What is the nature of the scientific attitude, the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, medicine or any other science?

We all know that science plays an important role in our societies. However, many people believe that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first aspect is the application of the machines, products and systems of knowledge that scientists and technologists develop.  The second is the application of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work. 

What are these special methods of thinking and acting? First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is curious - he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually pays attention to problems which he notices have no satisfying explanation, and looks for relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected. Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.

He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and uses the facts he observes to the fullest. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum(光谱).

He does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available. He rejects authority as the only basis for truth. Scientists always check statements and make experiments carefully and objectively.

Furthermore, he does not readily accept his own idea, since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation.

Lastly, he is full of imagination since he often has to look for relationships in data which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete. Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to guess how processes work and how events take place.

These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts. 

1.Many people believe that science helps society to progress through_________

A．knowledge only.                        B．more than one aspect.

C．technology only.                        D．the use of machines.

2.Which of the following statements about a curious scientist is TRUE?

A．He doesn’t find confidence and pleasure in work.

B．He is interested in problems that are explained.

C．He makes efforts to investigate potential connections.

D．He looks for new ways of acting.

3.According to the passage, a successful scientist would NOT_______________.

A．easily believe in unchecked statements.

B．easily criticize others' research work.

C．always use his imagination in work.

D．always use evidence from observation.

4.Which word can be used to describe the data that a good scientist uses?

A．complete         B．objective          C．complicated       D．accurate

Technology: Taking the good without the bad?
Very soon, unimaginably powerful technologies will remake our lives．This could have dangerous consequences, especially because we may not even understand the basic science underlyi ng them．There’s a growing gap between our technological capability and our basic scientific understanding．We can do very clever things with the technology of the future without necessarily understanding some of the science underneath, and that is very dangerous．
The technologies that are particularly dangerous over the next hundred years are nanotechnology （纳米技术）, artificial intelligence and biotechnology．The benefits that they will bring are beyond doubt．But they are going to be very, very dangerous．I’m working in the field of artificial intelligence．I have a model design for something that might be 50,000 million times smarter than the human brain．Target date is 2010．The only thing that's not possible in the film Terminator（终结者） is that the people win．If you're fighting against technology w hich is 50,000 million times smarter than you, you probably will not win．
Nanotechnology．We've all heard of the grey glue problem, that self-replicating nanotech devices might keep on copying until the world has become sticky glue．And certainly in biotechnology, we've really got a big problem because it's converging with nanotechnology and IT．Once you start mixing nanotech with organisms and you start feeding nanotech-enabled bacteria, we can really go an awful lot further than the Borg in Star Trek（星际迷航）．And those superhuman organisms might not like us very much．
Eventually these technologies will become routine．That’s a threat to humanity．I don’t think it’s possible to slow it down．So what we need to do is accelerate the scientific research and try to get some extra tools．The problems facing us in the future are getting bigger and bigger．I think if we don’t get some proper science done, the future is hopeless indeed．
【小题1】From the text, we know that the author’s greatest concern is         ．

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意．然后从1—15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A land free from destruction（毁灭，破坏）, plus wealth, natural resources, and labor supply ——  all these were important 1      in helping England to become the center for the Industrial Revolution. 2       they were not enough. Something else was needed to start the industrial process. That "something special" was men —— 3      individuals who could invent machines, find new 4      of power, and establish business organizations to reshape society. The men who created the machines of the Industrial Revolution 5     from many backgrounds and many occupations. Many of them were 6       inventors than scientists. A man who is a pure scientist is primarily interested in doing his research 7       .He is not necessarily working 8      that his findings can be used. An inventor or one interested in applied science is all trying to make something that has a concrete use. He may try to solve a problem by 9       the theories 10       science or by experimenting through trial and error. Regardless of his method, he is working to obtain a  11      result: the construction of a harvesting machine, the burning of a light bulb（灯泡）, or one of 12      other objectives. Most of the people who 13       the machines of the Industrial Revolution were inventors, not trained scientists. A few were both scientists and inventors. Even those who had little or no training in science might not have made their inventions 14      a groundwork had not been laid by scientists years 15     .

Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn’t very strong nor did it have pedals (脚踏板）.Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.

In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan’s machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn’t look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan’s bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers.

In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede，but most people called it a “bone shaker” because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people.

Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient，and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy，and ridden mostly for entertainment.

It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today’s cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893，the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson_; bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.

1.This passage was most likely written in order to _____.

A．compare bicycles used for different purposes

B．describe the problems early bicycle makers experienced

C．persuade readers to use bicycles for transportation

D．tell readers about the early history of the bicycle

2.Macmillan covered the wheels of his bicycle with iron to _____

A．add weight to the bicycle

B．make the bicycle easier to ride

C．allow the wheels to last longer

D．let the bicycle be more comfortable

3.Which of the following bicycle types was invented by James Starley?

4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Two hundred years ago，bicycles did not exist.

B．The first bicycle could be ridden at a very quick pace.

C．The Michaux brothers called their bicycle a “bone shaker”.

D．Macmillan’s machine had wheels with rubber tires.

5.The information about bicycles in this passage is arranged according to _____.

A．importance        B．time              C．place             D．Interest

Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have experienced an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm puter. A few forward-looking farmers are already using puters to help them run their farms more efficiently. The puters help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock(家畜) to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many puter panies have been developing special puter programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for pig producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase puter programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of puters on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take puter classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on puters even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on puter power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that puter-aided robots will make shocking changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear（修剪） sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even plex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is pleted, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The plete change of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.
【小题1】Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?