2019年6月英语六级阅读练习：科学

2019年6月英语六级阅读练习：科学

　　The word science is heard so often in modern times that almost everybody has some notion of its meaning. On the other hand, its definition is difficult for many people. The meaning of the term is confused, but everyone should understand its meaning and objectives. Just to make the explanation as simple as possible, suppose science is defined as classified knowledge (facts).

　　Even in the true sciences distinguishing fact from fiction is not always easy. For this reason great care should be taken to distinguish between beliefs and truths. There is no danger as long as a clear difference is made between temporary and proved explanations. For example, hypotheses and theories are attempts to explain natural phenomena. From these positions the scientist continues to experiment and observe until they are proved or discredited. The exact status of any explanation should be clearly labeled to avoid confusion.

　　The objectives of science are primarily the discovery and the subsequent understanding of the unknown. Man cannot be satisfied with recognizing that secrets exist in nature or that questions are unanswerable; he must solve them. Toward that end specialists in the field of biology and related fields of interest are directing much of their time and energy.

　　Actually, two basic approaches lead to the discovery of new information. One, aimed at satisfying curiosity, is referred to as pure science. The other is aimed at using knowledge for specific purposes—for instance, improving health, raising standards of living, or creating new consumer products. In this case knowledge is put to economic use. Such an approach is referred to as applied science.

　　Sometimes practical-minded people miss the point of pure science in thinking only of its immediate application for economic rewards. Chemists responsible for many of the discoveries could hardly have anticipated that their findings would one day result in applications of such a practical nature as those directly related to life and death. The discoveries of one bit of information opens the door to the discovery of another. Some discoveries seem so simple that one is amazed they were not made years ago; however, one should remember that the construction of the microscope had to precede the discovery of the cell. The hosts of scientists dedicating their lives to pure science are not apologetic about ignoring the practical side of their discoveries; they know from experience that most knowledge is eventually applied.

　　6. We may simply define science as

　　[A] the study of unrelated subjects.

　　[B] an attempt to explain natural phenomena.

　　[C] the study of related fields.

　　[D] labelled knowledge.

　　7. A scientist interested in adding to our general knowledge about oxygen would probably call his approach

　　[A] applied science.

　　[B] agriculture science.

　　[C] pure science.

　　[D] environmental science.

　　18. Pure science, leading to the construction of a microscope,

　　[A] may lead to antiscientific, “impure” results.

　　[B] necessarily precedes applied science, leading to the discovery of a cell.

　　[C] is not always as pure as we suppose.

　　[D] necessarily results from applied science and the discovery of a cell.

　　9. On which of the following statements would the author most probably agree?

　　[A] Scientists engaged in theoretical research should not be blamed for ignoring the practical side of their discoveries.

　　[B] Today few people have any notions of the meaning of science.

　　[C] In science, it is not difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

　　[D] Practical-minded people can understand the meaning and objectives of pure science.

　　10. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

　　[A] The Nature of Science and Scientists

　　[B] Biology and the Science and Scientist

　　[C] Hypotheses and Theories

　　[D] On Distinguishing Fact from Fiction

　　语境词汇

　　1.hypothesis n.假说，假设，前提

　　2.discredit v.证明…是假的;不信，怀疑n.信用的丧失

　　3.status n.情形，状态;地位，资格

　　4.open the door to 为…提供方便

　　5.microscepe n.显微镜

　　6.apologetic a.表示歉意的;道歉的

　　难句突破

　　1.Chemists (responsible for many of the discoveries) could hardly have anticipated that their findings would [one day] result in applications (of such a practical nature as those (directly related to life and death)).

　　【分析】复合句。本句的主干为Chemists...could hardly have anticipated that...，that后面引导宾语从句;其中形容词短语responsible for many of the discoveries此处为主语chemists的定语;在宾语从句中，句子主语为their findings，谓语动词为result in，介词of引导的短语作宾语applications的定语。

　　【译文】许多有重大发现的化学家们可能怎么也没有想到，他们的科学研究结果有一天会被应用到与人们的生死密切相关的实际应用领域中去。

　　2.(Some) discoveries seem so simple [that one is amazed they were not made years ago]; however, one should remember that the construction of the microscope had to precede the discovery of the cell.

　　【分析】并列复合句。本句为两个并列的分句，每个分句都是一个复合句;前一个分句是一个so...that...的结构，后一个分句中that引导了一个宾语从句。

　　【译文】有些科学发现看起来是如此简单，人们甚至惊讶这样简单的发现在以前怎么会想不到呢;然而，我们不要忘记，要发现细胞的存在，必须首先有显微镜的发明作为前提。

　　3.The hosts of scientists (dedicating their lives to pure science) are not apologetic about ignoring the practical side of their discoveries; they know [from experience] that most knowledge is eventually applied.

