Question

Moon landing. The computer chip. Genetic engineering. The artificial heart. The achievements of U.S. scientists are known and admired throughout the world. But whether American highest position in research and technology will continue into the 21st century is far from certain. Thirty-two years after the Russians sent up Sputnik setting off a hot race to produce more and better U.S. physicists, the scientific pipeline is drying up. The reason for this crisis（危机）: American science education is in disorder.

    In an Educational Testing Service study of five countries and four Canadian provinces, American 13-year-olds graded last in math and nearly last in science.

How did America, birthplace of Thomas Edison and Wright brothers come to such a dangerous situation? One reason is lack of enough financial support for science education. After Sputnik, funding（基金）for the National Science Foundation, the leading U.S. founder of scientific research, shot up from 18 million dollars to 130 million dollars. By 1982 financing for NSFS education had fallen rapidly to zero.

To be sure, changeable funding is only one reason why U.S. scientists are becoming a scarce commodity（稀有商品）. The image of scientists is less lustrous than it was in the 50’s and 60’s when men and women in lab coats were seen as national heroes helping the U.S. beat the Russians to the moon. Today, the country’s brightest desire is to be bankers and lawyers, not chemists or rocket designers.

1.From the passage, we can know that the computer chip, genetic engineering are _______.

    A. examples of American scientific achievements

    B.names of modern technology

    C.seen everywhere throughout the world

    D.obtained by Russia

2.America is losing its highest position in research and technology because _______.

    A. American students are flowing to Canada

    B.men and women in lab coats are seen as national heroes

    C.Thomas Edison and Wright brothers died

    D.financial support for science education is not enough and scientists are less respected

3.According to the passage Sputnik is _______.

    A. a research project of National Science Foundation

    B.the name of an education department

    C.a scientific achievement of Russia

    D.a scarce commodity

4. The word “lustrous” in the last paragraph can be replaced by_______.

    A. difficult

    B.shinning

    C.smart

D.shocking

5.The main idea of the passage is that_______.

    A. America’s leading position in scientific research is in danger

    B.America’s needs more funding in scientific research

    C.the National Science Foundation needs financial support

    D.American students are not good in science

 

Answer 1

答案：1A2D3C4B5A
解析：

1.A  本题是细节题。从第一段“The achievements of U.S. scientists are known and…”可知，“登月、计算机芯片、基因工程”列举的是美国科学成就。 2.D  本题涉及美国科技正逐渐失去领先地位的原因。第三段“one reason is lack of”告诉我们主要是缺少资金。第四段说了另一原因：科学家们不如以前受尊重了。 3.C  本题考查词义判断。从第一段中“Thirty-two years after the Russians sent up Sputnik setting off a hot race”可知，Sputnik应该是前苏联的一项科学成就。 4.B  本题考查词义猜测。从最后一段可以判断，“现在美国科学家比以前少，主要是人们不再像五六十年代那样崇拜科学家”。 5.A  本题考查文章大意。整篇文章叙述了美国正面临在科技方面领先地位的危险和原因。