2010年成人英语三级考试阅读模拟题四

　　Passage　4

　　In　science　the　meaning　of　the　word　"explain"　suffers　with　 civilization’s　every　step　in　search　of　reality.Science　can　not　really　 explain　electricity,magnetism,and　gravition;their　effects　can　be　 measured　and　predicted,but　of　their　nature　no　more　is　known　to　the　 modern　scientist　than　to　Thales　who　first　looked　into　the　nature　of　the　 electrification　of　physicists　reject　the　notion　that　man　can　ever　 discover　what　these　mysterious　forces　"really"　are.　Electricity,　 Bertrand　Russell　says,is　not　a　thing,like　St.Paul’s　Cathedral;it　is　a　 way　in　which　things　behave.When　we　have　told　how　things　behave　when　thry 　are　electrified,and　under　what　circumstances　they　are　electrified,we　 have　told　all　there　is　to　tell.Until　recently　scientists　would　have　 disapproved　of　such　an　idea.Aristotle,for　example,whose　natural　science　 dominated　Western　thought　for　two　thousand　years,believed　that　man　could 　arrive　at　an　understanding　of　reality　by　reasoning　from　self-evident　 principle.He　felt,for　example,that　it　is　a　self-evident　principle　that　 everything　in　the　universe　has　its　proper　place,hence　one　can　deduce　 that　objects　fall　to　the　groud　because　that’s　where　they　belong,and　 smoke　goes　up　because　that’s　where　it　belongs.The　goal　of　Aristotelian　 science　was　to　explain　why　things　happen.Modern　science　was　born　when　 Galileo　began　trying　to　explain　how　things　happen　and　thus　originated　 the　method　of　controlled　experiment　which　now　forms　the　basis　of　 scientific　investigation.

　　The　aim　of　controlled　scientific　experiments　is　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)to　explain　why　things　happen

　　B)to　expalin　how　things　happen

　　C)to　describe　self-evident　principles

　　D)to　support　Aristelian　science

　　What　principles　most　influenced　scientific　thought　for　two　thoudsand　years?[ANSWER]

　　A)The　speculations　of　Thales.

　　B)The　forces　of　electricity,magnetism　and　gravity.

　　C)Aristotle’s　natural　science.

　　D)Galileo’s　discoveries.

　　Bertrand　Russell’s　notion　about　electricity　is　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)disapproved　of　by　most　modern　scientists

　　B)in　agreement　with　Aristotle’s　theory　of　self-evident　principle

　　C)in　agreement　with　scientific　investigation　directed　toward　"how"　things　happen

　　D)in　agreement　with　scientific　investigation　directed　toward　"why"　things　happen

　　The　passage　says　that　until　recently　scientific　[ANSWER]

　　A)that　there　are　mysterious　forces　in　the　universe

　　B)that　man　cannot　discover　what　forces　"really"　are

　　C)that　there　are　self-evident　principle

　　D)that　we　can　discover　why　things　behave　as　they　do

　　Modern　science　came　into　being　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)when　the　method　of　controlled　experiment　was　first　introduced

　　B)when　Galileo　succeeded　in　explaining　how　things　happen

　　C)when　Aristelian　scientists　tried　to　explain　why　things　happen

　　D)when　scientists　were　able　to　acquire　an　understanding　of　reality　by　reasoning