　　【分析】复合句。注意分号的作用，此处为解释作用，即后一个分句同前一个分句之间是解释关系。前一个分句为主系表结构，句子的主干为scientists are not apologetic，其中分词短语dedicating their lives to pure science为主语scientists的定语;后一个分句中that引导了一个宾语从句。

　　【译文】大量将毕生精力致力于纯粹科学研究的科学家们并不为自己忽视了把科学发现应用于实际而感到抱歉，因为他们从以往的经验知道，大部分新发明新发现最终都会被应用到实践中去。

　　本文讲述了有关科学的含义及其研究目标和研究方法。第一段指出人们需要了解科学，并把科学定义为分类的知识(事实);第二段进一步讲述了科学的特点;第三段讲到了科学的研究目标;第四段讲到知识的两个类别：纯粹科学及应用科学;最后一段中讲到了科学家们对待这两种科学类别的态度。

　　答案解析

　　6.【题眼】首段尾句设题

　　【解析】选[D]。事实细节题。文章第一段中指出，给科学下一个准确的定义并不容易，且不同的人对此有不同的概念。第一段最后一句中，作者指出，为了尽可能简单地解释什么是科学，姑且假设科学“is defined as classified knowledge(facts)”，由此可见选项[D]正确。选项[A]与选项[C]文中未提及;而选项[B]比较片面，因为在第三段中指出，科学的研究目标是发现并理解所有未知的事物，而选项中的“natural phenomena”只是科学研究对象的一部分，故错误。

　　7.【题眼】列举处设题

　　【解析】选[C]。推理判断题。从文中第三段来看，科学的研究目标是发现并了解未知的事物;第四段中指出，纯粹科学的目的是“aimed at satisfying curiosity”，即前文中所说的为了揭开自然界的秘密，发现新的信息和知识;而将知识用于某个特殊的目的，比如“improving health, raising standards of living, or creating new consumer products”等等，称为应用科学;由此可见，若科学家研究的目的仅仅是为了增加人们有关氧气的知识，则他的研究应当属于“pure science”的范畴，故选项[C]正确。选项[A]错误。选项[B]和选项[D]在文中未提及，故错误。

　　8.【题眼】转折处设题

　　【解析】选[B]。事实细节题。文章在最后一段讲述纯粹科学“pure science”同应用科学之间的关系时指出，对某一种新信息的发现往往会为另一个新发现打开方便之门，紧接着在后面以显微镜发明和细胞的发现为例来说明这一论点，指出“the construction of the microscope ”必须在发现细胞之前，也就是说，显微镜的发明为发现细胞提供了条件，读者可能注意到在这个句子中，作者用了“had to”这个词，故选项[B]符合题意。选项[A]与选项[C]在原文中未提及;选项[D]“产生于应用科学与细胞的发现”同文中表述正相反，故错误。

　　9.【题眼】尾段尾句设题

　　【解析】选[A]。事实细节题。文章最后一段中指出，做出发明或者有新发现的科学家们不必为自己“ignoring the practical side of their discoveries”而感到抱歉，因为他们知道这些发明迟早都会应用到实践中去，故选项[A]正确。选项[B]不正确，因为与文中第一段第一句话意思相反;文章第二段第一句中指出，即使在真正的科学界，区分事实与虚构往往也不是一件容易的事情，故选项[C]错误;文章最后一段中指出，“practical-minded people”理解纯粹科学时，往往只想到“its immediate application for economic rewards”，故选项[D]不正确。

　　10.【解析】选[A]。主旨大意题。文章一开始讲述了科学的定义、科学的特点和研究对象。在后两段中讲到了科学的两个类别以及它们的关系。在最后一段中讲到了科学家们对待这两种科学类别的态度，故选项[A]比较符合题意;选项[B]的生物学只在第三段和最后一段中有所提及;选项[C]、[D]只在第二段中提及，都不足以涵盖整篇文章的内容，故错误。

　　全文翻译

　　当今时代“科学”二字常常挂在人们嘴边，几乎每个人对这两个字的含义都有自己的理解。另一方面，很多人其实并不理解它的真正含义是什么。这个词的含义很容易混淆，但是每个人都需要了解它的真正含义，知道它的研究目标是什么。[6]为了让这个解释尽可能简单一些，我们姑且将科学定义为分类的知识(事实)。

　　即使在真正的科学界，区分事实与虚构的事实往往也不是一件容易的事情。鉴于此，我们必须十分小心地将所相信的事实与事实的真相区分开来。只要将暂时性的解释同被事实印证了的解释区分开，就没有什么可担心的了。比如，假说和理论都是人们试图用来解释某些自然现象的。科学家从这些假说和理论出发，不停地进行试验和观察，直到最终证明或者否定这些假说和理论。因此，必须对所有的解释进行归类，对其进行准确的描述，以防止人们混淆。

　　科学的研究目标主要是发现并了解未知的事物。人类往往不会满足于仅仅意识到某些神秘的事物和现象存在于自然界中，不愿意看到某些疑惑和问题得不到解答;人类总想解决这些问题。正是出于这样的目的，生物界的专家们和其他相关领域的科学家们付出自己大部分的时间和精力来研究这个未知的世界。

　　实际上，发现新知识主要是通过两种基本的方法实现的。[7]一种被称之为“纯粹科学”，主要是为了满足人们的求知欲;另一种是为了将知识运用于某种特殊的用途—比如，为了改善人们的健康状况，提高人们的生活水平或者创造新的消费品。在这种情况下知识被运用到经济中去。这种科学研究被称为“应用科学”。

　　有时候，思想务实的人往往只会想到科学的直接运用以得到经济回报，会与纯粹科学失之交臂。许多有重大发现的化学家们可能怎么也没有想到，他们的科学研究结果有一天会被应用到与人们的生死密切相关的实际应用领域中去。一点新信息的发现往往为发现另一种新信息打开了大门。有些科学发现看起来是如此简单，人们甚至惊讶这样简单的发现在以前怎么会想不到呢;[8]然而，我们不要忘记，要发现细胞的存在，必须首先有显微镜的发明作为前提。[9]大量将毕生精力致力于纯粹科学研究的科学家们并不为自己忽视了把科学发现应用于实际而感到抱歉，因为他们从以往的经验知道，大部分新发明新发现最终都会被应用到实践中去。