大学英语精读第册test_yourself2.docVIP

Test?Yourself?2?Passage?One In 1665, an apple fell from a tree and landed near young Isaac Newton. Untold numbers of people had seen apples fall and hadn’t given the matter a second thought. But Newton thought about it carefully and developed a cornerstone of modern science—the theory of gravity. ? ?????????The ability to ask deep questions and look for answers lies at the heart of science. So it stands to reason that educators would want to bottle Newton’s brand of thinking and serve it to their students. ? ?????????Common sense might argue that the best means to that end is to cram future scientists with chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics. After all, Newton had an enormous appetite(胃口；兴趣) for science. ? ?????????But Newton owned more books in the humanities(文科) than he did in the sciences, and his interest included subjects such an history, philosophy, and Greek mythology. ? ?????????Could it be that thinking deeply about subjects such as history, philosophy, and religion makes one a better scientist? Many top American schools think so. ? ?????????The liberal arts education is a diversified(多样化的) toolbox. If you have only one way of looking at things, you will get stuck in the same place everybody else got stuck. If you’ve got different experiences, you may find other ways of solving the problem.” ? ?????????It’s well known that the more we think, the better our neural(神经的) connections. But liberal arts colleges go one step further. They argue that learning to think in one field may sharpen the ability to solve complex problems in a seemingly unrelated area. It may be a while before scientists establish the truth or falsity of this idea. In the meantime, some of the best minds in science are betting that it’s true. ? ??????????“Learning about the great books and the humanities can stimulate the sort of brain waves that serve a scientist pretty well,” says Nobel Prize winner Tom Cech “The more types of thinking you have to do, the more skills you can brin