Preface

Science is a dominant(占优势的) theme in our culture. Since it touches almost every facet of our life, educated people need at least some acquaintance with its structure and operation. They should also have an understanding of the subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are. An understanding of general characteristics of science as well as specific scientific concepts is easier to attain if one knows something about the things that excite and frustrate the scientist.

 This book is written for the intelligent student or lay person whose acquaintance with science is superficial; for the person who has been presented with science as a musty storehouse of dried facts; for the person who sees the chief objective of science as the production of gadgets; and for the person who views the scientists as some sort of magician. The book can be used to supplement a course in any science, to accompany any course that attempts to give an understanding of the modern world, or – independently of any course – simply to provide a better understanding of science. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader perspective on scientific attitudes and a more realistic view of what science is, who scientists are, and what they do. It will give them an awareness and understanding of the relationship between science and our culture and an appreciation of the roles science may play in our culture. In addition, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific views and some of the values and philosophies that are pervasive（普遍的；深入的）in our culture.

 We have tried to present in this book an accurate and up-to-date picture of the scientific community and the people who populate it. That population has in recent years come to comprise more and more women. This increasing role of women in the scientific subculture is not a unique incident but, rather, part of the trend evident in all segments of society as more women enter traditionally male-dominated fields and make significant contributions. In discussing these changes and contribution, however, we are faced with a language that is implicitly sexist, one that uses male nouns or pronouns in referring to unspecified individuals. To offset this built-in bias, we have adopted the policy of using plural nouns and pronouns whenever possible and, when absolutely necessary, alternating he and she. This policy is far form being ideal, but it is at least an acknowledgment of the inadequacy of our language in treating half of the human race equally.

 We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative. Our approach is usually informal. We feel, as do many other scientists, that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. As the reader may observe, we see science as a delightful pastime rather than as a grim and dreary way to earn a living.

According to the passage, ‘scientific subculture’ means

A  cultural groups that are formed by scientists. B  people whose knowledge of science is very limited.

C  the scientific community.    D  people who make good contribution to science.

We need to know something about the structure and operation of science because

A. it is not easy to understand the things that excite and frustrate scientists.

B Science affects almost every aspect of our life.

C Scientists live in a specific subculture.  D It is easier to understand general characteristics of science.

The book mentioned in this passage is written for readers who

A are intelligent college students and lay person who do not know much about science.

B are good at producing various gadgets.

C work in a storehouse of dried facts.    D want to have a superficial understanding of science.

According to this passage,

A English is a sexist language.  B only in the scientific world is the role of women increasing rapidly.

C women are making significant contributions to eliminating the inadequacy of our language.

D male nouns or pronouns should not be used to refer to scientists.

This passage most probably is

A. book review. B the preface of a book.  C the postscript of a book.  D the concluding part of a book.

These tables and desks are all made of ________.

1. A.
   a wood
2. B.
   wood
3. C.
   the wood
4. D.
   some wood

_____ the office work, he came to the sitting room and relaxed a while

1. A.
   Finishing
2. B.
   Being finished
3. C.
   Having finished
4. D.
   Finished

 "The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic,”say scientists. The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

    The lowering of the waters’pH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature.

Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.

    These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change．"This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing CO2 into the atmosphere," said Dr Caldeira. "And we predict the amount of future acidity will exceed（超过）anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years, let alone perhaps after rare disastrous events such as asteroid（小行星) impacts．”

    However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life．Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest pH change would be expected to occur, but deep-ocean life forms may be more sensitive to pH changes．Coral reefs and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate（小行星) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower pH.

    In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power stations in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming．But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re-considered. "Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing-because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2, is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”

According to Dr Caldeira,__________ .

   A. ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing

   B. more oil fuels will be used in the near future

   C. scientists may predict climate changes with computer models

   D. the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious

f the water's acidity level keeps rising,_________ .

   A. ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected

   B. the waters’pH value will become higher and higher

   C. organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to pH changes

   D. some disastrous events will occur more often than before

Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce________ .

   A. the CO2 absorbed by the ocean             B. the amount of greenhouse warming

   C. the acidity of the ocean                   D. the gradual release of CO2

The purpose of this passage is to_________ .

   A. show people the findings of a research team   B. inform people of how acid the ocean is now

   C. introduce Dr Caldeira and his team's research  D. warn people of the higher level of CO2