Of all the journalism specialties, science writing may well be the most challenging. Science writers cover fields undergoing some of the most rapid advances in history, from stunning advances in genetics and biotechnology to exotic discoveries in astrophysics. A science writer’s week may include coverage of new discoveries about viruses, the brain, evolution, artificial intelligence, planets around other suns, and global climate change and its environmental impact, to name only a few topics.
Writing anything that’s any good is hard work, but science writers labor tinder a particular, and rather peculiar, set of constraints. Science is new — only about 400 years old, as a going concern — and prodigious, having transformed our conception of the universe and of our place in it. But precisely because its impact has been so rapid and so monumental, science has not yet been absorbed into our common consciousness. Readers come to the printed page already knowing something about crime and punishment, love and loss, triumph and tragedy — but not, necessarily, about the roles played by theory and observation in identifying a virus or tracing the curvature of intergalactic space. Hence science writers have to keep explaining things, from the significance of scientific facts to the methods by which they are adduced, while simultaneously holding the readers’ attention and moving the story along. It’s as if business reporters had to constantly explain what is meant by “turning a profit”, or sportswriters by “scoring a touchdown”.
Unsurprisingly, we science writers are often misunderstood. People tend to assume that we write computer software manuals or those buckram-bound engineering textbooks assigned to students in technical studies. Fellow authors dismiss us as translators. Editors may think us narrow. A quarter-century ago, when I was struggling to move away from writing about politics and rock music in order to concentrate on astronomy, the editor of a major magazine pressed me to do an article, called “The Bionic Man”, on artificial body parts. When I declined, he became impatient.
“Well, what do you want to write about?” he asked, throwing up his hands, like a motorist cut off in traffic.
“Astronomy,” I replied.
“You’ve already written about astronomy!”
“Yes, but I like it. It was my original interest in life.”
“Aren’t you afraid of becoming some sort of Johnny One Note?”
“Well, not really. You know, what’s out there is something like ninety-nine, then a decimal point, then twenty-eight more nines per cent of everything. Covering nearly everything doesn’t seem all that limiting. And it leads to lots of other things.”
I’ve been on the wrong side of arguments with editors more often than it is comfortable to recall, but on this occasion I turned out to have been right. Astronomy did lead to everything else. It led me into other sciences of course — among them physics, chemistry, and biology — and also, by many winding paths, to poetry, literature, history, philosophy, art, music, and into conversation with some of the smartest and most creative people in the world.
1. According to the writer, what is the main difficulty facing science writers?| A．Finding new science topics. |
| B．Meeting the reader’s expectations of science. |
| C．Overcoming the reader's unfamiliarity with science. |
| D．Keeping up with the rapid developments in science. |
| A．He had no expertise in the topic. |
| B．He was not passionate about the topic. |
| C．He did not realize the potential of the topic. |
| D．He did not want to write about the same topic again. |
| A．He finds it difficult to get recognition from others as a science writer. |
| B．He feels quite comfortable with the previous arguments he had with editors. |
| C．A keen interest in astronomy contributes to his exploration of other disciplines. |
| D．Astronomy helps him form a connection with some great minds in the world. |
| A．indifference | B．amusement | C．frustration | D．satisfaction |
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【推荐1】The Oxford English Dictionary defines work as the “mental or physical activity as a means of earning income”. Since the industrial revolution, the working world has seen dramatic changes,
We are finding new ways to explore our inborn talents and use our knowledge and skills for the good of the world. Yet most of us are operating under an outdated definition of work. We think work should be hard and that it should be a sacrifice.
The next best step is to come up with your own definition of work. Think through the following two questions:
If you want to spend the majority of your time loving what you do and feeling a deep sense of fulfillment, you need to take charge of creating this for yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you are a businessman or a student with a part-time job.
| A．What is your definition of work? |
| B．New jobs are being created every day. |
| C．Do you understand the definition of work? |
| D．Enjoying work is simply something “nice to have”. |
| E．We are supposed to work hard to satisfy our own need. |
| F．But we must remember that the mind creates the experience. |
| G．You have more power to manage your experience of work than you believe. |
【推荐2】Three Key Steps to Motivate Your Team to Strive for Excellence
It is a known fact that one of the most compelling reasons employees leave their job is because they feel unappreciated, or that they bring no real value to their team.
