Nowadays the scattering of galaxies and the astounding abundance of stars are forcing those who ponder such matters to a further adjustment of their concept of the place and function of man in the material universe.
In the history of the【C1】______human mind, with its increasing knowledge of the surrounding【C2】______, there must have been a time when the philosophers of the【C3】______tribes began to realize that the world was not simply centered on man himself. The geocentric concept, which accepted a universe centered on the earth, then became common【C4】______.
The second adjustment in the understanding of man's【C5】______to the physical universe was not generally acceptable【C6】______the sixteenth century. Copernican revolution soundly【C7】______the heliocentric concept—the theory of a universe【C8】______on the sun. Man is a stubborn adherent to official dogma;【C9】______, however, he accepted the sun as the center.
Then, forty years ago, came the need for a third adjustment. This【C10】______has deeply exploded man's pride and【C11】______, for it has carried with it the knowledge of the【C12】______number of galaxies.
The galactocentric universe【C13】______puts the earth and its life near the【C14】______of one great galaxy in a universe of millions of galaxies. Man becomes peripheral among the billions of stars of his own Milky Way; and, according to the revelations of paleontology and geochemistry, he is【C15】______and apparently transient jin the【C16】______of cosmic time.
The downgrading of the earth and sun and the elevation of the galaxies is not the end of this【C17】______of scientific pilgrims through philosophic fields. The need for another【C18】______adjustment now【C19】______—not wholly unexpected by scientists,【C20】______wholly the result of one or two scientific revelations.
Our new problem concerns the spread of life throughout the universe. As unsolicited spokesmen for all the earthly organisms of land, sea, and air, we ask the thrilling question; Are we alone?"

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】“context(人、事、物存在于其中的)背景，环境”。根据文章一致性的原则，该词与上文的“place”形成一种照应。而选项B“climate(某一社会、时期等的)风气、潮流；环境气氛”，选项C“territory(活动、知识、思想等的)范围，领域”和选项D“scope(活动，影响等的)范围”均不符合题意。

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】“primitive原始的，上古的；早期的”符合题意。本题考查词义辨析。文章意思指：“……原始部族的哲学家们开始认识到世界不仅仅是以人类自己为中心”。而选项A“antique古时的；古老的，自古就存在的”，选项B“ethnic种族的；种族上的”和选项C“civilized文明的，开化的”均不符合题意。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】establish意为“建立；建造；设立”，常表示永久地“建立”起来，强调稳固而持久，涉及对象可以是具体和抽象事物，符合题意。最大的干扰项为“institute建立，设立，组织；制定”，但此词一般指建立学会等，或制定规则等，而“highlight使显著，强调，使突出”和选项D“justify证明……正当(或有理、正确)；为……辩护”均不符合题意。