Day 8

英文重现

Scientists'testimonies are used to endorse everything from toothpaste to nuclear power;however,they are also used to challenge the very same things.And this is where it gets tricky:“Scientific”support can now be elicited on all sides of every question,so that the public is constantly forced to decide which scientists to believe.

——SAT 2009年1月题，Section 3

解析

1.“however”是一个副词，当它前后连接两个意思相反的句子时，前面的句子要么以句号结尾，要么就用分号将两个句子隔开，千万不能用“句子，however，句子”的形式，大家自己在写作时要尽量避免这种错误，其他用法类似的副词还有“therefore”、“consequently”、“nonetheless”、“nevertheless”等。

2.“get+形容词”表示“变得……”，强调变化；“get”也可以和分词搭配，比如“get stuck”（被困住、被卡住）。“get+过去分词”与“be+过去分词”的区别在于：“be”是静态的，强调状态，而“get”是动态的，强调变化。

词意辨析

参考翻译

科学家的言论被用来支持一切事物：小到牙膏，大到核能源；然而，它们也会被用来质疑同一事物。这样一来，事情就变得棘手了：现在每个问题的各个方面都能得到“科学”支持，因此公众不断被迫决定要选择相信哪些科学家。

实战演练

This is not to say that so-called scientific evidence is not a good way to vouch safe truth.Scientists'testimonies are used to endorse everything from toothpaste to nuclear power;however,they are also used to challenge the very same things.And this is where it gets tricky:“Scientific”support can now be elicited on all sides of every question,so that the public is constantly forced to decide which scientists to believe.

The examples in lines“toothpaste to nuclear power”are given to____.

(A)criticize the widespread acceptance of certain products

(B)mock the gullibility of the public in scientific matters

(C)describe the daily routine of a group of professionals

(D)enumerate a number of mundane activities in which scientists are involved

(E)convey the range of issues to which science is considered relevant

答案：E

答案解析

“from…to…”是一个表示范围的结构，此处用这个结构是为了强调科学证据的应用范围之广，“toothpaste”和“nuclear power”的作用也是如此，所以应该选择E“说明与科学相关的事物的范围”。作者对“toothpaste”和“nuclear power”并没有表达任何感情色彩，所以选项A“批评某些产品得到了广泛的认可”和选项B“嘲笑公众在科学事务方面很容易受骗”带有感情色彩，应首先排除（注意，虽然下句中“‘Scientific’support can now be elicited on all sides…”带有贬义，但是题目问的范围是在上一句，并非该句话，做题时不能轻易扩大范围）。选项C“解释一群专业人士每天的例行公事”和选项D“列举一些科学家会参与的日常活动”也都不符合原文。