This does not mean that you should hang out with them at the local bar, or become one of their weekend buddies. What it does mean is that if you want to motivate your team to excellence, then you should take the time to get to know your team personally by talking individually to them at different times, asking basic questions, and letting them see that you are human and accessible.
Recognize them as a person, not just their ability.
Too often, we are quick to praise people for a job well done, but we fail to let the person know that we appreciate them as a person. Praise them for that job well done, but take notice of their personal qualities and talents and how they bring value to the team.
Make their success public.
Take time in your team meetings each week to recognize and talk about the people who made a difference that week.
| A．Build a relationship with your team. |
| B．Treat your team to something special. |
| C．Let the rest of the team see that you took notice and you appreciate it. |
| D．People will find it difficult to “go along” with you if they cannot “get along” with you. |
| E．Something special happens when we hear our name—it tells us that we are important. |
| F．If you want to motivate your team to do their very best, you have to let them know that they are a vital part of your team. |
| G．This should be done in person randomly so that they can see that you are the one who noticed and you know they are on your team. |
【推荐3】The idea that I would be rewarded if I worked hard enough was deeply rooted in me.So I spent long hours in the lab,steadily filled pages in my notebook,and was praised for my hard work.When my experiments didn’t produce the exciting results they were expected to,I thought I just needed to work more.
Those comments planted the seed of a new approach:novel ideas do not come from a mind constantly under pressure.My best ideas and”aha”moments almost always come after I allow my mind to relax-whether that’s playing video games with my brother,cooking a nice dinner,or going on long hikes with my wife.
Today,a decade after that eye-opening evening in the lab.I try to pass this mindset on to my own students.Not too long ago in the lab one night,I walked by one of my students.I gently asked how she was doing.With a defeated look,she responded that the plan for the experiment refused to work,again,despite many attempts.I couldn’t help but see myself all those years ago.
How can we foster that spirit?
| A．So I worked even harder,ignoring the result. |
| B．Part of working smarter,I realized,call be taking a break. |
| C．The answer does not include working ourselves to exhaustion. |
| D．By striking a balance between working hard and getting some sleep. |
| E．I didn’t tell him that I was also wondering what was wrong with me. |
| F．Yet here I was,working harder than ever-but not getting anywhere. |
| G．We talked for a while about academic life and what it means to be a researcher. |
【推荐1】I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it. Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the action of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk，” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she just did it. But as a young girl, I wanted to have hearttoheart talks between mother and daughter. They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional (易感动的)”．But she lived “on the surface (表面)”．
As years passed, I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace—it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
But the present of her desk told me, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside—a photo of my father and a onepage letter, folded and refolded many times. It was my letter.
“In any way you chose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.”
1. The writer began to love her mother's desk________．| A．after her mother died |
| B．before she became a writer |
| C．when she was a child |
| D．when her mother gave it to her |
| A．deep understanding between the old and the young |
| B．different ideas between mother and daughter |
| C．free talks between mother and daughter |
| D．part of the sea going far in land |
| A．She had never received the letter. |
| B．For years, she often talked about the letter. |
| C．She didn't forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
| D．She read the letter again and again till she died. |
| A．My Mother's Desk | B．Mother and Children |
| C．My Letter to Mother | D．Talks Between Mother and Me |
I recently cared for a patient near the end of his life. Medically speaking, his situation was hopeless, which made me feel helpless and defeated.
His mother came in to see him. I had prepared myself to support her, imagining she would crumble (崩溃) into a pile of tears.
“Our God is faithful,” she said, with a smile on her face and the sunshine of hope in her eyes.
“Cancer is faithful,” I muttered (嘀咕) in my mind.
“We still believe he can heal him,” she continued, as if she had heard what I was thinking. I provided updates on his body. In a laundry list of updates, perhaps two things were positive. She thanked me for the information, repeating back the minor positive notes I had given. I became kind of angry. And I wanted to sak, “Do you really not understand the gravity (严重性) of this illness?”
