阅读理解

Passage Three

It is hard to predict how science is going to turn out, and if it is really good science it is impossible to predict. If the things to be found are actually new, they are by definition unknown in advance. Ybu cannot make choices in this matter- Ybu either have science or you don't, and if you have it you are obliged to accept the surprising and disturbing pieces of information, along with the neat and promptly useful bits.

The only solid piece of scientific truth about which I feel totally confident is that we are profoundly ignorant about nature. Indeed, I regard this as the major discovery of the past hundred years of biology. It is, in its way, an illuminating （启示性的）piece of news. It would have amazed the brightest minds of the 18th century Enlightenment to be told by any of us how little we know and how bewildering （困惑）seems the way ahead. It is this sudden confrontation with the depth and scope of ignorance that represents the most significant contribution of the 20th century science to the human intellect （智力）.In earlier times, we either pretended to understand how things worked or ignored the problem, or simply made up stories to fill the gaps. Now that we have begun exploring in earnest, we are getting glimpses of how huge the questions are, and how far from being answered. Because of this, we are depressed. It is not so bad being ignorant if you are totally ignorant; the hard thing is knowing in some detail the reality of ignorance, the worst spots and here and there the not-so-bad spots, but no true light at the end of the tunnel nor even any tunnels that can yet be trusted.

But we are making a beginning, and there ought to be some satisfaction. There are probably no questions we can think up that can't be answered, sooner or later, including even the matter of consciousness. To be sure, there may well be questions we can't think up, ever, and therefore limits to the reach of human intellect, but that is another matter Within our limits, we should be able to work our way through to all our answers, if we keep at it long enough, and pay-attention.

填空题 The author believes that really good science is unable to__________.

问答题 How would the scientists of the 18xh century feel when they were told we are really ignorant about nature?

【正确答案】They would feel amazed/astonished/surprised.

【答案解析】由第二段第四句 It would have amazed the brightest minds of the 18th century Enlightenment to be told by any of us how little we know and how bewildering （困惑）seems the way ahead可知，如果十八世纪启蒙运动时的科学家知道我们对自然是如此无知的话，会感到十分诧异。

问答题 What is implied in the passage about the view of the scientists of the 18th century on science?

【正确答案】They thought that they knew a great deal and could deal with most problems of science.

【答案解析】由第二段第六句 In earlier times, we either pretended to understand how things worked or ignored the problem, or simply made叩stories to fill the gaps可知，过去人们要么假装什么都知道，要么忽视问题，要么编造故事来填补空白（就是胡乱编造故事来解释他们并不理解的现象）。

问答题 What contributes most to the human intellect in the 20th century according to author?

【正确答案】The sudden confrontation with the depth and scope of ignorance.

【答案解析】由第二段第五句可得出答案。

问答题 Why docs the author think there ought to be some satisfaction?

【正确答案】Because no questions we can think up can't be answered with the advance of science. We are making a beginning in getting rid of ignorance.

【答案解析】由最后一段内容可知，作者认为我们应该满足，因为只要坚持探求真理、摆脱无知，我们所能想到的所有问题早晚都会得到解决。