2019年西南大学考博英语真题回忆Many objects in daily use have clearly been influenced by science, but their form and function, their dimensions and appearance, were determined by technologists, artisans, designers, inventors, and engineers – using nonscientific modes of thought. Many features and qualities of the object that a technologist thinks about cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they dealt with in the mind by a visual, nonverbal process. In the development of Western technology, it has been nonverbal thinking, by the large, that has fixed the outlines and filled in the details of our material surroundings. Pyramids, cathedrals, and rockets exist not because of geometry or thermodynamics, but because they were first a picture in the minds of those who built them.The creative shaping process of a technologist’s mind can be seen in nearly every artifact that exists. For example, in designing a diesel engine, a technologist might impress individual ways of nonverbal thinking on the machine by continually using an intuitive sense of rightness and fitness. What would be the shape of the combustion chamber? Where should be valves be replaced? Should it have a long or short piston? Such questions have a range of answers that are supplied by experience, by physical requirements, by limitations of available space, and not least by a sense of form. Some decisions such as wall thickness and pin diameter, may depend on scientific calculations, but the nonscientific component of design remains primary.Design courses, then, should be an essential element in engineering curricula. Nonverbal thinking, a central mechanism in engineering design, involves perceptions, the stock-in-trade of the artist, not the scientist. Because perceptive processes are not assumed to entail hard thinking, nonverbal thought is sometimes seen as a primitive stage in the development of cognitive processes and inferior to verbal or mathematical thought. But it is paradoxical that when the staff of the Historical American Engineering Record wished to have drawings made of machines and isomeric views of industrial processes for its historical record of American engineering, the only college students with the requisite abilities were not engineering students, but rather students attending architectural schools.If courses in design, which in a strongly analytical engineering curriculum provide the background required for practical problem-solving, are not provided, we can expect to encounter silly but costly errors occurring in advanced engineering systems. For example, early models of high-speed railroad cars loaded with sophisticated controls were unable to operate in a snowstorm because a fan sucked snow into the electrical system. Absurd random failures that plague automatic control systems are not merely trivial aberrations; they are a reflection of the chaos that results when design is assumed to be primarily a problem in mathematics.26. In the text, the author is primarily concerned with ()A) identifying the kinds of thinking that are used by technologistB) stressing the importance of nonverbal thinking in engineering design.C) proposing a new role for nonscientific thinking in engineering design.D) contrasting the goals of engineers with those of technologists.27.It can be inferred that the author thinks engineering curricula are ()A) strengthened when they include courses in design.B) weakened by the substitution of physical science courses for courses designed to developmathematical skills.C)strong because nonverbal thinking is still emphasize by most of the courses.D)strong despite the errors that graduates of such curricula have made in the development of automatic control system.28.which of the following statements best illustrates the main point of the first two paragraphs of the text?()A) When a machine like a rotary engine malfunctions, it is the technologist who is best equipped to repair it.B) Each component of an automobile – for example, the engine or the fuel tank – has a shape that has been scientifically de termined to be best suited to that component’s function.C) A telephone is a complex instrument designed by technologists using only nonverbal thought.D) The distinctive features of a suspension bridge reflect its designer’s conceptualization as well as the physical requirements of its site.29.Which of the following statements would best serve as an introduction to the text?()A) The assumption that the knowledge incorporated in technological developments must be derived from science ignore the many nonscientific decisions made by technologists.B) Analytical thought is no longer a vital component in the success of technological development.C) As knowledge of technology has increased, the tendency has been to lose sight of the important role played by scientific thought in making decisions about form, arrangement, and texture.D)A movement in engineering colleges toward a technician’s degree reflects a demand for graduates who have the nonverbal reasoning ability that was once common among engineers.30.The author calls the predicament faced by the Historic American Engineering Record paradoxical (line 6, paragraph 3) most probably because ()A) the publication needed drawings that its own staff could makeB) architectural schools offered but did not require engineering design courses for their studentC) college students were qualified to make the drawings while practicing engineers were not.D) engineering students were not trained to make the type of drawings needed to record thedevelopment of their own disciplineThe remarkable progress of science and technology in the 20st century has brought enormous benefits to humankind. Long and healthy lives, economic prosperity and a pleasant and convenient living environment have resulted from technological progress based on advances in scientific knowledge. This progress will continue or may even accelerate in the future, because both the number of scientists and their activities are expanding throughout the world. We may expect, therefore, that science and technology will continue to contribute to the development of human society.At the same time, rapid scientific advances may raise some difficult problems. First of all, the disparity in scientific knowledge between those in scientific and technical professions and those in other areas will continuously expand. This may create a communications gap between the two groups that could affect obtaining public consent on important issues, such as the use of genetically engineered plants or human embryonic stem cells. Secondly, the 21st century will be characterized by a knowledge-based society and a knowledge of science will be required for many professions. Those who lack scientific knowledge will have fewer opportunities for good jobs. Thirdly, the enormous increase in scientific information will become a burden for children who must study science. Already young people seem to be losing interest in science, and this trend may increase in the future. Over the past several years, enrollment in high-school physics courses in Japan has been decreasing, which suggests that many young people are losing interest in physics or avoiding subjects that require diligent study. Finally, scientific research in the next century will require increasing levels of public investment because sophisticated research is usually expensive. If the public loses interest in, science or does not understand the importance of research, it will become difficult for scientists to obtain sufficient financial support.Because of these considerations, I think that we need to carefully review present science education at different levels and to improve it in order to meet the expected rapid progress of science in the 21st century. At the level of primary education, the’ most important task is to stimul ate children’s interest in nature. Naive surprise at the wonders of nature will hopefully lead to a later interest in science. During their secondary education, students must learn logic and the principles of natural phenomena. They will gradually separate into groups of those who like and those who dislike science. It will be difficult to provide the latter students with the scientific basics that would be useful throughout their lives. This is also the case in university education.It is becoming a goal of general university education to give students who are not majoring in natural science and engineering some level of scientific literacy. In the future, all citizens, especially those expected to lead diverse areas of society should have a sound basis for understanding the progress of science. Because the pace of progress will accelerate further, continuing science education for the public is also of great importance.1.The first paragraph aims at _____A.Overstating the importance of science and technology.B.Highlighting the crucial role scientists play in the development of science and technology.C.Introducing the problems brought about by rapid scientific advances whiles stating theenormous benefits brought about by the progress of science and technology.D.Predicting the trend of the development of science and technology.2.According to the text, that young people seem to be losing interest in science_____.A.Causes the lack of scientists throughout the world in future.B.Is mainly due to the explosion of scientific information.C.Hinders the development of human society.D.Increases the communications gap between young people and scientists.3.The second paragraph is to denote_____A.The gap between scientific and technical professional and non-professionals.B.The difficulties faced by young people in finding jobs.C.The difficulties problems raised by rapid scientific advances.D.Scientific research in the 21th century.4.To which of the following statements is the author most unlikely to agree?A.It is a sheer waste of time and money to force those who dislike science to learn science.B.Stimulating children’s interest in nature is the top priority for primary and secondaryschool authorities.C.Secondary school students should learn logic and the principles of natural phenomena.D. A knowledge of science will be required for many professional in the 21st century5.The best title for this text might be_____A.Science education for the publicB.Science and technology in the 21st centuryC.Scientific advance and ensuing problemsD.The goal of primary, second and higher education还有一篇阅读是讲迈克杰克逊的歌曲，专辑。