阅读理解

　　People do not analyze every problem they meet．Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a similar problem．They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people．Other times they begin to act without thinking．They try to find a solution by trial and error．However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing．There are six stages in analyzing a problem．

　　First the person must recognize that there is a problem．For example, Sam's bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does．Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle．

　　Next the thinker must define the problem．Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find out the reason why it does not work．For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame．He must make his problem more specific．

　　Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions．For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels．At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears．He can talk to his friends at the bike shop．He can look at his gears carefully．

　　After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution．Take Sam as an illustration．His suggestions might be：put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels．

　　Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem．Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way．Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels．He immediately realizes the solution to his problem：he must clean the gear wheels．

　　Finally the solution is tested．Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly．In short, he has solved the problem．

阅读理解

　　Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career, including three space flights and one space walk．But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound(为地球引力所束缚的)experience in the summer of 1980, when he participated in the NASAASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program．Voss, then a science teacher at West Point, was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center’s propulsion(推进)lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal on the space shuttle was working so well when previous seals had failed．It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program．Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them．

　　“I worked a bit with NASA engineers, ” says Voss, “but I did it mostly by analysis．I used a handheld calculator, not a computer, to do a thermodynamic(热力学的)analysis．” At the end of the summer, he, like the other NASA-ASEE fellows working at Marshall, summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper．It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA, deepened his desire to fly in space, and intensified his application for astronaut status．

　　It was not an easy process．Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978．Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly, and was finally accepted in 1987．Since then he has participated in three space missions．The 50-year-old Amy officer, who lives in Houston, is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000．

　　Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved．“It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time．It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA, and establishes a link with our colleges and universities, ”Voss explains．“There’s an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important．”

　　For the academic side, Voss says, the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology．We give them an opportunity to work on real-world problems and take it back to the classroom”．