈腐的
gadget 小玩意儿，小配件，新发明
pervasive 渗透的，弥漫的，遍布的
populate 居住于……中，在……中占一席之地
implicit 含蓄的，内含的
unspecified 未特别提出的
offset 抵消，补偿
The words “timetable” and “schedule” make most final year students want to eat their own vomit(呕吐物). Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that final year students must develop a timetable. If you don’t have a schedule or plan for studying, you will have no way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected arises. A well-thought-out timetable can be a lifesaver. It is up to you to learn how to develop a schedule that meets your needs .Change it if necessary, but most important, follow it. All timetables should be made with the idea that they can be changed. A good one will keep you from wandering off course.
A good timetable should make every hour count—every class, social event and other activity you engage in .You must focus on the other “free time” available and how you will use it. Make a weekly schedule and divided each day into one-hour increments. Indicate times for classes, socializing, and work time. Also block off a period for sleeping every day. In the precious h
ours left over, plan time for study. This gives you a rough road map of the time available. Of course, you can change your schedule as circumstances need.
The timetable you develop should guide you in how to distribute the available time in the most productive manner. Sticking to your schedule can be tough, but don’t dribble away valuable time. Avoiding study is the easiest thing in the world. It is up to you to follow the schedule you’ve prepared. A good deal of your success in high school and with any future study depends on this simple truth.
Remember, there is a learning curve. You learn the most in the first 30 minutes of study; after that, it progressively deteriorates（减弱）. After four or five hours of studying the same material in the same way, you are learning virtually nothing. The solution is to keep switching subjects and study styles.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Advantages of starting a timetable | B．Keep to it, and you will succeed |
| C．Make a schedule, and follow it | D．Learn to love your timetable |
What does Paragraph 2 talk about?
| A．Tips for making a schedule. | B．Significance of a scientific timetable. |
| C．Requirements for making a timetable. | D．Importance of following one’s schedule. |
The following are characteristics of a good timetable EXCEPT that.
| A．it can be changed | B．it is flexible |
| C．it is of many periods | D．it can save our time |
From this passage, we can learn if we wish to achieve high learning efficiency, we’d better.
| A．shift subjects and use different methods regularly |
| B．devote to the same material continuously |
| C．turn to teachers for help if necessary |
| D．have a break every thirty minutes |
Misery and setbacks are not always as terrible as one imagines. Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never be known. And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success.
Popular British author, Charles Dickens' （1812-1870）family could hardly make ends meet. They could only afford to send one of their six children to school. Dickens was not that child. His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy. Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse.
His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts. And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens took up work at a factory. His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing. His father was freed three months later and inherited a small amount of money. Dickens was then sent to school.
From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories. Thus the Pickwick Papers, came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man.
Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels. He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor in Oliver Twist, the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities, and social reform in Hard Times. He also wrote David Copperfield, a book thought to be modeled on his own life.
“I do not write bitterly or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am,” he once said. His difficult childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as his writing career. There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.
Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success. “Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort,” he once wrote. On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work．The words on his tombstone read: “He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed, and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.”The book that first called public attention to Dickens was ______.
| A．the Pickwick Papers | B．Oliver Twist |
| C．Tale of Two Cities | D．David Copperfield |
The phrase “shades of” in bold means “_____”.
| A．various shapes of | B．situations of |
| C．different experiences of | D．reminders of |
How did Dickens see his childhood?
| A．He felt grateful for it． |
| B．He felt it a pity that things weren’t in his favor． |
| C．He loved writing about it． |
| D．He chose to forget the bitterness about it． |
From the story, we can see Dickens’ attitude towards an easy life is ______．
| A．to enjoy it | B．to hate it |
| C．not to abandon yourself to it | D．to work hard for it |
Against the assumption that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
| A．result in a warming climate | B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently |
| C．lead to a longer fire season | D．protect the forests and the environment there |
Earlier studies about northern forest fires ________.
| A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
| B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
| C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment |
| D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming |
The underlined phrase “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．released | B．absorbed | C．created | D．disturbed |
From the text we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may ______.
| A．warm the climate as the assumption goes |
| B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
| C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
| D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |
Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品). We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed（强加）from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.
| A．we have thoughts similar to those of others |
| B．most people have a variety of thoughts |
| C．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others |
| D．other people’s thoughts are more important |
What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph ?
| A．We may lose ourselves to please others. |
| B．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom. |
| C．We need to pay for what we want to get. |
| D．The price of taking drugs is freedom. |
In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.
| A．care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time |
| B．guide ourselves by means of values from the outside |
| C．persuade others to accept our opinions |
| D．stick to our own values |
It can be concluded from the passage that __________.
| A．we shouldn’t care what others think | B．it’s better to do what we like |
| C．we shouldn't change our own opinions | D．it’s important to accept others’ opinions |
Researchers Look Behind the Tears to Study Crying
Many people found themselves unusually moved by the historic presidential inauguration（就职演说）last week in Washington．Watching the huge crowds，we saw laughter，cheers，hugs---but also many tears．
It made us wonder, why do people cry? Surely tears must be good for us—away to calm the mind and cleanse the body．Yet studies show that crying sometimes makes people feel worse．
Three researchers in Florida and the Netherlands recently looked more deeply into the subject．They examined detailed descriptions of crying experiences．Psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg at the University of South Florida says they wanted to study crying as it happens in everyday life，not in a laboratory．
The team analyzed information from the International Study on Adult Crying．As part of that study，three thousand people in different countries，mostly college students，wrote about recent crying experiences．They noted causes，surroundings and any people involved in the event．They also reported how they felt after they cried．
Professor Roaenberg says the research showed that all crying experiences are not created equal．Crying does not always make a person feel better，he says．About ten percent of people reported feeling worse after they cried．
But a third felt better after crying．And a majority reported the experience as helpful．
The research showed that people who cry alone may not do as well as those with others around．People who reached out for emotional support at the time---and received it---reported better results from the crying experience．
But Professor Rottenberg says those who felt shame or embarrassment while crying were less likely to report that crying had been helpful．
Research has shown that women cry more often and more intensely than men．But it may not have better effect，says the psychologist．The new findings，he says，did not show that a person’s sex was an advantage of beneficial crying．In other words，just because women cry more does not mean they are more likely to have a“good”cry．
The paper entitled “Is Crying Beneficial?”appeared in December in Current Directions in Psychological Science And there is more to learn．Jonathan Rottenberg says the science of crying is still in its infancy．Why did the author mention the presidential inauguration in Washington in the first paragraph?
| A．Because he was impressed by the laughter, cheers，hugs and tears． |
| B．Because he wanted to introduce the topic about crying． |
| C．Because he wanted to show people’s dissatisfaction with the result． |
| D．Because it was the historic moment that many people cried |
How did the researchers carry out the research?
| A．They studied crying experiences not only in everyday life but also in labs． |
| B．They collected the crying experiences of the students at the colleges． |
| C．They studied the crying experiences of grown-ups from various countries． |
| D．They noted their own crying experiences and compared with others． |
We can learn from the passage that．
| A．it may be better to cry alone than with others around |
| B．some support from others may make crying helpful |
| C．women who cry more often may have better effects than men |
| D．the effects will be better if you feel shy while crying |
The underlined phrase in the last paragraph probably means．
| A．in the early stage | B．in a secret state |
| C．in the first place | D．in good condition |