If we accept that we can not prevent science

Read the following passage and write the letter A, B, C or D on the top of the first page to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.               If we accept that we can not prevent science and technology from changing our world, we can at least try to ensure that the changes they make are in the right directions.  In a democratic society, this means that the public needs to have a basic understanding of science, so that it can make informed decisions, and not leave them  in the hands of experts. At the moment, the public has a rather ambivalent attitude toward science. It has come to expect the steady increase in the standard of living that new developments in science and technology have brought to continue, but it also distrusts science because it doesn't understand it. This distrust is evident in in the cartoon figure of  the mad scientist, working in his laboratory to produce a Frankenstein. But the public also has a great interest in science, as is shown by the large audiences for science fiction.            What can be done to harness this interest, and give the public the scientific background it needs to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons and genetic engineering? Clearly, the basis must lie in what is taught in schools. But in schools, science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner. Children learn it by rote to pass examinations and they don't see its relevance to the world around them. Moreover, science is often taught in term of equations. Although equations are a concise and accurate way of describing mathematical ideas, they frighten most people.The science people learn in school can provide the basic framework. But the rate of scientific progress is now so rapid, that there are always new developments that have occurred since one was at school or university. Popular books and magazine articles about science can help to put across new developments. But even the most successful popular book is read by only a small proportion of the population. There are some very good science programs on TV, but others  present scientific wonders simply as magic, without explaining them, or showing how they fit into the framework of scientific ideas. Producers of television science programs should realise that they have a responsibility to educate the public, and not just entertain it.               What are the science-related issues that the public will have to make decisions on in the near future. By far the most urgent is that of nuclear weapons. Other global problems, such as food supply or the greenhouse effect, are relatively slow acting. But a nuclear war could mean the end of all human life on Earth, within days.(adapted from Public Attitudes Toward Science by Stephen Hawking)

Câu 1: What does the passage mainly dicuss?
 

A. The media can educate people about the most recent developments in technology.

B. The public should be educated about science so they can make good decisions.

C. The science people learn in school can provide a basic framework for scientific understanding.

D.  Many people don’t trust science because they don’t understand it.

Câu 2: The word “ it” in paragraph 1 refers to ____
 

A.  the public

B. science  

C.  an expert 

D. technology

Câu 3: According to the passage, the public feels________.
 

A. negative about science fiction

B. completely negative about science

C. ompletely positive about science                

D. ambivalent toward science

Câu 4: The phrase “learn by rote” in paragraph 2 means learning by ______

A. travelling to many places 

B. repeating the same thing many times

C.  asking questions like What? How? Why?

D. choosing the best part to remember

Câu 5: According to the author, science programs on TV should _______.

A.  present a lot of equations    

B.  focus on science fiction

C. show science as a kind of magic 

D.  educate the public, as well as entertain

Câu 6: The word “ put across ” in paragraph 3 closest in meaning to _____
 

A.  affect   

B.  support         

C. communicate    

D. eliminate

Câu 7: According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Human beings like certain aspects of science and also dislike others.

B. People learn just general facts and ideas on science at school.

C. Science is taught in schools in a dry and uninteresting way.

D. The cartoon figure Frankenstein proves that the public trust science.

Câu 8: The author believes that _______.
 

A.   only trained scientists can solve the world’s problems in the future

B.  human beings will not survive for more than a hundred more years

C. the most urgent issue is nuclear wars as they can wipe out the entire mankind

D.  aliens from another planet will visit the Earth someday and help the human race

024.7300.7989
1800.6947