16．A scientist working at her lab bench and a six-old baby playing with his food might seem to have little in common．After all，the scientist is engaged in serious research to uncover the very nature of the physical world，and the baby is，well，just playing…right？Perhaps，but some developmental psychologists （心理學家）have argued that this"play"is more like a scientific investigation than one might think．
Take a closer look at the baby playing at the table．Each time the bowl of rice is pushed over the table edge，it falls in the ground---and，in the process，it brings out important evidence about how physical objects interact（相互作用）； bowls of rice do not float in mid-are，but require support to remain stable．It is likely that babies are not born knowing this basic fact of the universe；nor are they ever clearly taught it．Instead，babies may form an understanding of object support through repeated experiments and then build on this knowledge to learn even more about how objects interact．Though their ranges and tools differ，the baby's investigation and the scientist's experiment appear to share the same aim（to learn about the natural world ），overall approach （gathering direct evidence from the world），and logic （are my observations what I expected？）．
Some psychologists suggest that young children learn about more than just the physical world in this way---that they investigate human psychology and the rules of language using similar means．For example，it may only be through repeated experiments，evidence gathering，and finally overturning a theory，that a baby will come to accept the idea that other people can have different views and desires from what he or she has，for example，unlike the child，Mommy actually doesn't like Dove chocolate．
Viewing childhood development as a scientific investigation throws light on how children learn，but it also offers an inspiring look at science and scientists．Why do young children and scientists seem to be so much alike？Psychologists have suggested that science as an effort---the desire to explore，explain，and understand our world---is simply something that comes from our babyhood．Perhaps evolution provided human babies with curiosity and a natural drive to explain their worlds，and adult scientists simply make use of the same drive that served them as children．The same cognitive systems that make young children feel good about feel good about figuring something out may have been adopted by adult scientists．As some psychologists put it，"It is not that children are little scientists but that scientists are big children．"
50．According to some developmental psychologists，D
A．a baby's play is nothing more than a game．
B．scientific research into babies； games is possible
C．the nature of babies'play has been thoroughly investigated
D．a baby's play is somehow similar to a scientist's experiment
51．We learn from Paragraph 2 thatD
A．scientists and babies seem to observe the world differently
B．scientists and babies often interact with each other
C．babies are born with the knowledge of object support
D．babies seem to collect evidence just as scientists do
52．Children may learn the rules of language byC
A．exploring the physical world
B．investigating human psychology
C．repeating their own experiments
D．observing their parents'behaviors
53．What is the main idea of the last paragraph？B
A．The world may be more clearly explained through children's play．
B．Studying babies'play may lead to a better understanding of science．
C．Children may have greater ability to figure out things than scientists．
D．One's drive for scientific research may become stronger as he grows．
54．What is the author's tone when he discusses the connection between scientists'research and babies'play？D
A．Convincing． B．Confused．
C．Confident． D．Cautious．
分析 本文主要講述了一些發展科學家認為孩子的玩耍和科學家的科學研究有共同之處．他們似乎有著共同的目標（認知自然世界）；總的方法（收集來自世界的直接證據）以及相同的邏輯（是我意料之中的觀察結果嗎？）；科學家還舉例論證了孩子們不僅通過重復實驗，收集證據，以及最終推翻一個結論的方法來研究物質世界，他們還以同樣的方法來研究人的心理以及學習語言的規律；最后提出研究孩子的發展過程可以讓人們更好的了解科學．
解答 答案：
50．D 細節理解題 根據第一段的最后一句"but some developmental psychologists （心理學家）have argued that this"play"is more like a scientific investigation than one might think．"可知，一些發展心理學家認為這種"玩"更像是科學研究而不是像人們想像的那樣（只是單純地玩）；此處表達的意思與D．"孩子的玩耍在某種程度上類似于科學家的實驗"相同；故選D
51．D 細節理解題 根據第二段"Though their ranges and tools differ，…overall approach （gathering direct evidence from the world）…"可知，盡管他們的研究范圍和使用的工具不同，但是孩子的研究與科學家的實驗似乎有著共同的目標（認知自然界）；整體的方法（收集來自世界的直接證據）…；所以D．"嬰兒們似乎像科學家一樣收集證據"符合文中表達的意思；故選D
52．C 細節理解題 題干是"孩子們通過什么方式可以學會語言規律？"根據第三段"For example，it may only be through repeated experiments，evidence gathering…"可知，該句表達了孩子學習語言規律的方式即：通過重復實驗，收集證據；因此C．"重復他們自己的實驗"的表達與文中內容相符，故選C
53．B 主旨大意題 結合上文所講的內容，通讀最后一段可知："Viewing childhood development as a scientific investigation throws light on how children learn，but it also offers an inspiring look at science and scientists將觀察兒童的發展作為一項科學研究揭示了孩子的學習的方式，但這也會更加令人鼓舞地對待科學以及科學家"為最后一段的中心句，表達了研究孩子的發展過程可以讓人們更好的了解科學，故選B．
54．D 細節理解題 題干的意思是：當作者在討論科學研究與兒童玩耍的關系時，他的語氣是怎么樣的？根據作者在文中的用詞perhaps，appear to和may表達了并不肯定的語氣，以及通過引用其他人的觀點some psychologist suggest/argue that 可知，作者的語氣是謹慎的，嚴謹的．故選D．
點評 本文閱讀起來有一定的難度，所以需要運用一定的閱讀技巧，例如，首先快速瀏覽文章，把握文章的中心思想；其次，進行細節閱讀，到文中相應的位置去尋找后面問題的答案；最后，標出難理解的句子（一般為長句），簡單劃分一下它的結構，并結合上下文去揣摩它所表達的意義．
