The public must be able to understand the basics of science to make informed decisions. Perhaps the most dramatic example of the negative consequences of poor communication between scientists and the public is the issue of climate change, where a variety of factors, not the least of which is a breakdown in the transmission of fundamental climate data to the general public, has contributed to widespread mistrust and misunderstanding of scientists and their research.
The issue of climate change also illustrates how the public acceptance and understanding of science (or the lack of it) can influence governmental decision-making with regard to regulation, science policy and research funding.
However, the importance of effective communication with a general audience is not limited to hot issues like climate change. It is also critical for socially charged neuroscience issues such as the genetic basis for a particular behavior, the therapeutic potential of stern cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases, or the use of animal models, areas where the public understanding of science can also influence policy and funding decisions. Furthermore, with continuing advances in individual genome (基因组) sequencing and the advent of personalized medicine, more non-scientists will need to be comfortable analyzing complex scientific information to make decisions that directly affect their quality of life.
Science journalism is the main channel for the popularization of scientific information among the public. Much has been written about how the relationship between scientists and the media can shape the efficient transmission of scientific advances to the public. Good science journalists are specialists in making complex topics accessible to a general audience, while adhering to scientific accuracy.
Unfortunately, pieces of science journalism can also oversimplify and generalize their subject material to the point that the basic information conveyed is obscured or at worst, obviously wrong. The impact of a basic discovery on human health can be exaggerated so that the public thinks a miraculous cure is a few months to years away when in reality the significance of the study is far more limited.
Even though scientists play a part in transmitting information to journalists and ultimately the public, too often the blame for ineffective communication is placed on the side of the journalists. We believe that at least part of the problem lies in places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media, and exists because for one thing we underestimate how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences, and for another most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication.
What does the example of climate change serve to show? ______
气候变化的例子用来表明什么? 由题干中的climate change定位到第二段。 普通民众的科学知识可以影响政策的制定。通过定位词，我们可以看到第一、二段。第一段先阐述了“科学家和公众之间因沟通不到位而导致的负面后果中，最引人注目的或许是气候变化的问题”，进而第二段加强解释：The issue of climate change also illustrates how the public acceptance and understanding of science (or the lack of it) can influence governmental decision-making with regard to regulation, science policy and research funding.(气候变化问题还说明了公众对科学的接受度和理解(或不接受、不理解)会如何影响政府在监管、科学政策和研究资金方面的决策。)原文中the public acceptance and understanding of science与选项Common folks' scientific knowledge是同义替换，原文中influence governmental decision-making与选项sway policy making是同义替换。所以答案选择D。 A选项“人们越来越认识到气候数据的重要性”是根据原文解释的导致大众对科学家及其研究不信任和误解的重要因素之一“transmission of fundamental climate data”捏造而来，原文并未具体提及A选项所表达的意思，故排除。B选项“充足的政府资金对科学研究至关重要”是根据“……会如何影响政府在监管、科学政策和研究资金方面的决策”设置的干扰项，原文中并没有提到资金对科学研究的意义，故排除。C选项“政府监管有助于公众了解科学”属于逻辑颠倒，原文说的是“公众对科学的接受度和理解会如何影响政府在监管方面的决策”，故排除。 [参考译文] 公众必须能够理解科学的基础知识，以做出明智的决定。在科学家和公众之间因沟通不到位而导致的负面后果中，最引人注目的或许是气候变化的问题，其中各种各样的因素导致了大众对科学家和他们的研究的普遍不信任与误解，而最重要的因素之一就是基础气候数据向大众传播的失败。 气候变化问题还说明了公众对科学的接受度和理解(或不接受、不理解)会如何影响政府在监管、科学政策和研究资金方面的决策。 然而，与广大受众进行有效沟通的重要性并不仅限于气候变化等热点问题。它对社会神经科学问题也很重要，例如特定行为的遗传基础、神经退行性疾病的干细胞治疗潜力或动物模型的使用等，在这些领域，公众对科学的理解也会影响政策和资金决策。此外，随着个人基因组测序的不断进步和个性化医疗的出现，更多的非科学家将需要在分析复杂的科学信息方面轻松自如，从而做出直接影响他们生活质量的决定。 科学新闻是科学信息在公众间普及的主要渠道。已经有很多文章写了关于科学家和媒体之间的关系如何影响科学进步向公众的有效传播。优秀的科学记者擅长让复杂的主题被普通读者理解，同时又能坚持科学准确性。 遗憾的是，科学新闻也可能过度简化和笼统概括其主题材料，以至于它们所传递的基本信息模糊不清，或者在最糟糕的情况下信息明显是错误的。某一项基本发现对人类健康的影响可能会被夸大，以至于公众认为奇迹疗法在几个月或者几年的时间内就会出现，而实际上这项研究的意义要有限得多。 尽管科学家参与了把信息传递给新闻工作者并最终传递给公众这一过程，但人们常常把无效沟通归咎于新闻工作者一方。我们相信，除了科学家与媒体人之间的互动，至少有部分问题在于：首先，我们低估了科学家与不同受众进行有效沟通的难度；其次，多数科学家没有接受过科学沟通方面的正规培训。
What should non-scientists do to ensure their quality of life? ______
非科学家应该做些什么来保证他们的生活质量? 由题干中的non-scientists、quality of life定位到第三段。 对医学科学有基本的了解。通过定位词，找到第三段最后一句话：more non-scientists will need to be comfortable analyzing complex scientific information to make decisions that directly affect their quality of life.(更多的非科学家将需要在分析复杂的科学信息方面轻松自如，从而做出直接影响他们生活质量的决定。)换言之，就是非科学家想要有一个较高的生活质量，就需要对科学知识有一个基本的了解，符合B选项表述，所以答案选择B。 A选项“向医生寻求个性化的医疗援助”，C选项“对他们的个人基因组进行测序”，D选项“对动物模型进行合理使用”分别利用原文碎片信息personalized medicine、individual genome sequencing、use of animal models制造的干扰项，原文是以这些因素为背景，不是非科学家(大众)为了保证生活质量而需做的事，故全部排除。
Why is it important for scientists to build a good relationship with the media? ______
为什么与媒体建立良好的关系对科学家来说很重要? 由题干中的relationship with the media定位到第四段。 这有助于他们有效地普及新的科学信息。通过定位词，找到第四段第二句话：Much has been written about how the relationship between scientists and the media can shape the efficient transmission of scientific advances to the public.(已经有很多文章写了关于科学家和媒体之间的关系如何影响科学进步向公众的有效传播。)其中原文的efficient transmission...to the public对应选项effectively popularize，原文的scientific advances与选项的new scientific information是同义替换，符合A选项表述，所以答案选择A。 B选项“这使公众对科学形成正面的态度”，C选项“这有助于他们树立一个更正面的公众形象”，D选项“这使他们能够将他们的研究发现应用于公众健康”在文章中并未提及，故全部排除。
What does the author say is the problem with science journalism? ______
作者所说的科学新闻报道的问题是什么? 由题干中的the problem with science journalism定位到第五段。 它可能会向公众传递不准确或歪曲的信息。通过定位词，找到第五段第一句话：Unfortunately, pieces of science journalism can also oversimplify and generalize their subject material to the point that the basic information conveyed is obscured or at worst, obviously wrong. The impact of a basic discovery on human health can be exaggerated...(遗憾的是，科学新闻也可能过度简化和笼统概括其主题材料，以至于它们所传递的基本信息模糊不清，或者在最糟糕的情况下信息明显是错误的。某一项基本发现对人类健康的影响可能会被夸大……)其中原文中的obscured、obviously wrong、be exaggerated与选项inaccurate or distorted相对应，所以答案选择C。 A选项“它热衷于传播轰动的消息”在原文中并未提及，故排除。B选项“它往往把人们的健康问题过于简单化”是根据原文中的oversimplify和human health设置的干扰项，原文说的是oversimplify and generalize their subject material，B选项表述与原文不符，故排除。D选项“它可能会提供存在不同解读的信息”属于偷换观念，原文说的是the basic information conveyed is obscured，是强调提供的信息模糊不清，而不是有不同的解读，故排除。
What should scientists do to impart their latest findings to the public more effectively? ______
科学家应该怎样做才能更有效地向公众告知他们的最新研究发现? 由题干中的impart their latest findings to the public more effectively定位到第六段。 提高他们的沟通能力。通过定位词，找到第六段第二句话：We believe that at least part of the problem lies in places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media, and exists because for one thing we underestimate how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences, and for another most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication.(我们相信，除了科学家与媒体人之间的互动，至少有部分问题在于：首先，我们低估了科学家与不同受众进行有效沟通的难度；其次，多数科学家没有接受过科学沟通方面的正规培训。)定位句指出导致无效沟通的两个原因：低估了科学家与其他人沟通的难度：科学家没有接受沟通的培训。这两个原因都表明科学家沟通能力不足，因此解决方法就是提高科学家的沟通能力，符合D选项所表述的内容，所以答案选择D。 A选项“对科学新闻工作者进行培训”与原文不符，原文说的是科学家应该接受培训，故排除。B选项“激发公众对科学的兴趣”与C选项“向媒体寻求及时的帮助”在文中并未被提及，故排除。