大学英语5 第5课.docx
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大学英语5 第5课.docx
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大学英语5第5课
大学英语精读第五册05
大耳朵英语 2005-09-3000:
40:
16 【打印】
UNIT5
TEXT
Astheauthorpointsoutbelow,thesuccessofsciencehaslesstodowithaparticularmethodthanwithanessentialattitudeofthescientist.Thisattitudeisessentiallyoneofinquiry,experimentationandhumilitybeforethefacts.Therefore,agoodscientistisanhonestone.Truescientistsdonotbowtoanyauthoritybuttheyareeverreadytomodifyorevenabandontheirideasifadequateevidenceisfoundcontradictingthem.Scientists,theydoplaceahighvalueonhonesty.
ScienceandtheScientificAttitude
byPaulG.Hewitt
Scienceisthebodyofknowledgeaboutnaturethatrepresentsthecollectiveefforts,insights,findings,andwisdomofthehumanrace.Scienceisnotsomethingnewbuthaditsbeginningsbeforerecordedhistorywhenhumansfirstdiscoveredreoccurringrelationshipsaroundthem.Throughcarefulobservationsoftheserelationships,theybegantoknownatureand,becauseofnature'sdependability,foundtheycouldmakepredictionstoenablesomecontrolovertheirsurroundings.
Sciencemadeitsgreatestheadwayinthesixteenthcenturywhenpeoplebeganaskinganswerablequestionsaboutnature—whentheybeganreplacingsuperstitionbyasystematicsearchfororder—whenexperimentinadditiontologicwasusedtotestideas.Wherepeopleoncetriedtoinfluencenaturaleventswithmagicandsupernaturalforces,theynowhadsciencetoguidethem.Advancewasslow,however,becauseofthepowerfuloppositiontoscientificmethodsandideas.
Inabout1510Copernicussuggestedthatthesunwasstationaryandthattheearthrevolvedaboutthesun.Herefutedtheideathattheearthwasthecenteroftheuniverse.Afteryearsofhesitation,hepublishedhisfindingsbutdiedbeforehisbookwascirculated.HisbookwasconsideredhereticalanddangerousandwasbannedbytheChurchfor200years.AcenturyafterCopernicus,themathematicianBrunowasburnedatthestake—largelyforsupportingCopernicus,suggestingthesuntobeastar,andsuggestingthatspacewasinfinite.GalileowasimprisonedforpopularizingtheCopernicantheoryandforhisothercontributionstoscientificthought.Yetacoupleofcenturieslater,Copernicanadvocatesseemedharmless.
Thishappensageafterage.Intheearly1800sgeologistsmetwithviolentcondemnationbecausetheydifferedwiththeGenesisaccountofcreation.Laterinthesamecentury,geologywassafe,buttheoriesofevolutionwerecondemnedandtheteachingofthemforbidden.Thismostlikelycontinues."Ateverycrosswayontheroadthatleadstothefuture,eachprogressivespiritisopposedbyathousandmenappointedtoguardthepast."Everyagehasoneormoregroupsofintellectualrebelswhoarepersecuted,condemned,orsuppressedatthetime;buttoalaterage,theyseemharmlessandoftenessentialtotheelevationofhumanconditions.
Theenormoussuccessofsciencehasledtothegeneralbeliefthatscientistshavedevelopedandateemployinga"method"—amethodthatisextremelyeffectiveingaining,organizing,andapplyingnewknowledge.Galileo,famousscientistofthe1600s,isusuallycreditedwithbeingthe"FatheroftheScientificMethod."Hismethodisessentiallyasfollows:
1.Recognizeaproblem.
2.Guessananswer.
3.Predicttheconsequencesoftheguess.
4.Performexperimentstotestpredictions.
5.Formulatethesimplesttheoryorganizesthethreemainingredients:
guess,prediction,experimentaloutcome.
Althoughthiscookbookmethodhasacertainappeal,tohasnotbeenthekeytomostofthebreakthroughsanddiscoveriesinscience.Trialanderror,experimentationwithoutguessing,accidentaldiscovery,andothermethodsaccountformuchoftheprogressinscience.Ratherthanaparticularmethod,thesuccessofsciencehasmoretodowithanattitudecommontoscientists.Thisattitudeisessentiallyoneofinquiry,experimentation,andhumilitybeforethefacts.Ifascientistholdsanideatobetrueandfindsanycounterevidencewhatever,theideaiseithermodifiedorabandoned.Inthescientificspirit,theideamustbemodifiedorabandonedinspiteofthereputationofthepersonadvocatingit.Asanexample,thegreatlyrespectedGreekphilosopherAristotlesaidthatfallingbodiesfallataspeedproportionaltotheirweight.Thisfalseideawasheldtobetrueformorethan2,000yearsbecauseofAristotle'simmenseauthority.Inthescientificspirit,however,asingleverifiableexperimenttothecontraryoutweighsanyauthority,regardlessofreputationorthenumberoffollowersandadvocates.
