Question

Japan’s youth are losing interest in science and as a result, threatening the nation’s industrial progress. According to Japan Science and Technology Agency, young Japanese are surrounded by high-tech devices(设备), but are not interested in how they work.

Japanese businesses have succeeded partly because they’ve a great many engineers. A drop in interest could lead to a decline(减少) in their numbers and quality. "In the past, the young had a big interest in science and technology," said Hirano, director of the agency’s policy department.

There are two main reasons for the problem. The first is known as "black box syndrome" of modern technology.

Electronic devices depend on tiny silicon chips（芯片）, which can only be made in big factories, whose workings can’t be seen by the eyes. The devices, unlike machines of the past driven by gears and wheels, are simply boxes.

Young Japanese, brought up on video games and at home with computers, enjoy using modern technology, but this is a passive interest and different from the interest in how things work. "You need an active interest to get interested in science. This is declining in the young," said Hirano.

About two-thirds of Japanese in their 20s use PCs, twice the number of those in their 50s. But only 40% of those in their 20s say they are interested in news about science and technology, compared to 60% of the 50 to 60 year olds.

"Another reason for it is that life in modern Japan is too comfortable," he said. "A wealthy society reduces people’s desire to modernize and develop their country. To a degree, you can’t avoid this when the fruits of science and technology are fully developed." Similarly, science in Europe and the US has also suffered a lack of interest.

1.Japanese youth’s interest in science is dropping probably because ________.

A. scientists don’t make much money in Japan

B. there are too many scientists in Japan already

C. they’re not interested in how high-tech devices work

D. science is more difficult for young people to learn

2.The underlined word "their" (in Para. 2) refers to ________.

A. Japanese engineers’

B. Japanese businesses’

C. Japan’s young people’s

D. high-tech devices’

3.Why does science meet the same problem in Japan, the US and Europe?

A. People believe they don’t need to develop their science any more.

B. People are satisfied with the comfortable life high-tech devices bring to them.

C. People think high-tech devices destroy the environment.

D. People don’t want to live the modernized life.

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Older people are probably more interested in science in Japan.

B. About one-third of Japanese people in their 50s use computers.

C. Japan’s youth live too comfortably to take interest in science.

D. Electronic devices are made of parts that can not be seen at all.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.B

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：现在的日本的年轻人对科学的兴趣减弱，因为他们对高科技产品的运作方式不感兴趣，欧洲和美国也是如此，造成这种现象的根本原因是日本年轻人生活的太舒服了，一个富裕的社会会降低人们发展国家的欲望。

1. 细节理解题。根据第一段According to Japan Science and Technology Agency, young Japanese are surrounded by high-tech devices(设备), but are not interested in how they work.可知，日本的年轻人对科学的兴趣减弱是因为他们对高科技产品的运作方式不感兴趣，故选C。

2. 猜测词义题。根据第二段前两句可知，日本企业成功的部分原因是有大量的工程师。而日本的年轻人对科学的兴趣日益下降可能会导致工程师数量的减少和素质的降低。their指代“日本工程师们的”，故选A。

3. 细节理解题。根据最后一段可知，一个富裕的社会会降低人们发展国家的欲望，也就是说，人们的生活太过安逸。在欧洲和美国出现同样的问题也是同样道理。故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据第四段第一句Electronic devices depend on tiny silicon chips（芯片）, which can only be made in big factories, whose workings can’t be seen by the eyes.可知，电子设备依赖微小的芯片，它们的运作方式是肉眼看不到的，但不代表完全看不见，借助仪器能看到，故选D。

考点：考查社会现象类短文阅读。

【名师点睛】

关于词义猜测题

做这种类型的题，要根据词、词组、句子所在的语境上下文来判断其意义。因此熟练掌握一些猜词技巧是做好这类题的关键。命题者在出这类题时惯用常规词义来麻痹考生，我们要特别注意熟词生义，切不可脱离语境主观臆断。

下面结合文本及近几年高考试题，对词义猜测的技巧加以解读。

1.根据定义或上下文解释进行猜测

有时短文中出现一个需要猜测其意义的词或短语，下面接着出现其定义或解释，这就是判断该词或短语意义的主要依据。例如：It will be very hard but also very brittle—that is, it will break easily.从后面that is(也就是说)的解释中我们可以了解到brittle 是“脆”的意思。

2.根据同位关系进行猜测

阅读中出现的难词有时后面紧跟一个同位语，对前面的词进行解释，这时可利用同位关系对前面或后面的词义或句意进行猜测。例如：The “Chunnel”, a tunnel(隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.此句中a tunnel connecting England and France是Chunnel的同位语。因此，The “Chunnel”就是英法之间的海底隧道。

3.根据构词法(前缀、后缀、复合、派生等)进行猜测

在英语中，有很多词可以在前面加前缀，在后面加后缀，从而构成一个词，乍看起来，这个词可能是新词，但掌握了一定的构词知识，就不难猜出它的词义。例如：“Our parties are aimed for children 2 to 10,” Anaclerio said, “and they’re very interactive and creative in that they built a sense of drama based on a subject.”文中interactive是由前缀inter-(相互的)和active(活动的，活跃的)而构成的，同时根据上下文的意思可以判断，该词的含义应是“互动的”。

4.根据转折或对比关系进行猜测

根据上下句的连接词，如but, however, otherwise等就可以看到前后句在意义上的差别，从而依据某一句的含义，来确定另一句的含义。另外，分号也可以表示转折、对比或不相干的意义。例如：A child’s birthday party doesn’t have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun.从前后两句的意思可以看出，hassle和a basket of fun肯定是近乎相反的意义。所以不难判断hassle的意思是“困难，麻烦”。