单选题 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. You cannot make choice in that matter. You either have science or you don't have, 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. I regard this as the maj or discovery of the past hundred years of biology. It is, in its way, an illuminating 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 known and how bewildering 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. In earlier times, we either pretended to understand how things worked or ignored the problem, or simply make up stories to fill the gaps. Now that we have begun exploring in eamest, we are getting glimpses of how huge the questions are, and how far they are 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.

单选题 The author claims in the first paragraph that good science ______.

A. defies prediction
B. should study the unknown
C. should discover scientific truth
D. should offer choices rather than prescribe

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】作者在第一段宣称好的科学挑战一个人的预测力。文章的开头说，如果真是好的科学，它是很难预测的。如果即将发现的事物的确是新的，那么，按照定义，它们应当是人们事先不熟悉的。

单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that scientists of the 18th century ______.

A. thought they knew a lot and could solve most problems of science
B. knew that they were ignorant and wanted to know more about nature
C. did more harm than good in promoting man's understanding of nature
D. were afraid of facing up to the realities of scientific research

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】根据短文内容可以推断，18世纪的科学家认为他们懂得很多，能够解决大多数科学问题。第二段第四句是答案的依据。这句话的意思是：倘若我们任何人告诉18世纪启蒙运动时期伟大的思想家们我们是多么的无知、前方的路是多么令人迷茫时，他们会感到惊愕的。

单选题 Which of the following is NOT mentioned about scientists in earlier times?

A. They invented false theories to explain things they didn't understand.
B. They paid little attention to the problems they didn't understand.
C. They did not believe in results from scientific observation.
D. They falsely claimed to know all about nature.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】第二段第六句中包括了A、B、C的表述，唯独没有提到C。

单选题 What is the author's attitude towards science?

A. He is depressed when he has found the ignorance of scientists.
B. He is delighted because of the illuminating scientific findings.
C. He is doubtful because of the enormous difficulties in scientific research.
D. He is confident though there are many diffculties in scientific research.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】尽管科学研究遇到许多困难，他还是充满信心。作者在最后一段开头指出，但是我们正在起步，并在某种程度上应该满意。或许不存在我们能够设想出来而迟早不能回答的问题，其中包括意识问题。

单选题 The author believes that ______.

A. man can find solutions sooner or later to whatever questions concerning nature he can think up
B. man can not solve the problems he can think up because of the limits of human intellect
C. sooner or later man can think up all the questions concerning nature and answer them
D. questions concerning consciousness are outside the scope of scientific research

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】作者认为，人类只要想起任何与自然有关的问题，迟早都能找到解决问题的办法。作者在最后一段最后一句说，如果坚持不懈，全神贯注，那么我们能够排除万难，最终找到所有的答案。