And then, yet again, as if she had heard me, she replied with this: A positive attitude gives us power over our circumstances, rather than allowing our circumstances to have power over us. I was shocked. Here I was, judging her positive attitude as a fault. I completely disregarded the choice to believe in something more powerful than me, more healing than the doctors on our team. It wasn’t blind faith. It was strength and devotion.
When I came out of the room, tears welling in my eyes, I sat at my computer and looked down at a small plate of candies she must have left for me on her way into the room. A hand written note was laid above them: Kate, your devotion is so appreciated, So, it is your devotion that I am appreciating today. Because of you, I am begging again to believe in miracles.
1. The author is probably a ________.
| A．nurse | B．patient | C．teacher | D．mother |
| A．would recover soon |
| B．had got much better |
| C．was going to die of cancer |
| D．might make a miraculous recovery |
| A．Because of her optimism. |
| B．Because of her impoliteness. |
| C．Because she couldn’t stop crying. |
| D．Because she was always complaining. |
| A．more patient | B．more positive |
| C．more aggressive | D．more sympathetic |
【推荐3】The other day, my friend Sara was telling me about a relationship with her colleague that was broken beyond repair. The two of them had been close. And then one day, Sara had, with the best intentions, done something that her colleague had completely misunderstood and had taken offense at.
Things became worse. Sara didn’t know what to say or do. She didn’t know how to repair the relationship. She began to get angry at her colleague for misunderstanding her and judging her. She felt justified in her anger. The two of them still were not really speaking and certainly weren’t working together. The team, and their output, were suffering.
It was time to do something to rectify the situation. I asked Sara what she needed. After much thought, she told me that she needed her colleague to be willing to listen to her with an open mind, to at least consider that she hadn’t meant any harm by what she’d done and to apologize for taking things so seriously and making things so bad.
“Ah…” I said to her. “You want an apology.” I then asked her, “What do you think your colleague might want?” I asked.
She didn’t answer.
“Did you ever apologize?” I asked her. She shook her head no. “Do you think you might want to apologize?” I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders… then shook her head yes.
Sometimes we take so long to apologize. We justify our unwillingness, saying it won’t really make a difference. Or they should apologize first. Or we didn’t mean any harm and they misunderstood us. But I’ve found that an apology—a true, heartfelt apology—can work wonders. It can repair the unrepairable. It can fix just about anything.
1. What happened between Sara and her colleague?| A．They decided to quit the job together. |
| B．They spoke ill of each other. |
| C．They were badly annoyed with each other. |
| D．They criticized each other’s poor work performance. |
| A．Investigate. | B．Correct. | C．Maintain. | D．Review. |
| A．Accept her colleague’s apology. | B．Wait for her colleague to apologize. |
| C．Apologize to her colleague first. | D．Justify herself to her colleague. |
| A．To stress the importance of an apology. |
| B．To explain how to apologize effectively. |
| C．To show how to respond to others’ apology. |
| D．To offer advice on getting along with colleagues. |
【推荐1】After graduating from college, I moved to a new state to start a full-time job. One day I found myself wanting to go traveling, and it was the perfect opportunity to travel by myself for the first time in my life. So I quickly started doing research on where I’d like to go.
I had never traveled alone before, so I decided to sign up for a guided group that was going to Thailand. This gave me a sense of security. It felt like a great way not only to try being alone and meeting strangers but also doing something that sounded really fun for two weeks.
The Thailand trip forced me out of so many comfort zones (舒适区) that ended up being one of the biggest turning points of my life. The time I spent in Thailand finding my way around airports and taxis alone, meeting a group of strangers, and doing rock climbing with them in remote parts of the country, ended up being one of the greatest experiences of my life. Up until this point I had always been shy and very careful to avoid danger and mistakes, but this travel experience inspired me to become different. It showed me a brave, strong, and independent side of myself that went on to influence my life greatly when I returned home.
When I got back, I devoted my life to spending as much time as possible doing activities like climbing, hiking, or backpacking especially things that I once thought I wasn’t “able to do” or was “too scared of.” Today, about 6 years later, I’m an outdoor empowerment (许可) coach and backpacking educator.
