Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good’ at what it does that there’s always a temptation (诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.
Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?
To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines (学科). Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation(背诵)of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox (非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.
On the whole, Brooks’ story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’ attempt to translate his tale into science.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?(no more than 10 words)2. Why does Brook use a story to introduce scientific theories?( no more than 15words)
3. According to The Social Animal, how can we learn about the science of child development?(no more than 10 words)
4. Please explain the underlined word ”weighty" in English.(no more than 1 word)
5. Do you like Brooks’ way of dealing with science in The Social Animal? Why?(no more than 20 words)
(1)你对阅读的看法；
(2)你的阅读习惯；
(3)阅读对你的影响。
注意：(1)词数不少于100(开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数)；
(2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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1. 阅读经典作品的人越来越少的原因；
2. 阅读经典作品的好处；
3. 你的建议。
注意：(1)词数不少于100词；
(2)可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯。
Reading Classics Will Never Be Outdated
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . When was the last time you went to your local library? Last week? A month ago? A year ago?
For many reasons, borrowing books from libraries seems to be in decline. With advances in technology, it is now possible for people to download and read whatever they like on electronic devices such as Kindles.
Call me old-fashioned, but I've never got into the e-book: I like to have printed books lining my bookshelves; I love the smell of a new book; and I enjoy leafing through paper pages—as long as I avoid the paper cuts! Also, what would I do with my vast bookmark collection if everything I read was electronic?
I prefer paper books to e-books, and I also prefer to own them myself. Libraries only lend books, so of what use are they to someone like me, or to someone who prefers e-books?
Personally, I still love libraries. They offer a quiet space to sit, read, think, do research…a real escape from the outside world. When I was at university, I frequently spent hours at the school library and borrowed numerous printed materials, as it was just too expensive to buy brand new books every week to read for seminars and lectures. Libraries are free!
Libraries often organize interesting activities as well. At home, my local library hosted actors, historians and other speakers during the town's annual art and literature festival. Well-known authors are also invited to libraries to give speeches or lead discussions about their work. Events such as these are a great way to appeal to people of all ages in the community and encourage the use of libraries.
Since moving abroad to work in Quebec for a year, the importance of libraries has become clear to me on an even more personal level. The school I work in has an incredible library, which is proving invaluable when I want a good book to read but am feeling conscious that everything I would want to read during the year is unlikely to fit in my suitcase by the time l go home!
There are still many fantastic ways to use libraries—maybe we just need to be more awake to them!
1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The reason why people like reading books on Kindles. |
| B．The reason why people seldom borrow books from libraries. |
| C．The advantages of modern technology. |
| D．How to download electronic books. |
| A．To tell her personal story. | B．To introduce a special book. |
| C．To explain how to read books. | D．To show she loves printed books. |
| A．read many e-books | B．bought many new books |
| C．often visited the school library | D．gave a speech at the school library |
| A．To take part in interesting activities. |
| B．To lead discussions about her work. |
| C．Because she couldn't afford to buy new books. |
| D．Because she couldn't bring many books back home. |
| A．To give some advice on reading. | B．To stress the advantages of libraries. |
| C．To compare different kinds of books. | D．To share the author's reading experience. |
