2019年大學英語六級閱讀模擬試題（13）

　　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.

　　模擬試題

　　1. According to the passage, ‘scientific subculture’ means _____.

　　[A] cultural groups that are formed by scientists.

　　[B] people whose knowledge of science is very limited.

　　[C] the scientific community.

　　[D] people who make good contribution to science.

　　2. 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.

　　[B] 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.

　　3. 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.

　　[B] are good at producing various gadgets.

　　[C] work in a storehouse of dried facts.

　　[D] want to have a superficial understanding of science.

　　4. According to this passage,_____.

　　[A] English is a sexist language.

　　[B] 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.

　　5. This passage most probably is_____.

　　[A] a book review.

　　[B] the preface of a book.

　　[C] the postscript of a book.

　　[D] the concluding part of a book.

　　Vocabulary

　　1. subculture 亞文化群(指在一個社會或一種文化內(nèi)具有獨特性的一群人)

　　2. superficial 膚淺的，淺薄的，表面的

　　3. lay person 外行，門外漢，俗人

　　4. musty 發(fā)毒的，老朽的，陳腐的

　　5. gadget 小玩意兒，小配件，新發(fā)明

　　6. pervasive 滲透的，彌漫的，遍布的

　　7. populate 居住于……中，在……中占一席之地

　　8. implicit 含蓄的，內(nèi)含的

　　9. unspecified 未特別提出的

　　10. offset 抵消，補償

　　1. An understanding of general characteristicsof science as well as specific scientific concepts iseasier to attain if one knows something about thethings that excite and frustrate the scientist.

　　【參考譯文】如果一個人知道那些使科學家激動不已和灰心喪氣的東西，那就比較容易了解科學的一般(普遍)特征以及特殊科學概念。

　　2. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader perspective on scientific attitude and amore realistic view of what science is, who scientists are and what they do.

　　【參考譯文】我們希望這本書能引導讀者對科學觀念有一個更為廣闊的透視;對什么是科學、科學家是些什么人以及他們在干什么有一個更為現(xiàn)實的觀點。

　　3. In addition, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific viewsand some of the values and philosophies that are pervasive in our culture.

　　【參考譯文】另外，讀者可學會正確評價科學觀點與我們文化中無處不在的某些價值觀和哲學思想之間的關系。

　　4. 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 traditionallymale-dominated fields and make significant contributions.

　　【參考譯文】科學亞文化群中婦女作用越來越大。這不是難得一見的意外事件，而是，確切地說，在社會各部門顯著潮流的一部分由于越來越多婦女進入了傳統(tǒng)上為男子統(tǒng)治的領域并作出了重大的貢獻。

　　5. This policy is far from being ideal, but it is at least an acknowledgement of theinadequacy of our language in treating half of human race equally.

　　【參考譯文】這一策略并不理想，但它至少承認了一個事實，那就是在平等對待人類另一半上，我們的語言功能還不全。

　　寫作方法與文章大意

　　這是一篇書的序言，作者用夾敘夾議的寫作方法介紹了書的涉及面及其功能。

　　首先提出科學是我們文化的重大主題，但人們也該了解科學家生活的亞文化群，只有懂得一些激勵和挫傷科學家的種種情況，才能理解科學的一般特征及其特殊概念。

　　第二方面指出書的讀者對象是對科學一知半解的學生及門外漢。書可作理工科課程的輔助(補充)讀物，又可獨立自成體系。它可開闊人們科學的視野，真正了解科學、科學家及其工作，理解科學和文化的關系，科學觀點和哲學的關系。

　　第三方面指出亞文化群中婦女增多，貢獻巨大，而我們的語言卻隱含這性別的歧視，難以充分平等地反映婦女。

　　最后指出書信息量大又具娛樂性，寓教于樂。