Passage 6
　　For me, scientific knowledge is divided into mathematical sciences, natural sciences or sciences dealing with the natural world (physical and biological sciences), and sciences dealing with mankind (psychology, sociology, all the sciences of cultural achievements, every kind of historical knowledge). Apart from these sciences is philosophy, about which we will talk later. In the first place, all this is pure or theoretical knowledge that is intrinsic and consubstautial to man. What distinguishes man from animal is that he knows and needs to know. If man did not know that the world existed, and that the world was of a certain kind, that he was in the world and that he himself was of a certain kind, he wouldn't be a man. The technical aspects or applications of knowledge are equally necessary for man and are of the greatest importance, because they also contribute to defining him as man and permit him to pursue a life increasingly more truly human.

　　But even while enjoying the results of technical progress, he must defend the primacy and autonomy of pure knowledge. Knowledge sought directly for its practical applications will have immediate and foreseeable success, but not the kind of important result whose revolutionary scope is in large part unforeseen, except by the imagination of the Utopians. Let me recall a we N-known example. If the Greek mathematicians had not applied themselves to the investigation of conic sections zealously and without the least suspicion that it might someday be useful, it would not have been possible centuries later to navigate far from shore. The first men to study the nature of electricity could not imagine that their experiments, carried on because of mere intellectual curiosity, would eventually lead to modern electrical technology, without which we can scarcely conceive of contemporary life. Pure knowledge is valuable for its own sake, be-cause the human spirit cannot resign itself to ignorance. But, in addition, the foundation for practical results would not have been reached if this knowledge had not been sought disinterestedly.

　　31. The most important advances made by mankind come from __.

　　A) technical applications

　　B) apparently useless information

　　C) the natural sciences

　　D) philosophy

　　32. The word "Utopians" in the 2nd sentence in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __.

　　A) idealists

　　B) Greek mathematicians

　　C) scientists

　　D) true human

　　33. In the paragraph the follows this passage, we may expect the author to discuss __.

　　A) the value of technical research.

　　B) the value of pure research

　　C) philosophy

　　D) unforeseen discoveries

　　34. The word "resign" in the 6th sentence in the 2nd paragraph is closest in meaning to

　　A) dismiss

　　B) quit

　　C) remark

　　D) submit

　　35. The title that best expresses the ideas of this passage is __.

　　A) "Technical Progress"

　　B) "A Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing"

　　C) "Man's Distinguishing Characteristics"

　　D) "The Function of Theoretical Knowledge as Compared to Its Practical Applications"

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　　Passage 6

　　文章大意：

　　全文讲述了理论知识的重要作用，说明理论知识的研究是人类理解世界的需求，同时也是实际应用的基础。科学知识就是纯理论知识，寻求的目的只是为了理解，为了满足人类本身固有的对未知的理解的渴求。这也正是人类和动物的区别，而知识的应用也同样重要，它也可以区分人和动物。第二段说明了纯科学对应用科学的作 用。我们现在享受应用科学的成果，但不能忘了纯科学的基础作用和独立性。

　　答案解析：

　　[31)B第二段中的两个例子说明人类在进行科学探索时很多重大进步都来自表面上认为无用的信息。

　　[32]A第二段第二句说明应用科学会产生立竿见影、可预见的效果，但这种成功与纯科学不同，除非是乌托邦式的幻想，而幻想与理想接近，故选A。

　　[33]C第一段第二句说明作者打算把哲学放在后面的章节中讲述。

　　[34]D倒数第二句说明科学研究本身就是有价值的工作，因为人类精神不愿向无知屈服或停留在无知状态。

　　[35]D第二段最后两句点明主旨。