Scientistsmustacceptfactsevenwhentheywouldlikethemtobedifferent.Theymuststrivetodistinguishbetweenwhattheyseeandwhattheywishtosee—forhumanity'scapacityforself-deceptionisvast.Peoplehavetraditionallytendedtoadoptgeneralrules,beliefs,creeds,theories,andideaswithoutthoroughlyquestioningtheirvalidityandtoretainthemlongaftertheyhavebeenshowntobemeaningless,false,oratleastquestionable.Themostwidespreadassumptionsaretheleastquestioned.Mostoften,whenanideaisadopted,particularattentionisgiventocasesthatseemtosupportit,whilecasesthatseemtorefuteitaredistorted,belittled,orignored.Wefeeldeeplythatitisasignofweaknessto"changeoutminds."Competentscientists,however,mustbeexpertatchangingtheirminds.Thisisbecausescienceseeksnottodefendourbeliefsbuttoimprovethem.Bettertheoriesaremadebythosewhoarenothunguponprevailingones.
Awayfromtheirprofession,scientistsareinherentlynomorehonestorethicalthanotherpeople.Butintheirprofessiontheyworkinanarenathatputsahighpremiumonhonesty.Thecardinalruleinscienceisthatallclaimsmustbetestable—theymustbecapable,atleastinprinciple,ofbeingprovedwrong.Forexample,ifsomeoneclaimsthatacertainprocedurehasacertainresult,itmustinprinciplebepossibletoperformaprocedurethatwilleitherconfirmorcontradicttheclaim.Ifconfirmed,thentheclaimisregardedasusefulandastepping-stonetofurtherknowledge.Noneofushasthetimeorenergyorresourcestotesteveryclaim,somostofthetimewemusttakesomebody'sword.However,wemusthavesomecriterionfordecidingwhetheroneperson'swordisasgoodasanother'sandwhetheroneclaimisasgoodasanother.Thecriterion,again,isthattheclaimmustbetestable.Toreducethelikelihoodoferror,scientistsacceptthewordonlyofthosewhoseideas,theories,andfindingsaretestable—ifnotinpracticethenatleastinprinciple.Speculationsthatcannotbetestedareregardedas"unscientific."Thishasthelong-runeffectofcompellinghonesty—findingswidelypublicizedamongfellowscientistsaregenerallysubjectedtofurthertesting.Soonerorlater,mistake(andlies)areboundtobefoundout;wishfulthinkingisboundtobeexposed.Thehonestysoimportanttotheprogressofsciencethusbecomesamatterofself-interesttoscientists.
NEWWORDS
represent
vt.beasignorsymbolof;actfor代表
collective
a.oforsharedbyagroupofpeople集体的
insight
n.thepowerofusingone'smindtoseeorunderstandthetruenatureofasituation洞察力
wisdom
n.intelligenceandgoodjudgment智慧
reoccur
vi.occuragain
dependability
n.reliability,trustworthiness
prediction
n.theactofpredictingorsth.predicted预测
headway
n.motionforward;progress
answerable
n.abletobeanswered
replace
vt.takeorfilltheplaceof
superstition
n.abelieforpracticebasedonignorance,faithinmagicorchance迷信
systematic
a.of,havingorusingasystem;carriedoutaccordingtoasystem
supernatural
n.outsideoforbeyondthenaturalworld超自然的
opposition
n.theactorconditionofopposing;resistance
stationary
a.notmovingorchanging;notcapableofbeingmoved
hesitation
n.theactofhesitating
publish
vt.printandofferforsale
circulate
v.(causeto)spreadwidely;moveorsendaround传播,(使)流传,(使)循环
heretical
a.(ofopinion)opposedtoestablishedbeliefsorstandards异端的
ban
vt.forbidbylawordecree
largely
ad.forthemostpart;mainly
infinite
a.havingorseemingtohavenolimits;endless;verylarge
imprison
vt.putinprison
popularize
v.causetobewellknowandgenerallylikedorused;make(adifficultsubject)easilyunderstandabletoordinarypeople使普及;推广
geologist
n.apersonwhoknowsmuchaboutgeology地质学家
violent
a.having,showing,orresultingfromgreatphysicalforce;showingorhavingstrongfeelings强暴的;猛烈的
condemnation
n.expressstrongdisapprovalof,pronounceguiltyofcrimeorwrong谴责;宣告...有罪
condemnation
n.
genesis
n.thebeginningororigin:
(G-)thefirstbookoftheOldTestament起源;(《旧约全书》第一卷)《创世纪》
geology
n.thestudyoforigin,structure,andhistoryoftheearth地质学
evolution
n.slow,gradualdevelopment;thescientifictheorythatalllivingthingsdevelopedveryslowlyovermillionsofyearsfromsimplerformsoflife进化(论)
crossway
n.crossroad;aroadthatcrossesanother
progressive
a.movingforwardstepbystep;favoringorpromotingimprovementorreform
appoint
vt.nameforanoffice,dutyorposition指定,任命
rebel
n.apersonwhoresistsoropposesauthority反叛者
persecute
vt.treatcontinuallyinacruelway,esp.becauseofpoliticalorreligiousbeliefs迫害
suppress
vt.stoporputdownbyforce;keepin,holdback镇压;抑制
essential
a.veryimportant;vital
elevation
n.theactofraisingtoahigherplaceorposition
elevate
vt.
effective
a.abletobringaboutadesiredresult;beinginforceoroperation
credit
vt.(with)believethat(sb.
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