Question

【题目】Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to go against the temptation.

Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science uncovered about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?

To answer these questions, Brooks studies a wide range of disciplines（学科）. Considering this, you might expect the book to be a simple description of facts. But Brooks has formed his book in an unusual, and perhaps unfortunate way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

On the whole, Brooks’ story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’ attempt to translate his tale into science.

【1】The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to__________.

A. explain where science can be applied

B. show the value of Brooks’ new book

C. remind the reader of the importance of science

D. explain why many writers use science in their works

【2】According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?

A. Its strong basis. B. Its clear writing.

C. Its convincing points. D. Its memorable characters.

【3】What is the author’s general attitude towards the book?

A. Contradictory. B. Supportive. C. Cautious. D. Critical.

【4】What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?

A. Death of the characters. B. Brooks’ life experience.

C. Problems with the book. D. Brooks’ translation skills.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】 D

【2】 B

【3】 D

【4】 C

【解析】

文章列举了科学的许多功能，指出科学有巨大的诱惑力，以至于许多作家抵挡不住这种诱惑，在文学作品中运用科学，并以Brooks的新书The Social Animal为例，批判的分析了这本书的优势和不足。

【1】细节理解题。根据Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful.可知是解释为什么许多作家在他们的作品中使用科学；故选D

【2】细节理解题。根据his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own.可知作者认为写作思路清晰是这本书的一大优势；故选B

【3】细节理解题。根据As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere.可知先说这本书的优势，又指出了这本书的不足，因此作者对这本书持批判的态度；故选D

【4】篇章结构题。根据文章最后一段连词while之后开始谈论这本书存在的问题，因此紧接着作者应该还是写这本书的不足之处；故选C