My trip to Thailand was just what I needed to make that change. It showed me what was possible. It changed the path of my life.
1. What did the author do after graduation?| A．He acted as a travel guide. | B．He set up a business of his own. |
| C．He refused a sob offer and travelled. | D．He applied for a position and wan accepted. |
| A．To save some of his money. | B．To make sure of his safety. |
| C．To explore more in Thailand. | D．To accompany his colleagues. |
| A．He got a bit sadder. | B．He turned a little shyer. |
| C．He was far more careful. | D．He became less afraid of risks |
①Climbing ②Horse riding. ③Hiking. ④Car racing. ⑤Backpacking
| A．①③⑤ | B．②③④ | C．③④⑤ | D．①②③ |
When I got there, it looked like she had been overcome by weep than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked exhausted with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up and gave it to her. It was a coin.
At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban packed full of stuff and three kids in the back, and the gas pump(汽油泵) reading $4.95.
I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying “I don’t want my kids to see me crying,” so we stood at the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California for Christmas and that things were very hard for her right now.
I took out my credit card and swiped(刷磁卡) it through the card reader on the pump so that she could fill up her car completely, and I bought 2 big bags of food for her kids in the car who attacked it like wolves. While it was fueling, she asked, “So, are you an angel or something?” I said, “At this time of year, angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses common people.”
It was unbelievable to be part of someone else’s miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. Sometimes, angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter(摆动) of their wings.
1. . Caught in traffic, the author still felt happy because .
| A．she could fill up her car to get home in time |
| B．the woman who needed help was waiting there |
| C．she could find a warm place to wait |
| D．she could do something for others in the gas station |
| A．her situation was very terrible | B．her kids wouldn’t listen to her |
| C．she was too tired | D．she fell down and got injured |
| A．the author was driving carelessly on the way home |
| B．the young woman was interested in long driving |
| C．the young woman didn’t want to see her kids crying |
| D．the kids were extremely hungry at that time |
| A．was a kind person | B．liked to deal with others’ business |
| C．had no thought for others | D．was a real angel |
【推荐3】I once had a strange relationship with money. I always made more money than most people of my age did. But it still stressed me out, and I felt like I never had enough. After coming across The School of Betty, a platform that enables women to create relationships with their money, I found myself inspired to do a no-spend month challenge. The result? I saved more than $1,000. It was like finding money in my winter coat pocket after a long summer.
The most eye-opening thing a no-spend challenge can do for you is shedding light on the emotions and the behaviors you have around your money that have become a habit. Most individuals don’t realize they are spending out of habit and based on their emotions. Figuring out the causes and knowing I was able to save a good sum of money in only 30 days, I set out to do a longer challenge — three months.
As for the first challenge, I was only allowed to buy essentials, which meant my normal bills — lighting, phone, car insurance, gas, oil and groceries. But in my 90-day challenge, I further removed all of the extras — no new clothes, no new shoes, and no lunches at restaurants. I allowed myself one night out with friends per month — to avoid going crazy — but I stuck to a budget. This also allowed me to see what type of experience was worth my money and what type was wasting my money.
90 days later, my jaw hit the floor when I totaled my savings: I was almost $4,000 richer. The rewards were more than financial: I was able to distinguish between my needs and my wants. The process enabled me to spot purchases driven by emotions. Even better, I shifted the way I valued money: The money I spent socializing with friends felt far more valuable than the pleasure of purchasing, say, two new sweaters.
1. How did the author feel after the first no-spend challenge?| A．Stressed and regretful. | B．Surprised and wonderful. |
| C．Tired but content. | D．Awful but encouraged. |
| A．Because of their unintentional habits. | B．Because of their social communication. |
| C．Because of their heavy pressure of work. | D．Because of their basic needs. |
| A．She hung around with friends weekly. | B．She saw essentials as a waste of money. |
| C．She enjoyed her friends’ company. | D．She bought nothing in ninety days. |
| A．To share personal experiences. | B．To advertise a platform. |
| C．To support an argument. | D．To advocate healthy lifestyles. |
