单选题 Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal-clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil, reading about other people"s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist; one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.
单选题 According to the author, a born naturalist should first of all be ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 通读全篇,可知作者自童年起就一直热爱自然,这种热爱促使他进行各种研究,成为一名自然学家。故选C项。
单选题 The first paragraph tells us that the author ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 由第一段可知,童年的作者对花和昆虫感兴趣。作者在第一段提到“Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects.”此句暗示作者自己坚持了下来,故D项正确。
单选题 The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 由最后一段“one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack.”可知,D项正确。
单选题 The author can"t remember his relatives clearly because ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 由第二段“Nor do...have a crystal-clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects.”可知,作者将全部注意力都放在观察自然上了,故选B项。
单选题 Which of the following statements is true?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 由第一段“Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages”可知,作者的兄弟姐妹们擅长于音乐和语言,故C项正确。A项无中生有,B项oil industry错误,D项与第三段矛盾。